Practical Move , sidelined since winning the Santa Anita Derby (G1) in April, is set to return at Santa Anita Park Oct. 6 in a competitive one-mile classified allowance for trainer Tim Yakteen.
Listed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite for his comeback, regular rider Ramon Vazquez will be in the irons aboard the 3-year-old son of Practical Joke .
Also entered in the field of seven is the returning grade 2 winner Newgrange (3-1), who has been off since a seventh-place effort in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) March 4 for trainer Phil D’Amato. Yakteen will also start American Admiral , most recently second in the Sept. 17 Los Alamitos Special.
Practical Move won the Santa Anita Derby by a nose, making him a leading contender for the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs a month later. However, while in Louisville, Practical Move spiked a temperature the week of the race and had to be scratched.
Practical Move returned to the work tab Aug. 13 at Del Mar. He has had nine drills for his comeback. In September he had two six-furlong works followed by a pair of quick five-furlong moves with the most recent completed in 59 3/5 Sept. 30.
“Everything has been straightforward,” Yakteen said of Practical Move’s preparation.
Ideally, Yakteen is hoping a good effort Friday could propel Practical Move to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) over the Santa Anita oval Nov. 4.
“We’ll take it one race at a time. The main thing is we want him to come back how he left off,” Yakteen said. “If he does, we’ll put our heads together and think about the Breeders’ Cup. It would be nice if we could entertain that.”
Also in Friday’s stacked allowance field is grade I winner Tripoli (8-1) for trainer John Sadler and a pair of colts trained by Bob Baffert, Mr Fisk (4-1) and Tahoe Sunrise (4-1). Mr. Fisk and Tahoe Sunrise most recently dead-heated for the win in the restricted Shared Belief Stakes for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar July 17.
Practical Move’s comeback goes as the eighth race on a nine-race card set for Friday. It is a second-level allowance that’s also open to horses who have not won a race since June 18. Post time is scheduled for 4:42 p.m PT.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
