Ward's Bound for Nowhere Regroups in San Simeon
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Photo: Reed Palmer Photography
Bound for Nowhere wins the 2018 Tourist Mile at Kentucky Downs
Bound for Nowhere, once bound for the April 4 Shakertown Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland, will race at Santa Anita Park March 21 in the $100,000 San Simeon Stakes (G3T) after Keeneland canceled its meet this week because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
His addition to California racing is welcome to a circuit that is down at least a few hundred horses in population and to the San Simeon, a 5 1/2-furlong turf dash, in particular. His entry increased the field to seven, including grade 1 winners Cistron and Voodoo Song.
Wesley Ward, who owns and trains Bound for Nowhere, feels fortunate that the logistics worked out to allow his grass sprinter to compete. He said he was notified of the race, which had been postponed a week due to stormy weather, by assistant Blake Heath. He was able to get a required exam of the horse at his Keeneland training base by a Santa Anita Park veterinarian who happened to be in Lexington and then was able to secure placement on a Tex Sutton Equine Air Transportation flight that can bring the horse from Kentucky to California March 20.
"It all worked out pretty seamlessly," Ward said.
A 6-year-old son of The Factor , Bound for Nowhere has been idle since rolling to a 4 1/4-length victory in an Oct. 25 allowance optional claimer at Belmont Park, one of his three starts in 2019. He was 13th in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot and second in the Shaktertown, a race he won in 2018.
Though Bound for Nowhere's return was moved up a few weeks, Ward expects him to be ready. He wanted to prep the horse in an allowance at Turfway Park this month, but the race wasn't carded because of insufficient entries.
"He was going to be way overdue to run in the Keeneland race," Ward said. "So this race really hits him right on the head in terms of fitness and how he's feeling. The horse couldn't be training into the race any better."
The second-leading money-earner—behind Voodoo Song—with six wins from 12 starts and earnings of $844,857, Bound for Nowhere will break from post 2.
Veteran jockey Julio Garcia, who breezes and gallops horses for Ward, mostly in Kentucky, has been named to ride, though Ward intends to follow up with the rider to see whether he wishes to travel to California amid COVID-19. Garcia has been aboard for five of the horse's six victories.
With the exception of Murad Khan, every horse in the field is unraced this year, and many, including Cistron, have been out of action since the summer. Cistron needed a freshening after being a "little off behind" after Del Mar last summer, trainer John Sadler said.
He, like Bound for Nowhere, is a 6-year-old by The Factor. After running second in this grass race last year, Cistron went on to win the Kona Gold Stakes (G2) and Bing Crosby Handicap (G1), with a second in the Triple Bend Stakes (G2) in between for owner Hronis Racing. His final three races of 2019 were on the main track.
"It looked like he got better on dirt last year, and we may still go to dirt, but this one is kind of out there, out in front of us, at our home base," Sadler said. "So we'll run here on Saturday, and after that he may go back to dirt. But his turf sprints are good, too, even though he wasn't winning them."
A wild card is Voodoo Song, who will race at the distance for the first time after changing circuits from New York. A three-time stakes winner, Voodoo Song captured the Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course in 2018 but has gone winless in seven starts since for owner Barry Schwartz. Formerly trained by Linda Rice, the 6-year-old son of English Channel now starts for trainer Richard Mandella.
Sparky Ville, Surrender Now, and King of Speed complete the field. The San Simeon is one of two stakes at Santa Anita along with the San Luis Rey Stakes (G3T) for grass marathoners.
Racing at Santa Anita, conducted without fans last week, is further restricted this week due to COVID-19. Santa Anita and the Thoroughbred Owners of California have issued notifications that owners and media are not permitted for racing. Only trainers running horses, and their attending staff, will be permitted in compliance with regulations issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, March 21, 2020, Race 5Entries: San Simeon S. (G3T)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Sparky Ville (KY)
Jorge I. Velez
121
Jeff Bonde
15/1
2
2Bound for Nowhere (KY)
Julio A. Garcia
121
Wesley A. Ward
6/5
3
3Murad Khan (FR)
Rafael Bejarano
121
Doug F. O'Neill
6/1
4
4Cistron (KY)
Victor Espinoza
123
John W. Sadler
3/1
5
5Surrender Now (KY)
Flavien Prat
116
Peter Miller
6/1
6
6Voodoo Song (NY)
UMBERTO RISPOLI
121
Richard E. Mandella
4/1
7
7King of Speed (KY)
Geovanni Franco
121
Jeff Bonde
20/1
