In what appears to be a wide-open affair, Hronis Racing’s Game Time looks like the probable favorite among six sophomores in Sunday’s $100,000 Singletary Stakes, to be contested at a mile and one eighth over the Santa Anita turf.
Trained by John Sadler, Game Time was most recently second, beaten 3 ½ lengths by heavily favored Johannes going one mile on turf here in the Pasadena Stakes April 2 and will be ridden back by Juan Hernandez. Second, beaten a half length three starts back by multiple stakes winning Speed Boat Beach in the Grade III Cecil B. DeMille Stakes at one mile on turf Dec. 4 at Del Mar, he pressed the pace and finished fourth two starts back at the same trip in the Eddie Logan on Dec. 30.
By the Giant’s Causeway stallion Not This Time out of the Broken Vow mare Confession, Game Time, like most of the field, will be trying a mile and one eighth for the first time as he tries to improve his overall race record of 6-1-3-0, which has produced earnings of $99,100.
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One of three Michael McCarthy trainees, lightly raced Wizard of Westwood finished third, three quarters of a length behind Game Time in the Pasadena here on April 2 and with Abel Cedillo up for the first time, his connections are hoping he’ll be able to ration his speed as he stretches out an extra furlong.
Ridden by the recently departed Frankie Dettori in the Pasadena, Wizard of Westwood showed the way early and gave way grudgingly late to be beaten by 4 ¼ lengths by Johannes. A close second two starts back to Johannes in the ungraded Baffle Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf March 5, Wizard of Westwood was a first-out winner on dirt going 5 ½ furlongs at Los Alamitos July 3.
Pasadena Stakes Replay
By the Scat Daddy stallion Tu Brutus out of the Purge mare Figrare, Wizard of Westwood is 3-1-1-1 and is owned by Andrew and Rania Warren.
One of only two horses in the field battle tested at the Singletary distance, McCarthy’s Escape Artist delivered the mail in gate to wire fashion as the 3-5 favorite in a maiden special weight affair going a mile and one eighth on turf here April 9 and figures to get plenty of attention with Kent Desormeaux taking over for the first time.
Ridden by Dettori in his maiden win, Escape Artist was second in both of his prior maiden starts, going a mile and one eighth on Feb. 4 and a flat mile on turf Dec. 26.
Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Escape Artist, who faces winners for the first time, is by Good Magic out of the Tapit mare Glory.
A close fourth going 1 1/16 miles on turf in the Grade III Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland April 7, Mi Hermano Ramon returns to Santa Anita for Mark Glatt and will be ridden for the first time by Umberto Rispoli.
Mi Hermano Ramon the ML Favorite
In what appears to be a drop in class, Mi Hermano Ramon, a trouble fourth, beaten about one length by Wizard of Westwood two races back in the hillside Baffle Stakes March 5, has raced exclusively on grass, winning two races from four starts.
Bred in Kentucky by Red Baron’s Barn and owned by Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal, Mi Hermano Ramon is by Creative Cause out of the Suances mare Sassy Suances.
Newly arrived from the United Arab Emirates, Italian-born Antonio Fresu, who won his first Santa Anita race on Saturday, takes over for the first time on the John Shirreffs-trained Eastbound, who rallied for a half length maiden score at a flat mile on turf March 25 and rates a big look given the fact there appears to be ample speed in the Singletary lineup.
An even fifth going a mile and one eighth on turf two starts back on Feb. 4, Eastbound, a colt by Good Magic out of the Malibu Moon mare Surf Light, has had ample seasoning and will likely have a solid pace to run at.
Owned by Lee and Susan Searing’s C R K Stable, LLC, Eastbound, who had been ridden in all of his previous starts by Victor Espinoza, is 5-1-1-1 overall, with a win and a second place finish from two tries on grass.
The Singletary Stakes
Race 3 of 9 Approximate post time 2 p.m. PT
Mi Hermano Ramon—Umberto Rispoli—120
Game Time—Juan Hernandez—120
Wizard of Westwood—Abel Cedillo—120
Malibu Coast—Tiago Pereira—122
Escape Artist—Kent Desormeaux—122
Eastbound—Antonio Fresu—120
