Las Vegas, NV – Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California will play host to the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup this Saturday, March 28. A purse of $100,000 will be on the line for horses four years old and upward willing to go 1 ½ miles on Santa Anita’s dirt track.
Eight older entries have been confirmed for the Tokyo City Cup – race 8 on Santa Anita’s Saturday schedule. Post time is 4:00 PM. Let’s take a peek into the past performances of all eight combatants for this Grade 3 stakes.
Sky Kingdom – 2013 winner of this race by 3 3/4 lengths last posted a win July 4 for trainer Bob Baffert – over Handsome Mike in the minor American Flag Stakes at Los Alamitos. He had a decent second in the Grade 3 Cougar III Handicap in July but has failed to place in his last three starts however – a fourth last time out, 16 1/4 lengths back in the Grade 2 Las Vegas Marathon followed a seventh in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes (both results on this track) and a fourth in the minor Los Alamitos Mile September 6. He now has 18 career starts with five wins, two seconds and two third place finishes and has a win and two second place finishes at this distance. Sky Kingdom looks to snap a four race losing streak as he drops in class Saturday – from the outside post with Martin Garcia aboard.
Bronzo – Group 1 winner in Chile entered his North America debut having won three of four starts. He finished a respectable fourth in that debut – at 23-1 odds the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on this track and went on to a sixth in the Grade 2 San Pasqual here January 10, a fourth in the Grade 2 San Antonio Invitational here February 7 and a fifth against a top class field last time out in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in this track March 7. He has 11 wins, a second and four third place finishes in 23 career starts but looks for a breakthrough on North American soil. The legend Gary Stevens has the mount on the 123 pound topweight from gate 4 hoping to give Bronzo a little taste of success on North American soil -against much easier competition than he’s faced so far.
Rousing Sermon – 2012 Kentucky Derby participant has 32 career starts for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer with six wins, seven seconds and seven third place finishes. He enters off an Allowance Optional Claiming score here February 20 after 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 five starts but two of his last three although experience is definitely on his side. Rafael Bejarano will get the call looking for Rousing Sermon’s first ever stakes score in his first try at 1 1/2 mile – from post 3.
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Arlington House – Jeff Bonde trained gelding has just five career starts with two wins. He does enter on the heels of those two wins however – a Starter Allowance last time out February 22 and a Maiden Claiming January 16. Arlington House makes his stakes debut Saturday from post 5 with Tyler Baze guiding this up and coming entry.
Bailoutbobby – Doug O’Neill pupil has 26 career starts with five wins, a second and five third place finishes and arrives off consecutive fourth place finishes – both Allowance Optional Claiming races at Santa Anita in February. Before that were two straight third place finishes in similar races this past winter. Bailoutbobby has two career graded stakes starts – both fourth place finishes – in the Grade 3 Cougar II Handicap in June and the Grade 2 San Juan Capistrano Stakes on this track. He has been OK the last six months but is still in search of his first stakes score when he leaves from post 7 with Elvis Trujillo in the reins.
Helm – Graham Motion trained gelding has 14 career starts with three wins, four seconds and two third place finishes but Saturday marks his stakes debut. He enters having placed in just one of his last five starts – a second three starts back in an Allowance Optional Claiming on this track January 11. Helm looks to win for the first time in seven starts with Drayden Van Dyke aboard from the rail.
Decisive Edge – has placed in his last three starts for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer – a third last time out in an Allowance Optional Claiming March 8 followed consecutive seconds in similar races earlier this year – all results at Santa Anita. Decisive Edge makes his stakes debut Saturday looking for his second win in 13 career starts – from gate 2 with Alex Solis in the saddle.
Image of Joplin – Matthew Chew trained gelding makes his stakes debut Saturday having placed in just one of his last five starts – a third in a Starter Allowance two starts back on this track February 13. He has 19 career starts with four wins, a second and a third place finish and looks for his first win in nine starts Saturday. Agapito Delgadillo will be in the reins from post 6.
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