Sham Stakes at Santa Anita
Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 3 Sham Stakes is on tap for Santa Anita Park this Saturday, January 5 and it features three year olds hoping to start the year off right on their path toward the Kentucky Derby in May. The Derby hopefuls will go one mile on Santa Anita's main track in search of the winner's share of the $100,000 purse.
A small but quality field of six has been confirmed for the Sham Stakes which is race 3 on Santa Anita's Saturday card. Post time is 1:31 PM. Let's take a brief glance into the credentials of all six combatants ahead of this Grade 3 race.
2013 Sham Stakes Race Favorites
Goldencents - only has three career starts - the first was a Maiden Special Weight score by 7 1/4 lengths at Del Mar September 2 and the second was a second place finish to highly touted Shanghai Bobby in the Grade 1 Foxwoods Champaign at Belmont Park October 6. Last time out was another win in the $1 million Grade 3 Delta Downs Jackpot over Bern Identity November 17 at Delta Downs in gate-to-wire fashion. Trainer Doug O'Neil certainly has a Derby contender in Goldencents - a win here would go a long way in proving this point.
Den's Legacy - Bob Baffert trained colt that was second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Preview Stakes November 3. He followed that with an impressive win in the Grade 3 Generous Stakes on turf November 24. Last time out was a third in the CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park December 15. He has eight career starts with two wins, three seconds and a third place finish and enters the Sham as the most experienced of the entries, although he is known more for his work on grass.
Sham Stakes 2013 | Remaining Field Entries
Greeley Awesome - another Doug O'Neill trained colt steps up in stakes company for the first time Saturday after a win, a second and a third place finish in seven career Maiden starts.
Dry Summer - finished a disappointing eighth two back in the Grade 1 FrontRunner to follow a pair of good wins in a Maiden Special Weight in July and the Oak Tree Juvenile Turf two back. He will be looking to bounce back after a rather disappointing eleventh last time out in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.
Sham Stakes betting at Santa Anita with OffTrackBetting.com
Manado - Bob Baffert trained colt has four career starts - all Maiden Special Weight races. Those races produced a win last time out by 5 1/4 lengths at this distance and three third place finishes.
Dirty Swagg - half-brother of Love Theway Youare has seven career starts with just one win (four back at Del Mar) and a third place finish - that coming in the Real Quiet Stakes at Hollywood Park in November. Dirty Swagg was seventh last time out in the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity and has some work to do in order to contend in the Sham.
