Temperamental Desert Stone on brink of winning a graded stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – A second in the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile in December and a troubled third in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on March 30 has left Desert Stone close to winning a graded stakes.

One of these days, trainer Richard Baltas thinks, the promising 4-year-old colt is going to deliver.

“If he wins one of these, it will be a big deal,” Baltas said.

Desert Stone is scheduled to start in the richest race of his career in Monday’s Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on turf. The $500,000 Shoemaker Mile is part of the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In program, offering a fees-paid berth to the winner for the BC Mile here Nov. 2.

The locale of the BC Mile fits Desert Stone. Aside from his recent stakes placings, Desert Stone won twice on the turf course here last spring and was third, by only a half-length, in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby here last October.

“For some reason, he’ll run a big race at Santa Anita,” Baltas said.

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Owned by Zayat Stables, Desert Stone is a closer with a quirky attitude.

“He runs when he feels like running,” Baltas said.

Frequently, Desert Stone has started slowly, but he has rallied several times to be close at the finish. He did not run well when fifth under jockey Joel Rosario in the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes in February. Monday, Desert Stone will be ridden by Geovanni Franco, who was aboard for the Mathis Brothers Mile and Kilroe Mile.

“He runs for Franco,” Baltas said. “You can’t override him. He does it when he wants to.”

Desert Stone is part of a competitive field in the Shoemaker Mile, which is led by Delta Prince, winner of the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile on April 12 at Keeneland, and Ohio and Catapult, who were first and second, separated by just a nose, in the Kilroe Mile.

Monday is the leading program of Santa Anita’s spring-summer meeting, with two other Grade 1 races worth $500,000 – the Gold Cup at Santa Anita at 1 1/4 miles and the Gamely Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf for fillies and mares.

Gift Box, winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on April 6, leads a Gold Cup field expected to include Lone Sailor, second by a neck in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on April 13, and Vino Rosso, winner of the Grade 2 Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct in 2018.

The Gamely Stakes will be the first meeting between Vasilika and Rymska since they finished fourth and sixth, respectively, in the Grade 1 Matriarch on Dec. 2. Vasilika has won 11 of her last 12 starts. Rymska is a six-time stakes winner trained by Chad Brown.