Offlee Naughty , winner of the 2023 San Luis Rey Stakes (G3T), is set to defend his title in this year’s edition. To do so he must get past the first three finishers in the Feb. 20 San Marcos Stakes (G3T): Missed the Cut , Plantario, and Balladeer .
Michael McCarthy, who has become a regular in the winner’s circle, trains Offlee Naughty. He has already won graded stakes at the current Santa Anita meeting with Sweet Azteca and Three Witches .
Offlee Naughty hasn’t won since last year’s back-to-back victories in the Charles Whittingham Stakes (G2T) and San Luis Rey, defeating Planetario in the latter by 1 1/4 lengths. The 6-year-old son of Flashback ran second in the San Juan Capistrano Stakes (G3T) and then was unplaced in two other graded turf races. He got squeezed back to last coming out of the gate in the Oct. 1 John Henry Turf Championship (G2T), his most recent effort. Offlee Naughty gets leading rider Juan Hernandez in post 2 for the San Luis Rey.
The San Marcos at 1 1/4 miles is a quarter-mile shorter than the San Luis Rey. Missed the Cut shouldn’t find the extra distance a problem, however, since he also won the 2023 Tokyo City Cup (G3) at 1 1/2 miles, albeit on the dirt. Trained by John Sadler, Missed the Cut ran unplaced in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), then returned to the turf to run second in the San Gabriel Stakes (G2) prior to his San Marcos victory. Sadler has named Antonio Fresu to ride from post 4.
Planetario avenged his San Luis Rey loss to Offlee Naughty by defeating him in the San Juan Capistrano and also captured the 1 1/2-mile Hollywood Turf Cup (G2T) at Del Mar. Hector Berrios will ride for trainer Richard Mandella.
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Balladeer (Victor Espinoza, post 3) won the John Henry for trainer George Papaprodromou. Though he finished third in the San Marcos, Balladeer was disqualified and placed fourth for interference.
Resultant , trained by Ryan Hanson and to be ridden by Santiago Gonzalez from the rail, rounds out the field. He has been running in allowance/optional claiming company, and this will be his stakes debut.
Entries: San Luis Rey S. (G3T)
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, March 23, 2024, Race 7
- Grade III
- 1 1/2m
- Downhill turf
- $100,000
- 4 yo’s & up
- 4:00 PM (local)
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