Post-Race Review
The Pamplemousse made it look so easy in the Sham Stakes (gr. III), refuting speculation that the distance would be too much for the son of Kafwain. After rushing to the lead shortly after the start, The 1-2 favorite settled into his smooth, fast stride and led the field through swift fractions. Going into the far turn, Take the Points offered a mild challenge, but The Pamplemousse drew away, opening up and winning by six at the wire.
Alex Solis was aboard for Julio Canani. Take the Points held for second, while Mr. Hot Stuff closed for third. The final time was 1:47.86 after a mile in a brisk 1:35.09. The Pamplemousse paid $3 to win.
Pre-Race Analysis
The journey to the Santa Anita Derby and beyond continues with the Sham Stakes (gr. III), an important 1 1/8 mile prep race to be run on Saturday at Santa Anita. With the scratch of Lifeline, eleven sophomore colts will vie for $200,000 and the all-important graded stakes earnings that determine the Kentucky Derby field in May.
The Pamplemousse will be a deserving heavy favorite after emerging victorious from the one-mile San Rafael (gr. III) in January. Jockey Alex Solis is back after riding the Kafwain colt to two wins in a row for trainer Julio Canani. The only question is whether the distance of the race will be too much for The Pamplemousse, whose pedigree is geared towards shorter distances. That mystery leaves the door open for an upset, and several other horses seem quite capable on paper.
Mr. Hot Stuff is the next “hot” thing despite a rough start to his five-race career. After finishing 10th, 7th, and 4th in 2008, Mr. Hot Stuff has finished third and then first in 2009, and always runs strong CASE numbers, even when the finishes seemed disappointing. Mr. Hot Stuff is a full brother to last year’s Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) and Travers Stakes (gr. I) winner Colonel John, and will be ridden by Corey Nakatani for Eoin Harty. Mr. Hot Stuff’s maiden win on February 1st earned a whopping 107 for Aerobic Efficiency with a 92.8 average.
Take the Points ships in from Florida for trainer Todd Pletcher with two straight victories, including a sharp allowance win at Gulfstream Park in Janaury that earned an 89 for Endurance. Take the Points, a son of Even the Score, will start from the outside post in the Sham, but will be piloted by Garrett Gomez. Just to the inside of Take the Points is Unbridled Roman, a state-bred Roman Dancer colt who finished second by a head here on January 29th going 1 1/16 miles, an effort under jockey Mike Smith which earned a 91 for Aerobic Efficiency and a 95 for Endurance. Smith will be back aboard today.
Two other horses deserve a serious look, the first being Smart Bid, who came to California from Pennsylvania after winning a maiden race by 2 1/2 lengths for trainer Graham Motion. The Smart Strike colt then won an optional claimer at Santa Anita going a mile on the turf, earning a 101 for Endurance. Although Smart Bid’s only start on a synthetic surface yielded a third place finish, that was in a five furlong debut race back in July, and may not be a factor today. Hi Flyin Indy will break from the rail, and the A.P. Indy colt is a worthy stablemate of Mr. Hot Stuff, taking a maiden race in his third start on January 8th and then returning to finish a disappointing 7th on Janauary 29th. Despite the finish, Hi Flyin Indy received a 96 for Aerobic Efficiency and a 90 for Stride Quality, and is a rich 30 – 1 on the morning line.
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Emily Shields is a regular contributor to Case the Race. She has written for California Thoroughbred, Churchill Downs media, and international racing magazines.
