San Pasqual Stakes 2014 Contenders & Odds

Las Vegas, NV - Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California will play host to the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes this Saturday, January 11. Horses four years old and upward will takes to Santa Anita's main track and go 1 1/16 miles chasing the winner's portion of the $200,000 purse.

A field of seven older entries will line up in the San Pasqual Stakes - race 8 on Santa Anita's Saturday card. Post time is 4:00 PM. Let's take a look into the past performances of all seven combatants for this Grade 2 stakes.

2014 San Pasqual Stakes Race Favorite Entries

Blueskiesnrainbows - Jerry Hollendorfer pupil won the 2012 Grade 1 Swaps Stakes but struggled a bit after that - an OK fourth in the Grade 2 Mervyn Leroy as 2-1 favorite at Hollywood Park May 4 2013 followed a nice Allowance Optional Claiming score by 3 3/4 lengths March 22 and a pair of seconds in Allowance Optional Claiming to start his 2013 campaign. Also last year he had a third in the Grade 3 Cougar II Handicap July 26, a twelfth in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic August 25, a win in the minor but competitive Ralph M. Hinds September 22 at Barretts Race Meet At Fairplex and a fifth in the minor Bull Dog Handicap at Fresno October 13. Last time out was a terrific gate-to-wire win in the Grade 3 Native Diver at Hollywood Park December 14 after a good second behind London Bridge in the Breeders' Cup Marathon. He looks to be rounding back into form with two wins, a second and a third in his last six starts overall. Blueskiesnrainbows has six wins in 22 career starts and is the hottest of the entries for this race. Martin Pedroza gets the call from post 2.

Rousing Sermon - was deemed a contender at the beginning of 2012 but has not shown the expected form so far. He had an eighth in the 2012 Kentucky Derby to follow a decent third in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby and has been just OK since. He had 10 starts in 2013 for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer - the last was an OK third in his only graded stakes action - a length behind Blueskiesnrainbows the Grade 3 Native Diver at Hollywood Park December 14. Other results included a win in the minor On Trust Handicap November 24 after a second in the minor Big Bear Stakes here October 31 and an Allowance Optional Claiming score four weeks earlier. Rousing Sermon has placed in his last four starts with two wins, has three wins and a second on this track and enters in decent form. Rafael Bejarano gets the call from post 6.

San Pasqual Stakes 2014 | Remaining Contenders

Blingo - John Sherreffs trained gelding will be looking to build on his first win in 20 months - at the I'm a Banker Stakes at Belmont Park October 14 after failing to place in his previous four starts. He has three graded stakes starts in his nine race career with a fourth in the Grade 2 La Jolla in August 2012 and a pair of sixths earlier. He has three wins in his nine starts but none of the graded stakes variety. Blingo drew the rail and should run alongside the early leaders in this one with Victor Espinoza aboard.

Majestic City - Ron Ellis trainee has placed in five of his last 13 starts but had his first win since the Grade 3 Hollywood Juvenile Championship in July 2011 two back - in gate-to-wire fashion in the minor Big Bear Stakes at Santa Anita October 31. This after an ugly twelfth in the Grade 3 Eddie D Stakes and a fifth in the Grade 2 Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar in August. Last time out was a very nice second in the Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap at Golden Gate November 29. Majestic City has four wins, three seconds and two thirds in 17 career starts and although he hadn't looked great last year he was terrific in his last two starts of 2013. Edwin Maldonado who has been aboard Majestic City for his recent success gets the mount from the 3-hole.

San Pasqual Stakes betting at Santa Anita Park with OffTrackBetting.com

Majestic Harbor - will take to the track for the first time since May when he finished fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Churchill Downs. Before that were two off-the-board finishes in graded stakes action - a fifth in the Grade 3 Texas Mile and a sixth in the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap. He has four wins, five seconds and three thirds in 18 career starts but looks for his first stakes win Saturday. He makes his first start at Santa Anita Saturday with Tyler Baze in the saddle.

Drill - Bob Baffert trainee has four wins in 21 career starts but those wins are spaced out - no real consistently good results have come from this colt. He won the 2011 Del Mar Futurity and then took six more months before winning the Grade 2 San Vicente in February 2012 and then the Lazaro Barrera in May. He failed to place in his first six starts of last year however - five fourth place finishes including four starts in a row (the Grade 2 San Carlos, the Grade 3 San Simeon, the Grade 2 American Handicap and the Grade 1 Triple Bend) before finishing third in his next two starts - the minor Big Bear Stakes at Santa Anita October 31 and the minor Governor's Cup Handicap in September. Last time out he finishes just off the podium again - a fourth in the Grade 3 Native Diver at Hollywood Park December 14. Drill will line up from the far outside post with Mike Smith aboard.

Spud Spivens - last raced in July 2012 where he finished fourth in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup. Before that he won an Allowance Optional Claiming on May 27, 2012 to follow some mixed results in some minor stakes races - a fourth in the Tiznow and a sixth in the Santana Mile Stakes. In 24 career starts Spud Spivens has just four wins, two seconds and four third place finishes. He hits the track for the first time in 18 months Saturday looking for his first stakes win. He will have Corey Nakatani guiding him from post 4.