Sharp Samurai game in City of Hope Mile score

ARCADIA, Calif. – Everything went the way of Sharp Samurai in Saturday’s Grade 2 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita. Everything.

Sharp Samurai ($4.40) edged a stubborn Fly to Mars to win the $201,380 City of Hope Mile on turf by a nose in a potential prep for the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3.

The victory was a reverse from the Del Mar summer meeting when Sharp Samurai was beaten a neck in the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes on July 22 after leading in deep stretch and finished a troubled third in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on Aug. 19 – and promoted to second when a rival was disqualified for causing interference.

Sharp Samurai won the City of Hope Mile even though jockey Gary Stevens lost his whip in the stretch when he and jockey Flavien Prat, who rode Fly to Mars, got their whips tangled together.

“It was pretty exciting, and more exciting than I thought it would be,” Stevens said.

Sharp Samurai was always in the first half of the field, stalking pacesetter Psycho Sister, who set a solid pace of 22.89 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46.26 for a half-mile. Stevens had Sharp Samurai in fourth for the first half-mile and in a three-wide position on the turn. Sharp Samurai ranged alongside Fly to Mars in early stretch.

“I wanted to wait as long as I could,” Stevens said. “At the five-sixteenths, Flavien was sitting pretty chilly.”

With a furlong remaining, Fly to Mars led by a head with Sharp Samurai well-positioned to the outside. At that point, Stevens lost his stick.

“I got his head in front,” Stevens said. “Flavien was coming down with his whip when I was coming up with mine and I lost it. I was praying in the last sixteenth.”

The outcome was too close to call with any confidence.

Sent off as the favorite, Sharp Samurai ran a mile in 1:32.47 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 103. Fly to Mars, the 2-1 second choice, finished 2 1/4 lengths in front of Ohio, who was followed by Le Ken, White Flag, Flamboyant, Psycho Sister, Double Touch, and Mithqaal.

Fly to Mars won the California Dreamin’ Stakes at Del Mar in July, setting a course record of 1:39.50 for 1 1/16 miles. In the Del Mar Mile, Fly to Mars finished second, but was disqualified and placed third behind Sharp Samurai for causing interference in the stretch.

“He was unlucky in his last race,” Stevens said. “I had to steady. Today was a fair shot for everybody.”

The Del Mar Mile was won by Catapult, who was not affected by the incident. Catapult is being trained to the BC Mile.

Sharp Samurai will be strongly considered for the BC Mile, trainer Mark Glatt said.

Owned by Red Baron’s Barn, Rancho Temescal, and Glatt, Sharp Samurai has won 8 of 14 starts and earned $735,270. The City of Hope Mile was Sharp Samurai’s fifth stakes win and first since the Grade 2 Twilight Derby here last October.

Saturday’s win helped to erase the disappointment of a frustrating Del Mar meeting.

“We had a couple of tough decisions down there,” Glatt said. “Who knows what would have happened without the incident. He’s back to his old self.”