The Irish put their stamp on the weekend stakes program at Santa Anita, winning three of the Grade 3 stakes on offer.
The first victory came via Quattroelle in the Megahertz Stakes at a mile on the turf. The 5-year-old Irish-bred mare rallied under Hector Berrios to score by one-half length for a $23.60 upset. This was her first graded stakes win after three in-the-money finishes against similar. She made her racing debut for Kevin Coleman at Leopardstown in August 2020 after which she moved to Jeff Mullins in California. Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal own Quattroelle, which was bred by Rossenarra Bloodstock.
Three hours later, the guy’s component for turf milers was won by Anthony Fanticola’s Earls Rock in the Thunder Road Stakes. The 5-year-old gelding, making just his seventh career start, raced in midpack early and then got the jump on fellow ralliers to get up by a nose under Flavien Prat, good for a $9.80 win mutuel. This was Earls Rock’s first stakes win. He debuted at Down Royal in September 2020 for Andrew Slattery and was then whisked to Philip D’Amato’s barn in California. Maurice and Samantha Regan bred the gelding at their Newtown Anner Stud in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.
Prat and D’Amato teamed up for another narrow triumph in Sunday’s San Marcos Stakes, a 10-furlong run on the lawn. Michael House’s Prince Abama ran similarly to Earls Rock, tracking the lead in midpack and then prevailing by a neck after a long stretch duel. The 5-year-old gelding, bred by T. Jones in Ireland, paid $12.60 to win. He, too, ran once in Ireland – for Mick Halford at Leopardstown in May 2021 – and then joined D’Amato in California. This is his second graded stakes win.
Declan Cannon had himself a day at Turfway Park on Saturday. He won the first race, a maiden claiming sprint, aboard Over Calendared by a rallying three-quarters of a length to light up the toteboard to the tune of $80.90. In the seventh race, he teamed with Brendan Walsh to get Verstappen to the wire in front by a neck in a second-level allowance/optional claiming route at 10 furlongs. This one returned $5.92 to win. Cannon is seventh in the jockey standings at the Kentucky oval with 11 wins from 71 mounts, 10 off the lead.
First-time starters owned by Niall Brennan and Coolmore comprised the exacta in Gulfstream Park’s fifth race on Saturday. Brennan’s King’s Fortune, a 3-year-old colt trained by Todd Pletcher, rallied past Susan Magnier’s Just So, a Chad Brown trainee, to register the victory by one and one-half lengths. Irad Ortiz, Jr. rode the winner, which paid $14.40. The exacta with the 9-1 Just So came back $107.60.
