Sharp Samurai auditions for Eddie Read Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Sharp Samurai was a length from ending 2017 with five consecutive stakes wins on turf.

The winning streak stretched from June to late October and included two Grade 2 races – the Del Mar Derby and Twilight Derby – before ending with a fourth-place finish behind Mo Town in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby last November.

By any measure, the campaign was a success, leading to high hopes for 2018.

Sharp Samurai will have his first start of the year Sunday at Santa Anita in an allowance race with a $75,000 claiming option at a mile on turf. The race is a prep the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Del Mar on July 22, trainer Mark Glatt said.

“I think we’ve got him ready to go,” Mark Glatt said. “When you’re coming off a layoff, you hope you have him ready.

“Without getting too far ahead, we think it would be a good prep for the Eddie Read.”

Owned by Red Barons Barn, Rancho Temescal, and Glatt, Sharp Samurai has won 6 of 10 starts and earned $483,870.

“He had a good campaign as a 3-year-old,” Glatt said. “He’s keeping better weight on and looks stronger. He’s facing older horses for the first time and there is that element.”

Sharp Samurai is part of a strong field of six that includes the stakes winners Arms Runner, Ashleyluvssugar, Catapult, and Isotherm.

Catapult, a 5-year-old horse owned by Woodford Racing, will have his first start at Santa Anita and first race for trainer John Sadler on Sunday. Previously trained by Chad Brown, Catapult won the Gio Ponti Stakes on turf at Aqueduct in November 2016 and was second in the Grade 2 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup Stakes at Laurel last September. The Eddie Read also could be next for the four-time winner.

Ashleyluvssugar, who has won six stakes, was a fast-closing fourth in the Crystal Water Stakes for California-bred turf milers on May 20 in his first start of the year.

“I don’t believe he had his best trip last time,” trainer Peter Eurton said. “He was way back and went a little wide. We were hoping to save some ground on the first turn.”

A 7-year-old gelding, Ashleyluvssugar could run in the California Dreamin’ Handicap for statebreds on turf at Del Mar on July 28 with a good performance on Sunday, Eurton said.