Sir London returns from long layoff
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Sir London, unraced since a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita in February 2022, will have his 4-year-old debut in an allowance race Monday at Los Alamitos.
Sir London will go from a hot Triple Crown prep to a highly competitive allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs.
Trained by Simon Callaghan, Sir London is part of a field of six that includes two other well-regarded runners making their first starts of the year, Mister Iceman and Patron d’Oro. Also entered are Anmer Hall, who won a $32,000 claimer on turf on June 4 at Santa Anita; the two-time statebred stakes winner Giver Not a Taker; and the promising recent maiden race winner Mor Tequila.
Sir London, owned by AMO Racing USA and Qatar Racing, may benefit from a start at Los Alamitos on Monday in advance of the Del Mar summer meeting that begins July 21.
“I think he will move forward for the race,” Callaghan said Saturday. “It’s a starting point back after a long layoff.”
Sir London, bought for $700,000 as a 2-year-old in training, will be ridden for the first time by Ramon Vazquez and will be fitted with blinkers. As a 2-year-old in 2021, Sir London showed speed. Such a tactic on Monday could result in a duel with Mister Iceman, who has not raced since a win in a maiden race at Del Mar last August, and Mor Tequila, who won a maiden race at Santa Anita from the front on May 20 for trainer Bob Baffert.
Patron d’Oro can be a factor from off the pace. He won a maiden race at Santa Anita in June 2022 and was later fifth of 12 in an allowance race at Del Mar last summer in his final start of the year.
Mister Iceman is in a similar situation as Sir London as a runner in need of a start, trainer Peter Miller said. Gelded earlier this year, Mister Iceman has worked quickly at times at San Luis Rey Downs in recent weeks, notably five furlongs from the gate in 59.60 seconds on June 16.
“We haven’t completely cranked him,” Miller said. “He worked 59 out of the gate. He’s a nice horse.”
Giver Not a Taker, who drew the outside post, is a three-time winner. Since two of those wins were stakes for juvenile statebreds, Giver Not a Taker remains eligible for a first-condition allowance race. Giver Not a Taker was a well-beaten fourth in a field of seven in a similar race at six furlongs on June 4 at Santa Anita.
“He’s trained more aggressively since the race,” Miller said. “He should run well.”
Miller said the allowance race can serve as a prep for Giver Not a Taker for the $175,000 Real Good Deal Stakes for statebred 3-year-olds at seven furlongs on Aug. 4 at Del Mar.
◗ Monday’s final race is a first-level allowance/optional claimer led by Navy Man, who was second in the Lazaro Barrera Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs on May 6 at Santa Anita in his stakes debut.
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