Whatmakessammyrun outduels Air Force Red in Siren Lure Stakes
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A firm turf course and a pace to follow helped Whatmakessammyrun win his third stakes in Sunday’s $100,000 Siren Lure Stakes at Santa Anita.
Whatmakessammyrun closed from last in a field of five with a wide rally to edge 1-2 favorite Air Force Red by a head after a thrilling stretch duel.
The win ended a three-race losing streak for Whatmakessammyrun since the Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes at Santa Anita last October.
Ridden on Sunday by Joe Bravo, Whatmakesammyrun ($9.40) was timed in a quick 1:11.57 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 96.
Sunrise Journey (7-1) set a solid pace of 22.19 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.04 for a half-mile, closely followed by Air Force Red. When the field crossed from the hillside portion of the course to the main turf oval, Air Force Red moved closer to the front, quickly challenged by 8-1 Indian Peak on the inside and Whatmakessammyrun on the outside.
With a furlong remaining, the five runners were spread across the track, separated by 1 1/2 lengths.
Whatmakessammyrun and Air Force Red pulled away before Whatmakessammyrun gained a narrow advantage.
Bravo said he “sat back and watched how the race unfolded.”
“I just had to get him to the outside,” Bravo said. “That was it.”
Air Force Red, who was 4-5 when the field reached the gate and was the subject of significant late bets, finished 1 3/4 lengths in front of third-place finisher Indian Peak. Burning Turf and Sunrise Journey completed the order of finish.
Trained by Mark Glatt for Sterling Stables, Whatmakessammyrun, a 5-year-old gelding by Wee Miss Artie, has won 5 of 19 starts and earned $391,070.
Following the win in the Eddie D Stakes, Whatmakessammyrun finished second in the Stormy Liberal Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar on Dec. 3, and sixth of 10 in the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez Stakes on the hillside turf course on Dec. 31.
In his only previous start this year, Whatmakessammyrun was fourth in the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes on the hillside turf course on March 5. Glatt said earlier this week that Whatmakesammyrun was compromised by running on rain-softened turf courses in his last two starts.
Conditions were firm on turf on Sunday.
“He’s put in some sub-par performances here lately, and I think it’s mostly due to it being a rainy winter,” said Ryan Glatt, who assists his father. “He doesn’t really like the wet turf course.
“We have had some dry weather lately, and I think he likes the drier, firmer turf course.”
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