Tough Sunday eyes second straight stakes win in Thor's Echo Handicap

ARCADIA, Calif. – Perhaps the resilient Tough Sunday would have defeated Edwards Going Left under any circumstances Saturday at Santa Anita, or maybe not.

The debate is on hold, and so is a rematch between the stakes-winning sprinters. Tough Sunday has inherited the role of favorite in the $100,000 Thor’s Echo Handicap, a six-furlong race for California-breds from which his chief rival will scratch. Edwards Going Left, multiple stakes winner and Grade 1-placed twice during the winter meet, will not run in the Thor’s Echo, according to trainer John Sadler.

“He’s had a lot of hard races, and he drew the one,” Sadler said, referring to the rail post. “I’m going to give him a little more time. I entered him because it looked like such a tempting spot.”

Edwards Going Left was the 126-pound highweight following two statebred stakes wins, including a January romp over Tough Sunday. Edwards Going Left will return after he gets a freshening. His defection from the Thor’s Echo leaves six runners and one standout.

Tough Sunday, the 123-pound starting highweight, is the potential speed of the field and likely favorite while seeking his second consecutive stakes. Tough Sunday drew post 2 Saturday. He will start from the rail after Edwards Going Left defects.

The field for the Thor’s Echo includes sharp allowance gelding Make It a Triple, stakes winners Smokey Image and B Squared, along with allowance-caliber runners Grazen Sky and Image of Joplin.

Tough Sunday was foaled blind, deaf, and void of nursing instinct. He was a longshot to survive. Tough Sunday beat the odds, and this year emerged as one of California’s top statebred sprinters for owner-breeder Nick Alexander. Trainer Steve Miyadi and staff deal with the 6-year-old’s idiosyncrasies.

“He’s spoiled,” Miyadi said. “Because of the circumstances of his upbringing – he did not have a mother – he was hand-fed, he was babied. So he thinks the whole world revolves around him.”

On Saturday, the Thor’s Echo Handicap revolves around Tough Sunday. He is the likely pacesetter under Joe Talamo, and his consistently high speed figures top the field. If he runs as well as a month ago winning a similar stakes for Cal-breds, Tough Sunday will be tough to beat.

KEY CONTENDERS

Tough Sunday, by Grazen
Last 3 Beyers: 91-86-97

◗ Since returning in fall after a 10-month layoff, Tough Sunday has a win and a third in Cal-bred stakes, a second-level allowance win, and a runner-up finish in a Grade 3.

◗ Tough Sunday does not post fast workout times. “Ask him to work, and he’ll work unbelievable,” Miyadi said. “But he’s never run to it. So now we don’t let him run in the mornings. We kind of under-train him.”

Make It a Triple, by Misremembered
Last 3 Beyers: 92-79-92

◗ His Cal-bred allowance win last out earned the highest last-start figure (92 Beyer) in the expected Thor’s Echo field.

◗ Keith Craigmyle trains Make It a Triple, a pace-presser whose rider Edwin Maldonado should be able to position him second behind the favorite.

Smokey Image, by Southern Image
Last 3 Beyers: 88-84-95

◗ After winning the first six starts of his career, including five stakes, Smokey Image is winless his last 12 starts but finished in the money in four stakes.