Arcadia Stakes at Santa Anita
Las Vegas, NV - Santa Anita Park in Arcadia California will be the scene of the Grade 2 Arcadia Stakes this Saturday, February 2. Horses four years old and upward will be front and center as they go one mile on Santa Anita's turf track in search of the winner's share of the $150,000 purse.
The Arcadia Stakes has drawn a full field of 14 older horses for race 9 on Santa Anita's Saturday schedule. Post time is 4:38 PM. Let's take a brief glance into the past performances of all 14 combatants ahead of this Grade 2 stakes.
2013 Arcadia Stakes Race Favorites
Silentio - made his stakes debut with a terrific win in the Grade 2 Sir Beaufort Stakes at Santa Anita December 26 after three prior career starts resulted in two wins and a close third place finish in an Allowance Optional Claiming race here October 12. He is lightly raced because of injury but has been mighty impressive when on the track.
Vagabond Shoes - Irish bred gelding races in North America for the first time for trainer John Sadler after six wins, two seconds and three third place finishes in 20 starts overseas. He had a pair of group III wins in France and most recently finished third in a group III race in Germany. His debut is highly anticipated - it will be an interesting race for this 6-year-old.
Arcadia Stakes 2013 | Remaining Field Entries
Strong Suit - raced in the 2011 Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs and finished tenth but has spent the rest of his career overseas where he recorded five wins, two seconds and two third place finishes in 14 starts. He had back-to-back group II wins in Britain in 2011 and has shown good form in the past. Lat time out was a fourth as favorite in the OLBG Park Stakes at Doncaster September 15.
Suggestive Boy - made his US debut after three straight wins in Grade 1 races in Argentina with a very good second in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on June 30. He followed that with a win in the Wickerr Stakes on July 25 and a pair of fifth place finishes in a pair of Grade 1 races - the Pacific Classic Stakes and the Awesome Again Stakes here in September. Last time out was a pedestrian seventh in the Breeders' Cup Mile on this track in November. Minus a poor Breeders' Cup, Suggestive Boy has been fairly impressive as of late.
Chosen Miracle - Jerry Hollendorfer colt started his career with two straight wins and after a seven month layoff he returned with an impressive second in the Grade 3 Eddie D Stakes here September 28, a disappointing twelfth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint and a nice wire-to-wire win in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Hollywood Park December 8. Last time out was a respectable third in the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes here on January 13. He will likely set the pace and could be tough to catch in the Arcadia.
Wilkinson - ran sixth in the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland in April and followed that with a very nice win in the Grade 2 American Handicap at Hollywood Park on May 29. After seven months away, he returned to a fifth in the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes last time out December 29 on this track. He has five wins, three seconds and three third place finishes in 19 career starts but has been up and down the last two years.
Willyconker - finished a surprising second in last year's version of this race February 4 and followed that with a very nice win in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile in March. Since then he has not quite been the same - a ninth in the Grade 2 Mervin H. Muniz Handicap and a pair of thirds in Allowance races at Hollywood Park. Last time out was a fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming here January 10.
Tribal Tribute - took an enormous step up in competition two back and finished sixth in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby after two straight wins - the Robert Dupret Derby at Santa Rosa last time out and a Starter Allowance before that. Last time out was an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Golden Gate January 11 for trainer Tim McCanna.
Arcadia Stakes betting at Santa Anita with OffTrackBetting.com
Sebastian Flyte - was out of action nearly two years before returning with a seventh in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Santa Anita January 6. In his last start two years ago Sebastian Flyte finished a decent third in the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile. Other good results include a third in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile in March 2011 and a second in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in November 2010. Inactivity will almost certainly be an issue Saturday although he has raced against top competition in the past.
Akkadian - is coming off an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Santa Anita January 10 after a fifth in a similar race December 8 at Hollywood Park. He has four wins and four seconds in 15 career starts but has struggled in his graded stakes action in the past - ninth place finishes in his last two.
Key Decision - Argentinean bred Key Decision has six starts in North America - a decent third four back in the minor Wickerr Stakes and an Allowance Optional Claiming score before that. Since then has been a fifth, a fourth and a seventh in a trio of Allowance Optional Claiming races.
Clubhouse Ride - Multiple graded stakes placed and stakes winner Clubhouse Ride has three wins, five seconds and eight third place finishes in 24 career starts. He won an Allowance Optional Claiming October 25 on this track and he has a pair of seconds in his last two starts - in the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes two back and an Allowance Optional Claiming here on January 10.
Klisz - has just three career starts for trainer Michael Ann Ewing but has won all - an Allowance last time out at Santa Anita January 2, a Starter Allowance December 8 at Hollywood Park and a Maiden Claiming race at Keeneland October 21. Lightly raced Klisz takes an enormous step up in competition Saturday nut comes into the Arcadia looking very good.
Forest Mouse - has finished either first or second in his last 11 starts for trainer Henry Dominguez - six wins and six seconds including three wins in his last four starts. Last time out was a win in the minor Winsham Lad Handicap at Sunland Park after a win in the Zia Park Distance Championship. He has raced just one graded stakes - a ninth in the Grade 2 American Derby in July of 2011 but he has been very, very good in minor stakes action the last 14 months.
