Two invaders lead Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile Handicap field

PHOENIX – Blackjackcat and Ohio, a couple of Southern California veterans with graded stakes success, invade Turf Paradise on Saturday as the horses to beat in the $75,000 Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile Handicap, one of the marquee events of the meet. The mile grass event (race 7), named for the former NBA coach and a fixture in the track’s turf club before passing away in 2004, drew a field of 10.

The $30,000 Glendale Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on the grass also is on tap Saturday (race 5). The race features the top grass females on the circuit and drew 10, led by 122-pound highweight Medaglia Gold.

Saturday’s program marks the 63rd birthday of the track, which opened Jan. 12, 1956. Free tote bags go to the first 4,000 paid admissions and a $10,000 contribution goes to the Glendale Union High School District as part of the track’s #ThoroughbredForEd initiative.

Blackjackcat, the 123-pound Fitzsimmons highweight owned by Al Kirkwood and trained by Mark Glatt, was good enough in 2017 to finish a rallying third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile. The 5-year-old gelded son of Tale of the Cat was off the board in four starts since in 2018, but three of those were graded stakes at Santa Anita. He may not be up to that level any longer, but is surely a danger here.

Ohio, tabbed at 118 pounds and owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Bruce Treitman and trained by Michael McCarthy, likewise gets a significant drop. The 8-year-old gelded son of Elusive Quality ran third in the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile on Oct. 6 at Santa Anita in his last and was seventh in the Grade 2 Seabiscuit on Nov. 24 at Del Mar.

Consumerconfidence (121 pounds) may be the main local hope. Owned by Franke Bemis and Shawn Davis and trained by Davis, the 6-year-old son of Quality Road comes off two straight big wins on this course at this trip; one of those was the Walter Cluer Memorial on Nov. 24. Another local interest is Gato Guapo (117 pounds). The 3-year-old son of Factum is just 1 for 7 on turf but may have become a new horse as the gelding – owned by Charles Garvey and trained by Robertino Diodoro – tries turf again off a smashing 11-length win in the Last Chance Derby here Dec. 26.

Glendale Handicap

Medaglia Gold, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Larry Williams and trained by Davis, looms as the one to beat in the Glendale. She comes into this riding a four-race win streak, including easily taking the Queen of the Green here Nov. 24. She’s won her only two starts on this course.

The 4-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro doesn’t have much margin for error, however. Among her rivals are Paddy’s Secret, a Frank Lucarelli-trained 5-year-old daughter of Paddy O’Prado who won the Sun City here last winter and comes off a stakes win and stakes third in sprint stakes here this fall; Peach Time, an 8-year-old daughter of Impeachment owned by Briean Courtney and Ryan Bratcher and trained by Bratcher who comes off a dazzling seven-length win on this course Dec. 1; Impasse, a 6-year-old daughter of Quality Road owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and TNIP Racing and trained by McCarthy who has stakes experience at Saratoga and Santa Anita; and Gorgeous Ginny, a 4-year-old daughter of Take Charge Indy owned by Randy Howg and trained by Diodoro who won her only start on turf, which came on this course, and who returns after dueling and fading to sixth in a dirt sprint stakes on Nov. 11 at Del Mar.