Due to the unusual change of the calendar, December 31 Joe Hernandez Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita Technically, it will be held for a second time in 2022. The hillside grass sprint for kids 3 and up also takes place on January 1 during the Santa Anita 2021-22 season.
No one from the school on January 1 returned. Instead, 11 newcomers will compete, a group consisting of recent turf bet winners and horses of the following multiple grades. Some of the best performers on dirt roads could benefit if rain is expected that day, although Hernandez is scheduled to be the first race and could therefore stay on the grass. .
Smooth as the strait is the only millionaire in this field. He has won graded bets in his first three racing seasons, albeit without a win in 2022. He won the 2021 Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1T) in Santa Anita and finished second in the 2022 edition. Although Smooth Like Strait’s best distance is a mile, coach Michael McCarthy reckons the sprint champion’s 5-year-old son Midnight music can handle hillside gap of about 6 1/2 furlongs.
“We’ve wanted to get him down the hill for a long time,” McCarthy said.
Most recently, Smooth Like Strait finished 2nd in 1 1/8 mile Arlington Million Stakes (G1T), 9th in FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile presented by PDJF (G1T) and 7th in 1 1/16 mile Seabiscuit Handicap ( G2T), the latter after a rough ride. John Velazquez is expected to go Smooth Like Strait from 10th place.
let’s go defeated Smooth Like Strait by just one neck to win the 2021 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1T). 5 year old son of More than readiness Coached by Dan Blacker, Hit the Road has not entered a race since finishing in a vacant position in the January 29 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes presented by Baccarat (G1T). Frankie Dettori is listed to go from lesson 8.
Coach Phil D’Amato recently dominated the Southern California turf stakes and joined Gregorian chant who received the service of Flavien Prat from 4th place. Gregorian Chant won the 2021 San Simeon Stakes (G3T) in Santa Anita and more recently placed in the one-mile Wickerr Stakes, Eddie D. Stakes ( G2T) is down the hill, and Stake attracts a mile.
Hernandez drew winners in all three of those races: horrified , Whatmakessammyrun and Red Air Force . Marcelo Polanco coached Irideo (Ramon Vazquez, lesson 2), who followed Wickerr in second place in Del Mar Mile Stakes (G2T) and placed in City of Hope Mile Stakes (G2T) and Seabiscuit. Whatmakessammyrun (Joe Bravo, unit 5) is coached by Mark Glatt and most recently finished second in five stretches in the Stormy Liberal Stakes. The Red Air Force (Juan Hernandez, post 6), coached by Leonard Powell, has not run since winning the Lure on October 29.
Super Ocho and Kiss goodbye today yielding the main form of tracking is probably better. Super Ocho (Juan Lopez, post 3) is about to finish third in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (G2) and sixth in the Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1), both on the main track. Kiss Today Goodbye (Kyle Frey, post 9) won the 2020 San Antonio Stakes (G2) and finished second in the 2021 Native Diver Stakes (G3), both on the main track. He hasn’t played since finishing fifth in the San Pasqual Stakes (G2) Feb.
Item: Joe Hernandez S. (G2T)
Santa Anita . ParkSaturday, December 31, 2022, Race 1
- Class II
- About 6 1/2f
- grass pitch downhill
- 250,000 USD
- 3 years old and up
- 12:00pm (local)
