OffTrackBetting.com – The G2 Californian Stakes will be contested this Saturday, April 22 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Horses three years old and upward will take to Santa Anita’s dirt track and race 1 1/8 miles for the winner’s portion of the $200,000 purse.
A field of six will give it a go in the Californian Stakes – race 8 on Santa Anita’s Saturday card. Post time is 4:30 PM. Let’s take a peek into the past performances of all six combatants for this intriguing G2 stakes.
2017 Californian Stakes Entries at Santa Anita Park
Collected – Bob Baffert trained colt has been pretty good so far in his eight race career – five wins and a second place finish. He enters on the heels of a 3 3/4 length win over Dortmund among others in the minor Santana Mile Stakes here April 1. It followed nearly 11 months away and a tenth in the G1 Preakness Stakes last May. Before that was a two race win streak – the G3 Lexington Stakes April 16, 2016 and the minor Sunland Park Festival of Racing Stakes in March. He also had a fourth in the G3 Southwest Stakes and another good win in the G3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita in January, 2016. Collected has won three of his last four starts overall (all stakes) and should be a factor Saturday from the rail with Martin Garcia aboard.
Cupid – Bob Baffert trained colt has four wins and a runner-up finish in nine career starts. He was last seen way back on September 24 when he finished an uncharacteristic eighth in the G2 Pennsylvania Derby. Before that was a good two race win streak – the G2 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer August 6 and the G2 Indiana Derby July 16. Those wins followed two unflattering results – a fifth in the minor Easy Goer Stakes at Belmont Park June 11 and a tenth in the G1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park in April. He also had a good win in the G2 Rebel Stakes in March, 2016. Cupid has won three of six graded stakes tries and will try to bounce back off an unflattering result from gate 2 in his first start in seven months. Rafael Bejarano has the mount.
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Follow Me Crev – Vladimir Cerin trained gelding has six wins, three seconds and four third place finishes in 20 career starts and enters off a respectable third with a respectable 101 Beyer Speed Figure in the G1 Santa Anita Handicap March 11. Before that was an Allowance Optional Claiming score on this track February 20, a fourth in the G2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar July 23, a non threatening fifth in the 2016 G2 Californian Stakes May 22 and four straight wins – all Allowance races with the last one coming by 2 1/2 lengths here February 14, 2016. His only other graded stakes action results in a fourth place finish in the G2 Los Alamitos Derby in July, 2015. Follow Me Crev has placed in eight of his last 10 starts overall and will be hoping for his first graded stakes score to follow up his first podium finish in top competition. Kent Desormeaux will be in the irons from the outside gate 6.
Prospect Park – has four wins, seven seconds and two third place finishes in 15 career starts for trainer Clifford Sise. He was very good in the summer of 2015 – consecutive seconds in the G3 Affirmed Stakes and G2 Los Alamitos Derby were followed by a nice win in the G3 La Jolla Handicap in August, 2015 and a third in the G2 Del Mar Derby. He has just six starts since – an impressive 3 1/4 length Allowance Optional Claiming score here last time out March 9 followed a second in a similar race on this track February 5, a fourth in the G2 San Pasqual Stakes here January 1 and a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming December 1. Prospect Park has certainly shown form in the past and will be out to build on his first win in seven starts Saturday. Flavien Prat has been tabbed to ride from post 3.
Prime Attraction – lightly raced James Cassidy trained colt has three wins and a runner-up finish in his six career starts. He steps into stakes company for the first time Saturday on a two race win streak – both Allowance Optional Claiming on this track with the last coming March 18. He wasn’t all that inspiring before that. Prime Attraction arrives with some momentum and hopes to keep it going in his major step up in competition with Santiago Gonzalez in the saddle from gate 4.
Texas Ryano – has 20 career starts for trainer Carla Gaines with five wins, three seconds and three third place finishes. He made his graded stakes debut in November, 2015 and finished a disappointing eighth as favorite in the G2 Hollywood Turf Cup and has been up and down since. Last time out was a fifth in the G2 San Luis Rey Stakes on this track March 25 which followed a sixth in the G2 San Marcos Stakes here February 4, a good win in the G2 Hollywood Turf Cup in November, a sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, a good second behind Ashleyluvssugar in the G2 John Henry Turf Championship October 2, a third behind Ashleyluvssugar in the G2 Del Mar Handicap August 20 and a seventh in the G2 Eddie Read Stakes in July. Texas Ryano has been a tad tough to figure out but has shown that he can surprise up every so often. Mike Smith has been tabbed to ride in Texas Ryano’s dirt debut from post 5 Saturday.
2017 Californian Stakes Odds & Entries
Race 8 on Santa Anita’s Saturday card with a Post Time of 7:30 PM.