Sham Stakes at Santa Anita - $100,000 (G3)

Las Vegas, NV -- The $100,000 Sham Stakes takes place on Saturday, January 7th at Santa Anita Park. It is Race 3 on the schedule and Post Time is scheduled for 1:31 PM PST. 3-year-olds are featured in a race of one mile on Santa Anita's main track. The Sham is the first of two big Stakes races on Santa Anita's Saturday schedule.

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The Sham Stakes has brought together six up and coming 3-year-olds, many of which will be racing at a distance previously not run before - a distance that acts as a lead up to both the Grade I Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles on April 7 as well as the Big One - the mile-and-one-quarter Kentucky Derby May 5 at Churchill Downs. With many of the horses eyeing a shot at the Triple Crown, the Sham Stakes offers trainers and racing fans an early glimpse into some of the contenders that could be vying for the biggest prize in North American horse racing. A good field of colts and geldings are featured this weekend.

The Contenders:

Secret Circle - This is the longest distance that Secret Circle has gone but the colt has shown good form as of late. The Bob Baffert trained colt finished first in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint at Churchill downs in early November - highly regarded Shumooson and Holdin Bullets were among the entries in that 6 furlong race.

Longview Drive - is not immune to success. After three wins in four races, perhaps Longview Drive's most impressive result was third in the Grade 3 Delta Jackpot at Delta Downs on Nov. 19 in a race that featured the very quick Sabercat.

Hierro - like Secret Circle, will be racing at this distance for the first time and has yet to see any earnings in a graded stakes race.

The Others:
Handsome Mike, Senor Rain and Out of Bounds round out the talented field but this race figures to be all about the three previously outlined. Handsome Mike is the most intriguing of these three - he has already raced at this distance in an OK showing at the Grade I CashCall Futurity - a race that covered 1 1/16 mile on December 17th.

The full field for Saturday's $100,000 Grade III Sham Stakes at Santa Anita Park.