Three stakes scheduled for Santa Anita's targeted reopening weekend

The distances of three reopening weekend stakes at Santa Anita were shortened, and two of the three stakes are being run later in the season than scheduled, but no one is complaining.

Santa Anita is tentatively scheduled to resume racing on May 15 – pending approval from the county health department - and on Friday the track released nominations for three May 16-17 stakes. Those include the Echo Eddie and Evening Jewel stakes for California-breds, which were postponed after Santa Anita stopped racing in late March on direction of government officials due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’re just happy to run,” said trainer Craig Lewis, whose stakes winners Warren’s Showtime and Club Aspen are expected to return in the California-bred stakes races May 16.

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All three stakes were shortened from six and one-half furlongs to six, including the Grade 3 Desert Stormer for filly-mare sprinters on May 17. Twelve are nominated to the $100,000 sprint, including Grade 1 winner Bellafina, the likely favorite if she starts.

Bellafina, winner of the 2019 Santa Anita Oaks and runner-up in the La Brea Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, finished a troubled fourth in her April 25 comeback at Oaklawn Park.

Trainer Simon Callaghan said Friday via text that he and owner Kaleem Shah “are considering” Bellafina for the Desert Stormer, pending a workout scheduled for Sunday.

Others nominated to the Desert Stormer include Grade 3 winner Fighting Mad, stakes winner Mother Mother, comebacker Amuse, and Grade 2-placed First Star.

The Echo Eddie Stakes for 3-year-olds and Evening Jewel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies are each worth $150,000. Both races were postponed from April 4.

The Echo Eddie could mark the return of Phantom Boss, the Jorge Periban-trained winner of the Grade 3 Bashford Manor last June at Churchill Downs. Stakes winner Club Aspen is targeting the Echo Eddie pending a Saturday workout.

Multiple stakes-winning filly Bulletproof One is among the 18 Echo Eddie nominees, along with Northern California-based stakes winner Bettor Trip Nick.

Big Sweep, sharp debut winner for trainer Mark Glatt, is among 17 nominated to the Evening Jewel. Big Sweep also is nominated to the Echo Eddie. Warren’s Showtime, a three-time stakes winner around two turns, is expected to run in the Evening Jewel pending a Saturday workout.