Say the Word tops D'Amato trio in San Luis Rey

ARCADIA, Calif. – The longest race is the last race, and the richest race, Saturday at Santa Anita. Just by chance, it also includes the most probable winner on the nine-race card. Aren’t superlatives fun?

Veteran stayer Say the Word stretches out to his preferred mile and one-half turf distance in the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes as a worthy favorite against front-running stablemate Acclimate and comeback gelding Award Winner.

Nine entered the $125,000 San Luis Rey, which is newsworthy itself. The San Luis Rey has recently fallen on hard times. Field size the last three years: 5, 7, and 5 starters.

Phil D’Amato trains three in the San Luis Rey – Say the Word, Acclimate, and Red King. All are intended starters.

The field includes Henley’s Joy and Current, who first met in 2018 when they ran one-two in a graded stakes for 2-year-olds. Others in the San Luis Rey are Airman, Award Winner, Dicey Mo Chara, and Offlee Naughty.

Say the Word won two Grade 2’s last year at a mile and a half, including the Hollywood Turf Cup in November at Del Mar. He recently finished third in a mile and a quarter race that was too short. Beyond distance preference, the 7-year-old is also finicky in how he is handled by his rider.

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“He’s a finesse horse,” D’Amato said. “You have to let him do his thing, and not manhandle him. He will run when he wants to run . . . when it’s his idea.”

Say the World gets a beneficial rider switch to Flavien Prat. The pace scenario flatters his closing style, and he is running at his preferred trip. A win by the 7-for-34 gelding would be his first in four Santa Anita turf starts, and the first San Luis Rey win for his trainer.

D’Amato has the San Luis Rey covered front and back. He also starts 7-for-30 graded winner Acclimate, the likely pacesetter seeking his first win since the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano last June. Acclimate would be the first 8-year-old to win the San Luis Rey since Biggs in 1968.

“He’s training better than ever,” D’Amato said regarding Acclimate, noting he was compromised by pace while finishing last his most recent start. “Someone [a rival] had a kamikaze mission in mind, and it took him out of his game.”

An easier tempo Saturday could allow Acclimate and Ricky Gonzalez to steal the race.

Award Winner’s trainer David Hofmans envisions how the San Luis Rey might unfold: “I guess Acclimate will go to the lead and we’ll lay second and hope we catch him.”

Award Winner defeated Acclimate with that first-over trip last year in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham at 1 1/4 miles. The challenge Saturday for Award Winner is getting a mile and one-half under Juan Hernandez.

Grade 1-winning millionaire Henley’s Joy makes his first start since moving to Richard Baltas, while Current won a starter allowance last out. Current and Henley’s Joy finished one-two in the Grade 3 Bourbon in 2018 at Keeneland; they were unplaced next out in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.