Sumter gelded, sheds blinkers for Clocker's Corner Stakes

Sumter went from winning two stakes as a 3-year-old in 2022 to going winless in six starts in 2023, including four appearances in graded stakes.

Sumter’s 5-year-old season begins at an easier level on Sunday at Santa Anita in the $100,000 Clocker’s Corner Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course.

The Clocker’s Corner, restricted to non-winners of a graded stakes since Jan. 1, 2023, is Sumter’s first start since a fourth-place finish at 19-1 in the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar on Nov. 25.

Since then, Sumter has been gelded, which trainer Richard Mandella hopes will translate into his first win since the Singletary Stakes in April 2022.

“He’s always trained well and sometimes he runs well,” Mandella said. “I’m hoping gelding will help a bit.”

Race strategy may unfold in Sumter’s favor in the Clocker’s Corner, which drew a field of eight. The 6-year-old mare Hamwood Flier, the only female in the race, is quick enough to lead, and could be an early target for Sumter, who can also be in front.

Sumter will not be fitted with blinkers on Sunday for the first time in three starts. Mandella said no blinkers may translate into a more patient style.

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“He needs to relax a little bit,” Mandella said.

Sumter, who races for Ramona and Perry Bass, was second by a length in an allowance race at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf at Santa Anita in October in his last start in a sprint, setting the pace to the final furlong.

Any sort of speed duel would help runners such as Mucho Del Oro, a stakes winner at Turf Paradise in 2022; Daniel’s Magic, who was fourth in the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs on the flat turf course on Dec. 30; and Irideo, the winner of a restricted stakes at a mile on turf at Del Mar in 2022.

The Clocker’s Corner will be the first start for Daniel’s Magic on the hillside turf course since he won consecutive allowance races in October. In those wins, Daniel’s Magic stalked the pace before taking the lead in the stretch.

“He keeps getting incrementally better,” trainer Eoin Harty said. “He doesn’t take major huge leaps forward.”

Harty said a slow pace in the Hernandez worked against a closer such as Daniel’s Magic.

“That wasn’t his ideal trip,” Harty said.

Flavien Prat, who through Thursday was tied for the lead in the jockey standings at the current winter-spring meeting, will ride Daniel’s Magic for the first time in the Clocker’s Corner, replacing Kazushi Kimura.

The Clocker’s Corner is the California stakes debut for Mucho Del Oro, who has not raced since an easy win in an allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs on turf last June in which he was eligible to be claimed for $50,000.

Mucho Del Oro was claimed from that race by current trainer Doug O’Neill.

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