Tokyo City Cup Stakes at Santa Anita Park

Las Vegas, NV -- The 56th running of the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup Stakes comes our way from Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California this Saturday March 24th. Horses four years old and upward will be chasing a $100,000 purse over a distance of 1 ½ miles on Santa Anita's main track.

The Tokyo City Cup acts as a good tune-up for the 14 furlong Breeders' Cup Marathon later on this year - those that can go 1 ½ miles will be in line to start in the most prestigious distance race for older horses. Eight entries will go on Saturday in the eighth race on Santa Anita's Saturday schedule. Post time is 4:07 PM PST.

Let's take a look at the entries and the recent results that brought them into Saturday's distance test.

Tokyo City Cup Stakes Race Favorites

Eldaafer - won the Breeders' Cup marathon in 2010 and finished sixth last year but hasn't won a race since August - an allowance race at Delaware. Last time out, Eldaafer was fourth in the Turf Paradise Handicap on February 18th and before that was fifth at the Grade 3 Native Diver Handicap at Hollywood Park on December 3rd. Despite the less than scintillating recent results, Eldaafer is one of the few horses in the field proven over this distance.

Tokyo City Cup Stakes betting at Santa Anita Park with OffTrackBetting.com

Twice the Appeal - most recently finished seventh at the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap and before that was third at the Essex Handicap and second at the Fifth Season Stakes, both at Oaklawn Park. Twice the Appeal has raced in some huge races in the past winning the Grade 3 Sunland Derby last year and finishing 10th in the Kentucky Derby only a year ago. Twice the Appeal has the speed and the big race experience to make things interesting on Saturday.

Remaining Field Entries

Skipshot - finished an impressive fourth in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes on February 5th and followed that up with a win in an Allowance race at Golden Gate on March 1st. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer could have a sneaky surprise in his hands with Skipshot.

Dhaamer - raced in England and won three on 10 starts there - most recently was 7th in a Handicap race at Nottingham on October and before that was 10th in a similar race at Newbury in September. Dhaamer is the only entry other than Eldaafer with experience that this distance.

Graeme Crackerjack - is the other Jeff Bonde horse entered (Twice the Appeal being the other). Graeme Crackerjack has raced a couple of Allowance Optional Claiming races recently at Santa Anita - finishing second on March 3rd and fourth on February 4th. This will be his graded staked debut.

Coluda - won a Claiming race at Santa Anita on March second and before that was a disappointing 11th in an Allowance Optional Claiming race on February 4th. In 11 career starts Coluda has four wins and one third place finish.

Dynamic Host - won an Optional Claiming race at Del Mar in August and hasn't won since. Most recently Dynamic Host has a pair of third place finished in two Allowance Optional Claiming races.

Highway Bandit - has five wins, two seconds and three third place finishes in 17 career starts. Most recently Highway Bandit finished second in an Allowance Optional Claiming race at Santa Anita on January 27th and before that was fifth at the Grade 3 All American Stake at Golden gate on November 25th.

Tokyo City Cup Stakes Entries

Race 8 on Santa Anita's Saturday card with a Post Time of 4:07 PM.