Turf condition could give D'Amato pair an advantage
ARCADIA, Calif. – When more than five inches of rain fell last week, Santa Anita went conservative by suspending its turf program. Not a single grass race was carded.
“We just did the safe thing and decided to go without,” racing secretary Rick Hammerle said. “Next week, we’re back to normal.”
For the first time since Jan. 3, turf racing resumes Thursday at Santa Anita. A filly-and-mare maiden route is race 3, a downhill sprint with the most probable winner on the card (Guns Loaded) is race 5, and a challenging three-other-than allowance mile is race 7.
Along with a main-track sprint for California-bred 3-year-olds that is race 6, the Thursday card is appealing. And as long as the weather cooperates, the turf course will see plenty of use during the upcoming five-day racing week, Thursday through Monday.
“The course is great,” Hammerle said. “Any time you get 11 days off, no matter when or where, it is a good thing. Obviously, we probably are a little more careful early in the meet just because it’s a long meet and there’s no need to push it.”
The rails will be at the outermost 30-foot setting Thursday and for three grass races Friday. As a general rule, the turf rails are positioned farther out on weekdays and closer to the inside on weekends.
It was unclear early this week whether the course would be labeled “firm” or “good.” Either way, the rainfall last week is fine for trainer Phil D’Amato’s two contenders in race 7. Abbey Vale and Hay Dude began their careers overseas.
“Hay Dude might enjoy a little cut in the ground, a little softer surface,” D’Amato said. “I think with these two Euros, I don’t think they’ll mind it at all. They’re accustomed to this kind of turf course.”
In addition to Hay Dude and Abbey Vale, the field for race 7 includes the stakes winners Big Bane Theory and Soi Phet and the comebackers Quadrivium and Spring Up.
The race-6 allowance sprint for California-breds includes the locally based debut winner Eddie Haskell and two shippers – Midnight Ming from Golden Gate Fields and Shred the Rules from Turf Paradise. Six entered the 6 1/2-furlong sprint.
KEY CONTENDERS
OPTIONAL CLAIMER (RACE 7)
Abbey Vale (Last 3 Beyers: 86-91-90)
◗ A miler in Europe, Abbey Vale won two of his first three starts in the U.S. and then was thwarted in four starts against better company. He drops out of a Grade 2 race and is reunited with Rafael Bejarano, the meet’s leading turf rider, with five wins from 13 turf mounts. The challenge for Bejarano and Abbey Vale is rallying from the back of the field with the rails at 30 feet.
Hay Dude (Last 3 Beyers: 89-98-97)
◗ Hay Dude was intended to run Dec. 26 in the Grade 3 Daytona but was excluded from the oversubscribed field due to earnings. D’Amato finished one-two in the Daytona with Toowindytohaulrox and Coastline.
“I’ve been waiting to run [Hay Dude] for a long time,” D’Amato said.
◗ Hay Dude has started only once since last March; his speed figures last winter are tops in the field. He will be ridden by apprentice David Lopez.
OPTIONAL CLAIMER (RACE 6)
Eddie Haskell (Beyer: 70)
◗ Doug O’Neill trains Eddie Haskell, who won his career debut last month by 3 1/4 lengths.
“Another Square Eddie with a gutsy effort,” O’Neill said. “He’s a full brother to Eddie’s First, so the genes were pretty solid. We were pretty excited into his debut and thought racing and distance would help.”
Eddie’s First holds the Santa Anita turf-sprint record of 1:10.73.
◗ Mario Gutierrez rides Eddie Haskell, whose chances might depend on how much pace pressure he gets from front-runner Shred the Rules to his immediate outside.
Midnight Ming (Beyers: 71-58)
◗ Bill Morey trains Golden Gate shipper Midnight Ming, who will add blinkers for his first start in Southern California.
“He’s been a little green in both his races,” Morey said. “We worked him [Saturday] with blinkers, and he was very straight and much more professional.”
◗ Midnight Ming won his career debut. In his second start, he finished a better-than-it-looked fourth around two turns. He will shorten up to a sprint Thursday and break from the rail.