Sumter targets Singletary Stakes in April

ARCADIA, Calif. - Last year, Rock Your World won his stakes debut in the Pasadena Stakes on turf at Santa Anita and followed with an impressive victory in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on dirt in April.

Sumter will have a different springtime schedule after winning his stakes debut in Saturday’s $103,000 Pasadena Stakes.

“Did you see his first race?” trainer Richard Mandella asked Sunday morning. “He got beat 35 lengths.”

Actually, Sumter’s losing margin was 22 3/4 lengths in a maiden special weight at 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar last July. Since then, racing only on turf, Sumter has never been worse than second. The Pasadena Stakes was Sumter’s first start of 2022 and first race since a win in a maiden special weight race at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar last November.

Ridden by Flavien Prat, Sumter led throughout the Pasadena as the 8-5 favorite.

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Mandella plans to keep the colt on turf for the $100,000 Singletary Stakes at a mile on April 2, the same distance as the Pasadena Stakes. There is a very good chance some of the runners who finished behind Sumter in the Pasadena will start in the Singletary - and will merit respect after crummy trips on Saturday.

Runner-up Handy Dandy was well placed on the backstretch until two rivals – Epoch and Doitforandrew – loomed wide, leaving Handy Dandy briefly blocked on the turn. When Handy Dandy had running room in the stretch under jockey Edwin Maldonado, he could not catch Sumter, closing to within three-quarters of a length.

“I thought I would win the race,” trainer Ruben Alvarado said Sunday. Edwin “had to wait to go outside. He ran huge.”

Crosby Beach, who finished third under Juan Hernandez, was steadied on the backstretch when racing ninth of 11 and again in the stretch while closing ground. Crosby Beach was beaten 2 1/4 lengths. Crosby Beach emerged from the race without mishap, trainer Michael McCarthy said.

“He’s better than his trainer,” McCarthy said. “Part of it was not Juan’s fault, but I wanted him to be forwardly placed.”

Doitforandrew, a two-time winner in Ireland in the fall, had his American debut in the Pasadena and was pinched between rivals a few strides from the gate. Umberto Rispoli gave Doitforandrew an aggressive ride with a wide move on the backstretch, but the colt faded to finish eighth.

“He got wiped out at the start,” trainer Phil D’Amato said. “Umberto elected to make an early move to get into contention that probably wasn’t the prudent choice.”

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D’Amato said Doitforandrew emerged from the race with cuts on three legs. “They should be superficial,” he said.

Aside from Sumter, Maglev, the winner of the Baffle Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs on turf on Jan. 30, is another leading contender in the Singletary.

Sumter, who races for Ramona and Perry Bass, led throughout the Pasadena Stakes, but may not be reliant on that running style in the future.

“He’ll get better about that,” Mandella said. “He’s a little fresh and inexperienced. I think he’ll settle down.”