Mathis Brothers Mile Stakes 2014 at Santa Anita

Las Vegas, NV – Santa Anita in Arcadia, California will play host to the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile Stakes, previously known as the Sir Beaufort Stakes on Opening Day Friday, December 26 at the California track. Three year olds will be after the winner’s share of the $200,000 purse when they go one mile on Santa Anita’s turf track.

An overflow field of 12 plus two Alternate Entries have been confirmed for the Mathis Brothers Mile – race 7 on Santa Anita’s opening day Friday card. Post time is 3:00 PM. Here is a peek into the past performances of all 14 possible entries for this Grade 2 stakes – nine are stakes winners while the other three are stakes placed.

Heart to Heart – Brian Lynch trained colt has four wins and a third place finish in seven starts this year – five wins, a second and two thirds in 12 career starts. He enters on a nice three race win streak – the Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf Stakes last time out at Churchill Downs November 15, the Grade 3 Jefferson Cup Stakes on that same track in September and the minor Better Talk Now Stake in wire-to-wire fashion at Saratoga in August. Heart to Heart is arguably the hottest of the entries for this race. He lines up in gate 7 with Julien Leparoux aboard for his first West Coast start.

Alert Bay – has 12 career starts – six wins, four seconds and a third place finish and has six wins, a second and a third place finish in nine starts this year. He enters on a good three race win streak – the minor Zia Park Derby in track record time by three lengths last time out November 26, the Grade 3 BC Premier’s Handicap in October at Hastings and against older horses in the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby by two lengths as 3-2 favorite September 14. Before that was a career worst performance – a fifth in the minor Real Good Deal Stakes at Del Mar August 1 after a second in the minor Silky Sullivan Stakes in June, a third in the minor Snow Chief Stakes in April and another three race win streak – including the minor Echo Eddie Stakes at Santa Anita in April. Alert Bay is a streaky entry – when running right is awfully tough to stop. Tyler Baze will be in the saddle hoping to keep the present roll going from gate 4.

Tonito M. – Puerto Rican sensation made his North American debut in May for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and recorded a respectable second in the Grade 3 Lazaro Barrera Stakes at Santa Anita and followed that with a disappointing eighth in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens at Belmont Park June 17 and an OK third in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Derby July 5. He won the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby two back at Remington Park and last time out posted another respectable result – a second behind Alert Bay in the minor Zia Park Derby November 26. Before shipping he had an impressive three race win streak including the Grade 3 George Washington Stakes at Camarero February 16 and the Grade 1 Classic Agustin Mercado Reveron last December. Tonito M has placed in his last three starts overall and in trending upward ahead of this race. Rafael Bejarano rides from post 6.

Red Outlaw – Peter Miller trainee has won six of seven career start but is coming off his only blemish – a fourth in the minor Cary Grant Stakes at Del Mar November 23. Before that was four straight minor stakes scores – the Uniformity Stakes here in October, the El Cajon and the Real Good Deal Stakes – both at Del Mar and the Baffle Stakes on this track in February. He makes his graded stakes debut looking pretty dangerous with Edwin Maldonado in the irons from gate 2.

Home Run Kitten – David Hofmans pupil broke maiden in his second career start -January 11 after a third in a similar race in his debut December 15. His stakes debut resulted in a disappointing fifth – in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes February 8 but he has placed in four of six stakes starts since. Last time out was a disappointing eleventh in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint which followed a career best effort – a win in the Grade 3 Eddie D Stakes September 26. He has 10 career starts with four wins, a second and two third place finishes and hopes to avenge an ugly effort last time out. Joe Talamo gets the mount from post 9.

Long On Value – Bill Mott trained colt has placed in four of his last five starts and enters this week on a nice two race win streak. Last time out was in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby here October 31 after a win in the minor Mystic Lake Derby at Canterbury Park September 13. Before that was a fourth in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes in August and consecutive seconds – including the Grade 3 Arlington Classic in May. He has eight starts this year with two wins, two seconds and a third place finish and will line up in gate 10 with Mike Smith in the irons.

Sawyer’s Hill – has 10 career starts for trainer Kristin Mulhall – three wins, two seconds and two third place finishes. He enters off a fourth in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby November 29 after consecutive seconds – a neck behind Long On Value in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby October 31 and in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby August 31. Before that was consecutive wins – both Allowance races at Del Mar. He has three wins and two second place finishes in his last seven starts overall and could be a factor Friday. Martin Garcia will get the call from post 5 as Sawyer’s Hill looks for his first graded stakes score.

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Awesome Return – will make his graded stakes debut Friday for trainer Mike Puype after nine career starts yielded four wins, a second and two third place finishes. He enters off a nice win in the minor Let it Ride Stakes at Del Mar November 8 after a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming in July, a win in the minor Silky Sullivan Stakes at Golden Gate in June and a win in the minor Snow Chief Stakes here in April. He has won his last three stakes start overall and has hit the money in all seven career turf starts but steps up Friday. Kent Desormeaux has the mount from post 11.

Louisiana Flyboy – has nine career starts for trainer Patrick Mouton with three wins and three second place finishes. He enters off a fourth in the minor Louisiana Champions Day Classic Stakes, a second in the minor Gold Cup Stakes at Delta Downs and a seventh in the Grade 2 Super Derby September 6. This after a two race win streak – the minor A.L. (Red) Erwin Stakes August 2 and the minor Lafayette Stakes in June at Evangeline and a pair of seconds in Allowance Optional Claiming races at Aqueduct. Louisiana Flyboy’s best graded stakes finish was that seventh three back – he hopes to better that with Aaron Gryder in the reins from gate 8.

Talco – French bred John Sadler trained colt made his North American debut August 31 and finished a decent third in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby here and followed that with a fifth in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita October 31. Last time out was an OK third in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar November 29. Before shipping he placed in five of six starts at home – two wins, two seconds and a third place finish – a second in his stakes debut at Deauville July 2 after two wins in three races. Talco will have Drayden Van Dyke in the irons from the outside post as he looks for his first North American score.

Patriots Rule – has 12 career starts – all this year with four wins, two seconds and two third place finishes. He won the minor EB Johnson Stakes at Los Alamitos in September and followed that with an Allowance Optional Claiming score on this track in October and has been up and down in two starts since. Last time out was a third in the minor Cary Grant Stakes at Del Mar November 23 which followed a seventh in his only graded stakes start – the Grade 2 Twilight Derby here October 31. Patriots Rule hopes to break through in graded stakes company for the first time with Fernando Hernandez Perez in the saddle from the rail.

Ashleyluvssugar – will race for the eighth time for trainer Peter Eurton having won three times and finishing third two times. He makes his graded stakes debut off an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Del Mar November 7, a fourth in a similar race here October 2 and another Allowance Optional Claiming score in August. Ashleyluvssugar steps up in decent form from post 3 with Elvis Trujillo guiding him.

Cool Samurai – Alternate Entry John Shereffs trainee has five career starts with two wins, a second and a third place finish. His last effort was an Allowance score at Aqueduct November 6 after a third in a similar race in September and a sixth in his only stakes start so far – the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes here in February.

Play Hard to Get – Alternate Entry has two wins in six career starts. He may make his stakes debut having won two of his last three starts – an Allowance Optional Claiming last time out and a maiden score three back.

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Race 7 on Santa Anita Park’s Friday card with a Post Time of 3:20 PM.