Las Vegas, NV – The Grade 3 Precisionist Stakes comes our way from Santa Anita in Arcadia, California this Saturday, May 2. Horses three years old and upward will be after the winner’s share of the $100,000 purse when they go 1 1/16 miles on Santa Anita’s dirt track.
A field of nine will line up in the Precisionist – race 10 in Santa Anita’s Saturday schedule. Post time is 4:00 PM. Here is a look into the past performances of all eight entries for this Grade 3 stakes.
Catch a Flight – Argentinean bred Gary Mandella trainee had six wins and a third place finish at home before debuting in North America with a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming January 19. He has two starts since that race – a win in an Allowance Optional Claiming February 13 and a respectable third behind Shared Belief last time out in the competitive Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap March 7. He has improved every start on North American soil and hopes to keep that trend going Saturday in his first start at 1 1/16 miles. Flavien Prat gets the call from post 5.
Fury Kapcori – defending champion by an impressive 5 3/4 lengths Jerry Hollendorfer trainee won four straight last year – all on this track including the 2014 edition of this race. He went on to a second behind Clubhouse Ride in the Grade 2 Californian also on this track and a sixth in the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes in June. He was off for nine months before returning to the track and posting a last of five as even money favorite in an Allowance at Golden Gate March 29. Fury Kapcori now has six wins, five seconds and a third place finish in 17 career starts and hopes to return to the terrific form he had last year at this time. Drayden Van Dyke has been tabbed to ride from post 2.
Rousing Sermon – 2012 Kentucky Derby participant has 33 career starts for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer with six wins, seven seconds and seven third place finishes. He enters off a disappointing fifth at 5-1 odds in the minor Santana Mile here March 29 which followed an Allowance Optional Claiming score February 20, a fourth in the minor Donald Valpredo California Cup Sprint and a second in the minor Cary Grant Stakes at Del Mar in November. He has 10 career graded stakes starts and placed in four – mostly back in 2011/2012. Rousing Sermon has placed in just two of his last six starts and hasn’t been great lately but is the most experienced of all the entries. Corey Nakatani will be in the saddle hoping to generate a little consistency – from post 3.
Blue Tone – Robert Hess trained gelding has 14 career starts with five wins, three seconds and two third place finishes. He made his graded stakes debut in November and finished a very respectable second in the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar and followed that with another good result – a third behind Hoppertunity in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita January 10. He went on to an ugly tenth place finish in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park February 7 but recently bounced back with a nice win by an impressive 2 3/4 lengths in the competitive listed Santana Mile here March 29. He also posted consecutive wins at Del Mar last summer – the overnight Harry F. Brubaker Stakes August 30 and an Allowance Optional Claiming August 3 and has been decent since. Blue Tone has been competitive virtually every time out and is expected to be again Saturday when he leaves from post 7 with Abel Cedilo in the reins.
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Mystery Train – arrived from Argentina and promptly finished ninth in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic August 24 and followed that with a sixth in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes September 27, a tenth in the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup in November and a respectable second last time out after leading most of the way in the 1 1/16 mile Grade 3 Mineshaft Handicap at Fair Grounds February 21. At home he had 19 starts with eight wins, four seconds and three third place finishes. His last start at home came in May when he won his third straight race – the other two being Group 1 races. Mystery Train hasn’t been great here but his effort last time out has given a sense of optimism. Santiago Gonzalez has been tabbed to ride Mystery Train from post 6.
Sammy Manderville – Doug O’Neill trained colt has 12 career starts with two wins, two seconds and a third place finish and has finished ninth in his last two graded stakes tries – the last being April 11 in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap. Before that result was a win and a second respectively in a pair of Allowance Optional Claiming races on this track- the win by 6 1/2 lengths in a 1 1/16 mile race. Sammy Manderville finished third in the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap in August – his best career result but has been lousy in graded stakes action since. Alex Solis has the mount Saturday hoping to get Sammy Mandeville his first stakes win – from the rail.
Motown Men – had one graded stakes start back in 2011 – a fourth place finish in the Grade 3 Generous Stakes at Hollywood Park but has concentrated on lesser company since. He has placed in his last three races however – a win last time out by a terrific 7 1/2 lengths with a 103 Beyer Speed Figure, a second and a third place finish in a trio of Allowance Optional Claiming races here the last three months. Motown Men has been good in Allowance company but steps up Saturday with Tyler Baze aboard from the outside post.
Magic Mark – Ron Ellis trained gelding makes his graded stakes debut Saturday after 11 career starts produced four wins and a second place finish. He has placed in just one of his last four starts however – a third last time out in an Allowance Optional Claiming here February 20. He did have a third in the minor American Flag Stakes in July but hasn’t been better than fifth in any of his stakes action since. Magic Mark looks for his first stakes win Saturday from gate 8 with Fernando Hernandez Perez guiding him.
Appealing Tale – Peter Miller trainee has 19 career starts with three wins, three seconds and six third place finishes. He is coming off an ugly seventh in the minor Santana Mile here March 29, a fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming February 20, an OK second in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes on this track in January and a third in the Grade 3 Midnight Lute Stakes here December 27. He won two Allowance Optional Claiming races on this track a year ago but hasn’t been the same since. Appealing Tale looked OK three starts back with his second in the San Pasqual but has failed to place in two starts since. Edwin Maldonado will be in the reins from gate 4 hoping for Appealing Tale’s first stakes score.
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