Ohio, Bolo Look for Best Strides in City of Hope
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Ohio will make his first start since May 27 on the Santa Anita turf
Ohio and Bolo, who both boast grade 1 wins this season on the Santa Anita Park turf, return to that course in search of more success Oct. 5 in the $200,000 City of Hope Mile Stakes (G2T).
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Bruce Treitman's Ohio has lost four starts—all stakes—since his narrow victory in the March 30 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1T) at Santa Anita. But in his most recent start when he was shipped to Pennsylvania, he rallied from seventh to finish third despite racing wide in the Sept. 9 Presque Isle Mile Stakes.
That effort, in which the son of Elusive Quality finished less than two lengths behind winner Mr Ritz, has trainer Michael McCarthy looking forward to Saturday's one-mile turf test
"They set a track record that day," McCarthy noted of Mr Ritz's 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.91 on the synthetic surface. "Obviously, we're very proud of his effort since it had been a long time (a string of 12 races) since he had run on anything other than grass, so it was certainly respectable.
"He's come back and trained well (four furlongs Sept. 28 in :49 2/5). Even though he favors a mile, he's a bit trip-dependent. He doesn't have a real big turn of foot and he's a bit one-paced, so obviously working out a trip is always important with him. But he shows up every time. He loves his job."
Jockey Norberto Arroyo Jr. will be aboard for the first time.
Bolo made headlines in late May when he scored a front-end victory in the Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1), his first top-level victory at age 7. It was just his second start since June 2017.
Golden Pegasus Racing's gelded son of Temple City then finished eighth Aug. 18 in the Del Mar Mile Handicap (G2T). Trained by Carla Gaines, Bolo could surpass $1 million in earnings as he enters with $977,221 to his credit.
Those two Southern California-based runners will face an accomplished shipper in Synchrony. Already a graded stakes winner in Louisiana and Ontario this season, the Pin Oak Stable homebred will start at Santa Anita for the first time. He is an experienced shipper, though, with stakes starts at nine tracks, including a third-place finish in his previous venture to Southern California for last year's Seabiscuit Handicap (G2T) at Del Mar.
Synchrony will stay at the mile distance for a third consecutive start after finishing fifth, less than two lengths behind winner El Tormenta, in the Sept. 14 Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1T) and winning Woodbine's June 29 King Edward Stakes (G2T). A 6-year-old son of Tapit , Synchrony opened the season with a clear victory in the Fair Grounds Handicap (G3T) in February.
Five runners in the expected field of 11 will look to build on last-out victories. True Valour hasn't raced since capturing the Thunder Road Stakes (G3T) in February at Santa Anita, Prince Earl won the Del Mar Mile Handicap, and Restrainedvengence led gate-to-wire in the Sept. 2 Rolling Green Stakes at Golden Gate Fields. Grade 1-placed Big Score will make his first start since winning an allowance-level race in January at Santa Anita, and Andesh enters off a clear score in an allowance-level race Aug. 10 at Del Mar.
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, October 05, 2019, Race 8Entries: City of Hope Mile S. (G2T)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Ohio (BRZ)
Norberto Arroyo, Jr.
123
Michael W. McCarthy
12/1
2
2Synchrony (KY)
Joseph Talamo
125
Michael Stidham
5/1
3
3True Valour (IRE)
Drayden Van Dyke
121
Simon Callaghan
10/1
4
4Restrainedvengence (KY)
Martin Garcia
121
Val Brinkerhoff
15/1
5
5Big Score (KY)
Mike E. Smith
121
Tim Yakteen
10/1
6
6Catapult (KY)
Rafael Bejarano
121
John W. Sadler
5/1
7
7River Boyne (IRE)
Ruben Fuentes
123
Jeff Mullins
4/1
8
8Kingly (KY)
Mario Gutierrez
118
Bob Baffert
20/1
9
9Prince Earl (CA)
Geovanni Franco
125
Philip D'Amato
7/2
10
10Andesh (IRE)
Abel Cedillo
121
Philip D'Amato
20/1
11
11Bolo (KY)
Tyler Baze
125
Carla Gaines
6/1
