Touching Rainbows makes stakes debut in San Carlos

ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainers Bob Baffert and John Sadler may have two runners each in Saturday’s Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes for sprinters at Santa Anita.

But neither trains the most intriguing horse in the expected field – Touching Rainbows, who will have his stakes debut after having won four consecutive races, all optional claimers, in the last year. Touching Rainbows is trained by Phil D’Amato.

The $250,000 San Carlos Stakes is at seven furlongs.

Baffert plans to run the stakes winner American Anthem and Dabster, who has not raced since winning an optional claimer in February.

Sadler will start Moe Candy, second to Touching Rainbows in an optional claimer June 1. Sadler said he is considering sending one other runner – Horse Greedy or St. Joe Bay. They were claimed for $40,000 and $62,500, respectively, in May.

The race will not have a large field. Doug O’Neill plans to start Stone Hands, who won consecutive optional claiming sprints in May.

Sunday is the final day of the spring-summer meeting at Santa Anita. Los Alamitos opens its three-week summer meeting June 28.

The Grade 3 Wilshire Stakes at a mile on turf for fillies and mares is the leading race on closing day. Beau Recall, who won the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes in April, leads a list of candidates that includes Ancient Secret, Cordiality, Storm the Hill and Vasilika.