Trainer O'Neill has great day as Breeders' Cup approaches

ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Doug O’Neill sat in an empty grandstand at Santa Anita on Sunday morning, surveying the clear skies and surrounding scene. The morning activity was drawing to a close as two runners from his stable worked on the infield training track.

“What a beautiful day,” O’Neill said.

O’Neill could have said the same thing several times on Saturday.

In the morning, Hot Rod Charlie, the stable’s star 3-year-old, worked five furlongs in 1:01.60 in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 6.

That afternoon, O’Neill won four of the nine races at Santa Anita, the sixth time in his career he has won four races at the track and the first time since 2013. O’Neill’s personal best for a single day was a five-win afternoon at Del Mar in July 2015.

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On Saturday, O’Neill won the third race for maidens on turf with Go On ($4.80), the fourth race for maiden 2-year-olds with the promising Slow Down Andy ($11), the eighth race for $16,000 claimers with Squalotoro ($6), and the ninth race, an allowance race for turf sprinters, with the well-backed I’ll Stand Taller ($5).

Mario Gutierrez rode all of O’Neill’s winners except for Squalotoro, who was ridden by Juan Hernandez. Paul and Zillah Reddam own Go On, Slow Down Andy, and I’ll Stand Taller.

“Things got lucky,” O’Neill said. “We got some good trips.”

I’ll Stand Taller was the subject of a series of late bets. The colt was 4-1 with a minute to post, 5-2 as the field reached the gate and was sent off at 3-2.

Slow Down Andy, a colt by Nyquist, ran 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.17 to win his debut by 4 3/4 lengths.

Bred by the Reddams, Slow Down Andy is a candidate for the $175,000 Golden State Juvenile at seven furlongs for California-breds at Del Mar on Nov. 5.

Slow Down Andy is a full brother to the 3-year-old Team Merchants, a two-time winner who was fourth in the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park on Sept. 26.

“He has the bloodlines to be decent,” O’Neill said of Slow Down Andy. “If he stays injury-free, he’s a big-time horse.”

O’Neill expects to have two starters in Breeders’ Cup races – Hot Rod Charlie and Mackinnon in the Juvenile Turf at a mile on Nov. 5. Mackinnon won the Zuma Beach Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 3.

There are no race plans for Hockey Dad, who was third in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 4. Hockey Dad emerged from a recent workout with an injury, and has been sent to the Reddams’ farm in Bonsall for a rest, O’ Neill said.