Sumter, after Singletary triumph, points to American Turf Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. - Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella has at least one 3-year-old bound for Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May.

On Saturday at Santa Anita, Sumter won his third consecutive start in the $100,000 Singletary Stakes at a mile on turf, which is likely to lead to a start in the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 7.

Mandella has an outstanding chance to take a more prominent 3-year-old from the stable, depending on how the highly regarded Forbidden Kingdom runs in Saturday’s Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, a key prep for the Kentucky Derby on May 7.

Forbidden Kingdom, along with the stakes winner Messier, are the two leading contenders in what is expected to be a small field in the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles. Trainer Doug O’Neill plans to start Happy Jack and Win the Day.

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Forbidden Kingdom is unbeaten in two Grade 2 stakes this year – the San Vicente Stakes at seven furlongs on Jan. 29 and the San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 5.

Sumter has developed into a multiple stakes winner in recent months for owners and breeders Ramona and Perry Bass. Sumter finished a well-beaten fifth in his debut on dirt last July, and has raced on turf in his last five starts. Sumter won a maiden special weight race at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar last November in his final start of 2021 and won his 2022 debut in the Pasadena Stakes at a mile on turf on Feb. 19.

The $500,000 American Turf Stakes at 1 1/16 miles will be Sumter’s graded stakes debut.

“He’s won a couple of little ones,” Mandella said. “It’s time to do something better.”

In the Singletary, Sumter led throughout under jockey Mike Smith and was fully extended to hold off the European import Balnikhov by a nose. Sumter also led throughout the Pasadena, but Mandella insists the colt is not dependent on that style.

“Mike could have sat yesterday,” Mandella said on Sunday morning. “He decided to go with it. It worked.”

Mandella said he would not be opposed if Sumter raced from a stalking position.

“Some day, we’ll do that,” he said.

Balnikhov won consecutive starts on synthetic tracks in France in December and had his stakes debut in the Singletary, closing from fourth of five. Trainer Phil D’Amato said he saw enough to consider the American Turf Stakes for Balnikhov.

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“He was in front before and after the wire,” D’Amato said.

Beyond Brilliant heads to Keeneland

Beyond Brilliant, the winner of the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar last November, is likely to start in the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland on April 15.

Trainer John Shirreffs said Sunday that the $600,000 Maker’s Mark Mile on turf could lead to a start in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on turf at Santa Anita on May 30. The winner of the $500,000 Shoemaker Mile receives a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 5 at Keeneland.

Owned by Lee and Susan Searing’s CRK Stable, Beyond Brilliant is winless in two starts at the current Santa Anita winter-spring meeting – a second in the Grade 2 Mathis Mile for 3-year-olds on dirt on Dec. 26 and a fourth by a length in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf on March 5.