2017 Tokyo City Cup Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The G3 Tokyo City Cup will be run this Sunday, April 2 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Horses four years old and upward will be featured when they take to Santa Anita's dirt track and race 1 1/4 miles for the winner's portion of the $100,000 purse.

A field of six have been confirmed for the Tokyo City Cup - race 8 on Santa Anita's Sunday card. Post time is 4:00 PM. Let's take a quick look into the past performances of all six entries for this G3 stakes.

2017 Tokyo City Cup Entries at Santa Anita Park

Big John B - defending champion in this race by 2 1/4 lengths was on fire in the summer of 2015 for trainer Phil D'Amato with three straight wins including the G3 Cougar II Handicap in July and the G2 Del Mar Handicap (a race he won two straight years) but has been inconsistent since. Last time out was a non-threatening fifth in an Allowance Optional Claiming here March 9 which followed 11 months away, the win in this race last year, a seventh in the G2 San Luis Rey Stakes here in March, 2016 and a third in the G3 John B. Connally Turf Cup at Sam Houston in January, 2016. He also recorded a tenth in the 2015 Breeders' Cup Turf and a respectable second to The Pizza Man in the 2015 G2 Hollywood Turf Cup. Big John B now has 41 career starts with 15 wins, six seconds and five third place finishes but enters in typically inconsistent form. He shoots for a repeat win in just his second start in a year when he leaves from post 5 with Rafael Bejarano in the reins.

Beach View - lightly raced up and coming Leonard Powell trained colt has four career starts and has placed in all - two wins, a second and a third place finish. He makes his stakes debut Saturday off an Allowance Optional Claiming score by 1 1/4 lengths as favorite on this track March 12 which followed a second in a similar race here February 9, a maiden score at Parx in September and a third in his debut - at Monmouth Park in August. Beach View has been in every race in his career so far and looks ready for his major step up in competition. Stewart Elliot has been tabbed to ride from the rail.

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Infobedad - Argentinean bred John Sadler trainee has six wins, two seconds and a third place finish in 28 career starts - he was OK at home and has been OK in North America as well. He enters having won two of his last three starts however - an Allowance Optional Claiming score here March 11 followed an eighth in the minor Super Bowl Starter Handicap February 5 and another Allowance score by a staggering 26 1/2 lengths January 1 - all results on this track. He failed to place in his previous nine starts. Infobedad has been decent lately and will be after a first stakes score from gate 2 Saturday with Tyler Baze aboard.

Hard Aces - John Sadler trainee won the 2015 G1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita in upset fashion and hadn't posted another win until seven starts back when he won the G3 Cougar II Handicap at Del Mar July 24. He followed that with a dud - an eighth, 25 lengths back in the G1 Pacific Classic August 20 and has been up and down since. Last time out was a sixth in the G1 Santa Anita Handicap March 11 which followed a fifth in the G2 San Antonio Stakes here February 4, an OK third in the G3 Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar November 27, a second in the G2 Marathon Stakes here November 4 and a fourth in the G1 Awesome Again Stakes on this track in October. He also had a third in the 2016 Gold Cup at Santa Anita June 25, a respectable second in the G2 Californian Stakes May 22 and decent second with an impressive 101 Beyer Speed Figure in the G1 Santa Anita Handicap March 12, 2016. Hard Aces now has seven wins, six seconds and nine third place finishes in 39 career starts and has failed to place in four of his last six starts overall. He tries to snap a six race losing streak and for his third win in 22 months with Victor Espinoza in the irons from the outside gate 6.

Hi Happy - Argentinean bred colt was dominant in his first six career starts at home - six wins including four Group 1 victories and a Group 2 - the prestigious Group 1 Carlos Pellegrini in December, 2015,the Group 1 Nacional in November, 2015 the Group 1 Jockey Club a month before that and the Group 2 Ensayo included. Hi Happy has three North American starts and hasn't been nearly as impressive - a fourth last time out in the G1 Santa Anita Handicap March 11 followed another fourth in the G2 San Marcos Stakes on this track February 4 and a seventh in his North American debut - the G2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar in November. Hi Happy tries to channel some of his momentum from home and hopes to hit the board for the first time on North American soil Saturday with Tiago Josue Pereira in the irons from post 3.

Irish Surf - Dan Hendricks trainee returned from nearly 2 1/2 years away from the track March 9 and finished sixth in an Allowance Optional Claiming here. Before the lengthy layoff was a sixth in the 2014 G2 Hollywood Turf Cup, a second in the 2014 G2 Las Vegas Marathon Stakes here and consecutive fifths in graded stakes action earlier that year. He recorded a terrific win July 25 on this track - by 8 1/4 lengths in the 2014 G3 Cougar II Handicap which represents a career-best effort by far. Outside of that win he hasn't been all that impressive but will try to make a statement from gate 4 with Flavien Prat guiding him.

2017 Tokyo City Cup Odds & Entries

Race 8 on Santa Anita's Sunday card with a Post Time of 7:00 PM.