San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita
Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes goes down this Sunday, February 3 from Santa Anita Park in gorgeous Arcadia, California. A group of four year olds will be featured as they chase their share of the $200,000 purse over 1 1/8 miles on Santa Anita's dirt track.
A small but competitive group of five will line up in the San Antonio Stakes - race 7 on Santa Anita's Sunday schedule. Two of the entries for the San Antonio are also entered in the Arcadia Saturday at Santa Anita meaning that the field could be narrowed even further. Post time is 2:00 PM. Let's take a look at the past performances of all five combatants ahead of this Grade 2 race.
2013 San Antonio Stakes Race Favorites
Game on Dude - Bob Baffert trained gelding is a multiple Grade 1 winner and the defending champion in this race. He has four graded stakes scores in his last seven starts the Grade 2 Californian Stakes on June 2 over Kettle Corn, the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup July 7, the Grade 1 Awesome Again here September 29 and last time out in gate-to-wire fashion in the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes at Hollywood Park December 1. He also had a decent second in the Grade 1 Pacific Stakes in 2012 but struggled on the biggest stage in the Breeders' Cup Classic where he finished seventh. Still, game On Dude was a consideration for last year's Eclipse Award for older male and if not for Wise Dan, he may have been in the running this year again. He is by far the most accomplished entry in the field, has won five of six starts on this track (the Breeders' Cup being the lone exception) and is definitely the one to beat Sunday.
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 but will likely have a difficult time holding off the more seasoned Game On Dude on a dirt surface that he is not at his best on.
San Antonio Stakes 2013 | Remaining Field Entries
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. He has looked OK recently but distance may be an issue Sunday.
San Antonio Stakes betting at Santa Anita with OffTrackBetting.com
Basmati - Doug O'Neill pupil recently returned to action after nearly a year away to an Allowance score on this track November 2. He followed that with his only other start of 2012 which resulted in a last place finish in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes on this track December 26. 2011 saw Basmati record a win, three seconds and a third place finish in eight starts - the best result being a second in the Grade 3 Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes November 19 of 2011.
Make Music for Me - is the long shot in this race - 28 starts and only four wins. Most recently Make Music for Me has raced to a pair of fifths - an Allowance Optional Claiming last time out here January 10 and at the Grade 3 Native Diver at Hollywood Park December 1. He did win an Allowance on this track May 19 after a fifth in a similar race on April 27 here.
