Santa Anita Park – Top sprinters Roy H and Ransom the Moon will renew their rivalry as they head a field of five 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs in Saturday’s Grade I, $300,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship, which is a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” qualifier to the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs.
The defending champ in both the Santa Anita Sprint Championship and the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, the Peter Miller-trained Roy H comes off a 2 ¼ length defeat at the hands of the Phil D’Amato-conditioned Ransom the Moon in the Grade I Bing Crosby Stakes on July 28 and this Saturday’s Sprint Championship will mark their fourth meeting.
| Entry | Horse | ML Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Horse Greedy | 8-1 | Stewart Elliott 121 Lbs |
John Sadler |
| 2 | Roy H | 6-5 | Paco Lopez 125 Lbs |
Peter Miller |
| 3 | Distinctive B | 8-1 | Drayden Van Dyke 121 Lbs |
Peter Miller |
| 4 | Edwards Going Left | 9-2 | Tyler Baze 121 Lbs |
John Sadler |
| 5 | Ransom the Moon | 7-5 | Flavien Prat 125 Lbs |
Philip D’Amato |
ROY H
The 6-5 favorite in the GI Bing Crosby at Del Mar, Roy H, who had been idle since running a close third in the Group I Dubai Golden Shaheen March 31, will likely be favored on Saturday as he tries to defeat Ransom the Moon for the third time in what will be four meetings. Ridden by Kent Desormeaux over his last five starts, including three consecutive victories in last year’s Santa Anita Sprint Championship, the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and the Grade II Palos Verdes here on Feb. 3.
Roy H will be handled on Saturday by eastern-based Paco Lopez, who guided the 6-year-old More Than Ready gelding to a second place finish in the 2017 Bing Crosby as well as a 2 ½ length win in the Grade II, six furlong True North Stakes at Belmont Park in June, 2017. Highly accomplished and a winner of three out of his five Santa Anita starts, Roy H looms the horse to beat on Saturday.
Owner: Rockingham Ranch and David Bernsen | Trainer: Peter Miller
RANSOM THE MOON
Although well beaten by Roy H in both the 2017 Santa Anita Sprint Championship and Breeders’ Cup Sprint, he flew late under regular rider Flavien Prat to win the Bing Crosby going away 2 ¼ lengths on July 28 and his connections will hope to have another fast pace to run at on Saturday.
Fifth two starts back in the one turn Metropolitan Mile Handicap at Belmont June 9, this 6-year-old full horse by Malibu Moon has two wins from four starts at six furlongs-both of them coming in the Grade I Crosby at Del Mar. After a steady career as an allowance-type sprinter at Woodbine, Ransom the Moon was transferred nine starts back to D’Amato in December of 2016 and the results have been dramatic.
A winner of the Grade II Kona Gold Stakes here in his second local start, Ransom the Moon is now a three-time graded stakes winner who’s made $712,800 out of his total bankroll of $848,829 under D’Amato’s care.
Owner: Agave Racing Stable and Jeffry Wilke | Trainer: Phil D’Amato
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