Stone Hands in sharp form for San Carlos

ARCADIA, Calif. – Stone Hands was beaten 15 lengths in his stakes debut in the Shared Belief Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile at Del Mar last summer.

Stone Hands has not raced at a mile since then. He has been in brilliant form in sprint races leading to his graded stakes debut in Saturday’s Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at Santa Anita. The $250,000 San Carlos Stakes is run at seven furlongs.

Trained by Doug O’Neill for Paul and Zillah Reddam, Stone Hands has won optional claimers in his last two starts, at 5 1/2 furlongs on May 4 and 6 1/2 furlongs on May 28.

“He’s on a roll right now,” O’Neill said.

The San Carlos is a good opportunity for Stone Hands, who has won 4 of 17 starts in his career. The race lacks a heavy favorite among the probable starters – American Anthem, Dabster, El Huerfano, Horse Greedy, St. Joe Bay, Stone Hands, Top of the Game, and Touching Rainbows.

The San Carlos is the richest race on the final weekend of the spring-summer meeting, which concludes on Sunday with a program highlighted by the Grade 3 Wilshire Stakes at a mile on turf for fillies and mares.

Los Alamitos opens its three-week summer meeting on June 28.