OffTrackBetting.com – Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California will be the scene of the G2 Mathis Brothers Mile Stakes on Tuesday, December 26. Horses three years old will be featured when they line up on Santa Anita’s turf track and race one mile for the winner’s share of the $200,000 purse.
A wide-open field of eight will take to the track in the Mathis Brothers Mile – race 6 on Santa Anita’s opening-day Tuesday card. Post time is 2:30 PM. Here is a look into the past performances of all eight entries for this competitive G2 stakes.
2017 Mathis Brothers Mile Entries at Santa Anita Park
Big Score
Has three wins, four seconds and two third-place finishes in his 11 career starts for Tim Yakteen – consistent. He made his graded stakes debut last November 4 and finished an OK fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and has been up and down since – an OK third last time out in the G1 Hollywood Derby last time out at Del Mar November 25 followed a second behind the impressive Sharp Samurai in the G2 Twilight Derby on this track October 28 and an OK second behind Sharp Samurai again in the G2 Del Mar Derby September 3. Before that was an eighth in the G1 Belmont Derby Invitational July 8, a second in the G2 Penn Mile June 3, a third in the G2 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs May 6 and a good win in in the G3 Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland April 7. He also had a good win in the minor Zuma Beach Stakes at Santa Anita October 10, 2016, a second behind Bowies Hero in the minor Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes last September 3 and a win at first asking – at Del Mar in July of last year. Big Score has placed in three straight and six of his last seven ahead of this weekend and will be after a first win in six starts Tuesday. Flavien Prat gets the call from the outside gate 8.
Bowies Hero
Has four wins and two third-place finishes in eight starts for trainer Phil D’Amato. He won his first two starts – the best of which coming in the minor Del Mar Juvenile Turf September 3 but he stumbled to an eighth in his next race in the minor Zuma Beach Stakes at Del Mar October 10. He went on to an eleventh in the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and has been OK since. Last time out was a fifth in the G1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar November 25 which followed an OK third behind Sharp Samurai and Big Score in the G3 Del Mar Derby September 3, a good 1 1/2 length win in the restricted Oceanside Stakes on that track July 19, a fourth in the G2 Pennine Ridge Stakes at Belmont Park June 3 and a nice win in the minor Singletary Stakes at Santa Anita May 6. Bowies Hero will be after a first graded stakes score and will leave from post 5 with Kent Desormeaux in the irons.
Colonist
Jerry Hollendorfer trained colt has placed in four of his seven career starts – two wins and two third-place finishes. He made his stakes debut July 15 and finished fourth of five in the G3 Los Alamitos Derby and followed that with an OK third in the G3 La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar August 6 and a close fourth last time out in the G2 Del Mar Derby September 3. Before those results was his worst career-effort – a fifth in an Allowance Optional Claiming May 21 and two straight wins – an Allowance Optional Claiming April 29 and a MSW April 2. He finished third in his debut in March. Colonist has been OK against lesser competition and will try for a first stakes score Tuesday when he departs from post 3 with Corey Nakatani in the irons.
Kroy
Armando De al Cerda trained gelding has four wins, a second and a third-place finish in nine career starts. He makes his graded stakes debut Tuesday off a second as favorite in the minor Showing Up Stakes at Gulfstream Park West November 4 which followed two straight minor stakes scores on this track – the Bear’s Den Stakes September 24 and the Torugas Stakes November 19. He also won an Allowance Optional Claiming race here July 29. Kroy has been as competitive as they come lately and steps up in good form. Javier Castellano will be in the saddle from the rail.
Harbour Master
British bred James Cassidy trained colt has three wins and four second-place finishes in 14 career starts. He stepped into graded stakes company for the first time in September and finished tenth in the G2 Del Mar Derby after a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming August 12, a thirteenth in the minor Oceanside Stakes on this track July 19, an eighth in the listed Juvenile Turf Sprint Stakes at Santa Anita in November and a fourth in his North American debut – the listed Zuma Beach Stakes at Santa Anita in October. He had two wins and two seconds in his last four starts at home. Last time out was his first North American score – an Allowance Optional Claiming at Del Mar November 18 after a second in the minor Let It Ride Stakes on that track November 4 and a fourth in an Allowance race here in October. Harbour Master was a serious threat in Europe but has been largely underwhelming since shipping. He hopes to build on a nice effort however when he leaves from gate 4 with Victor Espinoza guiding him.
B Squared
Has placed in six of 10 career starts for trainer Doug O’Neill – three wins, two seconds and a third-place finish. He made his graded stakes debut six starts back and finished a respectable second behind heavily-favored Battle of Midway in the G3 Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita June 24 and followed that with an OK third in the G3 Los Alamitos Derby July 15 and consecutive disappointing eighths – the G3 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer August 5 and the G3 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park September 24. Last time out was a ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint November 4 which followed a nice win in the minor California Flag Handicap at Santa Anita. Earlier his year he posted a nice 1 1/4 length win in the minor Silky Sullivan Stakes at Golden Gate April 30, an OK second in the minor Echo Eddie Stakes April 8 and a maiden score at first asking March 4. B Squared has been a tad tough to figure out lately but will chase a second stakes score in three starts and first career graded stakes win from gate 2. Mario Gutierrez gets the call.
Holiday Stone
George Weaver trained colt has just two wins in 13 career starts to go along with two seconds and three third-place finishes. He finished an OK second in the G3 Transylvania Stake at Keeneland April 7 and has been OK since. Last time out was a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Del Mar November 23 which followed a seventh in the minor Let It Ride Stakes at Del Mar November 1, a third in the minor Franklin-Simpson Stakes at Kentucky Downs September 14 and a pair of fourths in minor stakes action. He also had a fifth in the G2 Penn Mile at Penn National June 3 and an eighth in the G2 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs May 6. Holiday Stone has been OK in his career but has yet to post a stakes score. Rafael Bejarano will try to accomplish that goal from gate 6.
Hootie
Michael McCarthy trained colt has placed in three of five career starts – one win and two third-place finishes. Last time out was a fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Del Mar November 18 which followed consecutive thirds in similar races with the last coming on this track October 22. Before that was a fifth in his only graded stakes race to date – the G3 Cecil B DeMille Stakes at Del Mar last November 27. Hootie has looked average so far and will chase a first win since his debut – from post 7 with Drayden Van Dyke guiding him.
Entry | Horse | ML Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kroy | 6-1 | Javier Castellano | Armando De la cerda |
2 | B Squared | 5-1 | Mario Gutierrez | Doug O’Neill |
3 | Colonist | 4-1 | Corey Nakatani | Jerry Hollendorfer |
4 | Harbour Master (GB) | 8-1 | Victor Espinoza | James Cassidy |
5 | Bowies Hero | 7-2 | Kent Desormeaux | Philip D’Amato |
6 | Holiday Stone | 8-1 | Rafael Bejarano | George Weaver |
7 | Hootie | 15-1 | Drayden Van Dyke | Michael McCarthy |
8 | Big Score | 5-2 | Flavien Prat | Tim Yakteen |
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