Whatmakessammyrun makes Desert Code first stakes triumph
ARCADIA, Calif. - Whatmakessammyrun won his first stakes, and gave leading rider Flavien Prat a record 20th stakes win of the winter-spring meeting, in the $81,650 Desert Code Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters at Santa Anita on Sunday.
Whatmakessammyrun ($3.60) closed from fifth in a field of six to reach a prominent position in early stretch. With a three-wide rally, Whatakessammyrun took the lead in the final furlong and quickly drew away to prevail by 3 3/4 lengths.
Whatmakessammyrun is unbeaten in two starts in California for Sterling Racing and trainer Mark Glatt. The colt won a six-furlong allowance race on turf on May 2 with Prat aboard, closing from off the pace in that race.
“Last time, when I made a move, he was playing around,” Prat said. “Today, when I asked him to make a run, he stretched out and moved forward.”
Whatmakessammyrun ran six furlongs on turf in 1:08.08 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 90.
Mohawk King, who had his American debut when second to Whatmakessammyrun in the May 2 allowance race, finished second in the Desert Code. Love My Jimmy set the pace in the Desert Code, going the opening quarter-mile in 21.86 seconds and a half-mile in 44.51. Love My Jimmy faded to finish third, 4 1/4 lengths behind Whatmakessammyrun.
Touchdown Brown finished fourth, followed by Missy P., and Enough Nonsense.
Whatmakessammyrun, by the Artie Schiller stallion We Miss Artie, has won 3 of 8 starts and has earned $139,610. Earlier in his career, Whatmakessammyrun finished second in the Atlantic Beach Stakes at Aqueduct last November and seventh in the Columbia Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in March when trained by George Weaver.
Prat broke a record for single-season stakes wins at the winter-spring meeting shared by retired riders Laffit Pincay Jr. in 1982-83 and Corey Nakatani in 1996-97.
On Saturday, Prat finished second in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes aboard Hot Rod Charlie. He returned to Southern California before Sunday’s program.
Prat has a clear lead in the jockey standings at the current meeting, which began Dec. 26 and continues through June 20.
“It’s been a good beginning of the year,” he said. “Hopefully, we can keep it going.”