Strub Stakes at Santa Anita
Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 2 Strub Stakes is on tap for this Saturday, February 2 from Santa Anita Park in Arcadia California and is part of a packed card featuring three Grade 2 races. Four year olds will go 1 1/8 miles on Santa Anita's main track in search of the winner's share of the $200,000 purse.
A very strong field of seven will line up in the Strub - four of which duked it out three weeks ago in the San Fernando Stakes on this track. It goes as race 8 on Santa Anita's Saturday card with a post time of 4:07 PM. Here is a brief glance into the past performances of all seven entries ahead of this competitive Grade 2 stakes.
2013 Strub Stakes Race Favorites
Fed Biz - Bob Baffert trained colt has four wins in eight career starts including the Grade 2 San Fernando Stakes three weeks ago on this track over Tritap and Guilt Trip who are also entered in this race. Last year he had two wins coming at one mile - the El Cajon Stakes August 31 at Del Mar followed an Allowance Optional Claiming score on this track back in February. Two back was a disappointing sixth in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes to follow an eighth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and an OK third in the Grade 2 Indiana Derby October 6. He has won three of five starts at Santa Anita and will be the favorite Saturday despite going longer than he has in his career in the Strub.
Guilt Trip - has only six career starts for trainer Bob Baffert with a pair of fifths in his two outings before a nice third last time out in the Grade 2 San Fernando - the fifths came in the Grade 3 Discovery at Aqueduct November 17 and the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes here December 26. Before that were two straight wins at Belmont Park - an Allowance Optional Claiming October 27 and a Maiden Special Weight score September 26. He will be looking for his first stakes win Saturday.
Strub Stakes 2013 | Remaining Field Entries
Tritap - Steve Asmussen colt is coming off a good second behind Fed Biz at 9-1 odds last time out in the San Fernando after an Allowance score at Churchill Downs in November and a sixth in the Grade 2 Indiana Derby in October. He has two wins and four second place finishes in eight career starts.
Handsome Mike - has just two wins in 13 career starts - a Maiden Special Weight score at Santa Anita in October and out of nowhere in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby four back. Last time out was a pedestrian fifth in the competitive San Fernando three weeks ago to follow a disappointing tenth in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby and another poor result - a ninth in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Handsome Mike placed in just two of his last nine starts and after an improbable Pennsylvania Derby win, he has not looked great.
Strub Stakes betting at Santa Anita with OffTrackBetting.com
Stephanoatsee - has two wins, a second and a third place finish in 2012 and has won two of his last four starts including the minor Barbaro Stakes at Delaware Park October 20 and an Allowance Optional Claiming four back on that same track. Sandwiched in there is a respectable fourth in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx September 22. Last time out was an OK third in the Grade 3 Discovery Handicap at Aqueduct November 17 for the H. Graham Motion pupil.
Shadow Runner - has 20 career starts with five wins, three seconds and two third place finishes but Saturday marks his first stakes race. Shadow Runner won a Claiming race two back at Hollywood Park November 22 and was fourth in his only start of 2012 in a Claiming race on this track January 4.
Groovin' Solo - has nine career starts and only one win to show for it - a Maiden Special Weight race at Santa Anita December 30 2011. In 2012 he raced five times and failed to place in any. His last two starts have been Allowance Optional Claiming races where he posted a fourth last time out and a sixth before that.
