2022 San Luis Rey Stakes at Santa Anita Park

7-Year-Old Gelding Say The Word Heads 2022 G3 San Luis Rey Stakes

A formidable team on turf, trainer Phil D'Amato and jockey Flavien Prat will combine forces on Saturday with the venerable 7-year-old gelding Say the Word, as he heads a field of nine older horses going a marathon mile and one half on turf in the Grade III, $125,000 San Luis Rey Stakes at Santa Anita Park .

An Ontario, Canadian-bred by More Than Ready, Say the Word, second in last year's San Luis Rey, comes off a third place finish going a mile and one quarter on turf in the Grade II San Marcos Stakes Jan. 30 and gets back to a distance he relishes, evidenced by his 6-3-2-1 record, dating back to August of 2018 at Woodbine.

A Grade I winner at Woodbine at age five, Say the Word is a three-time graded stakes winner that is best suited as a deep closer. Last ridden by Prat to a second place finish in the Grade I Shoemaker Mile five starts back on May 31, 2021, Say the Word rallied from far back under Kent Desormeaux two starts back to win the Grade II Hollywood Turf Cup at a mile and one half on Nov. 26.

Owned by Agave Racing Stable and Sam-Son Farm, Say the Word earned $353,500 last year and enters the San Luis Rey with career earnings of $849,792 from an overall mark of 34-7-4-6.

A horse who has flourished in the care of veteran trainer David Hofmans, Award Winner, a close fourth, beaten 1 ½ lengths by Say the Word in the Hollywood Turf Cup at Del Mar Nov. 26, rates a huge chance with Juan Hernandez back aboard Saturday.

A 6-year-old gelding by Ghostzapper, Award Winner, who had been based in the east, made his first start for Hofmans eight starts back on Jan. 8, 2021 and has been competitive throughout, including a win in the Grade II Charles Whittingham Stakes five starts back on May 29 of last year.

Owned by Amerman Racing, LLC and bred in Kentucky by Mrs. Jerry Amerman, Award Winner earned a career-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure in his fourth place finish Nov. 26 and figures to be tracking the speedy Acclimate early on Saturday.

Lightly raced and on the improve, the Leonard Powell-trained Dicey Mo Chara looms dangerous as he comes off solid second condition allowance win going a mile and one eighth on turf here Feb. 4. Ridden by Prat in his allowance score, he was attentive to the pace and should be in a forward position again as he tries the deep waters of a mile and one half for the first time with Drayden Van Dyke.

A 4-year-old English-bred gelding, Dicey Mo Chara, who posted a career-top 89 Beyer on Feb. 4, is 9-3-2-1 overall with earnings of $175,277.

In what looms a turf certainty, look for the iconic California-bred gelding Acclimate to be out winging on the lead with regular rider Ricky Gonzalez. Fourth in last year's San Luis Rey, this 8-year-old son of Acclamation is winless in five tries at the San Luis Rey distance, but he was second, beaten a length at a mile and one half by Say the Word two starts back in the Grade II Hollywood Turf Cup and therefore must be respected, especially with a hillside turf start in play.

Owned by The Ellwood Johnston Trust, Timmy Time Racing, LLC, et al, Acclimate has been very much at home on the Santa Anita turf, as he's earned $411,836 from a 19-5-4-3 mark. With overall earnings of $688,372, Acclimate, who was bred in-part by the Johnston family's Old English Rancho, has compiled and overall mark of 30-7-6-5.

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