Barnmates Dogtag, Siberian Iris Headline Santa Ana
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Photo: Jim McCue / Maryland Jockey Club
Dogtag wins the Hilltop Stakes at Pimlico Race Course
Racing mostly on the East Coast for the past two years, Dogtag was most effective in short turf routes, winning the 1 1/16-mile P. G. Johnson Stakes in 2018 at Saratoga Race Course | BloodHorse.com Track Profile">Saratoga Race Course and the one-mile Hilltop Stakes in 2019 at Pimlico Race Course. Siberian Iris, on the flip side, needs a mile just to get in gear and didn't record her first black-type score until she was stretched out to 1 3/8 miles on turf in the 2019 CTT and TOC Stakes at Del Mar.
On March 28 at Santa Anita Park, the two stakes-winning females meet over the middle ground of 1 1/4 miles, competing as uncoupled stablemates in a nine-horse field for the $100,00 Santa Ana Stakes (G3T).
Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella now conditions both Dogtag and Siberian Iris, having picked up Dogtag this year for a West Coast campaign after she had previously been trained by Chad Brown. She ran second in a mile allowance race at Santa Anita March 8 in her lone start for Mandella, while Siberian Iris has raced exclusively for him over her 19-race career.
LNL Foxwoods owns Dogtag, a homebred, and Siberian Iris carries the colors of Calumet Farm. They are the only two stakes winners in the field.
Siberian Iris was third last out in the Jan. 19 Astra Stakes (G3T) at 1 1/2 miles and ran fourth in the 1 1/4-mile Rodeo Drive Stakes (G1T) in her final start of 2019.
Video: Astra S. (G3T)
"She hasn't run in a while but she's training great and we expect her to run a good race," Mandella said.
Rafael Bejarano, who has ridden Siberian Iris three times previously, including to victory in the CTT and TOC, will be back aboard the 6-year-old Excelebration mare, a 7-2 shot on the track morning line.
"The distance will be no problem for her," Mandella said. "She can go three miles if needed."
Umberto Rispoli will ride Dogtag, a War Front filly tabbed at 4-1 on the morning line.
Though the race includes no other stakes winners, Streak of Luck (12-1), Meal Ticket (10-1) and Tiny Tina (7-2) are graded stakes-placed.
The narrow favorite at 3-1 is Opus One, who is riding a two-race win streak. She steps up from the allowance ranks for her stakes debut and stretches out a furlong from races this year at 1 1/8 miles.
A 4-year-old California-bred filly by Eddington owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Opus One makes her first start for trainer Mike Puype after being previously trained by Richard Baltas.
Mario Gutierrez, who has been aboard for her two recent wins, will retain the mount.
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, March 28, 2020, Race 7Entries: Santa Ana S. (G3T)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Super Patriot (CA)
Abel Cedillo
120
Richard Baltas
6/1
2
2Streak of Luck (CA)
Geovanni Franco
120
Matthew Chew
12/1
3
3Out of Balance (KY)
Aaron T. Gryder
120
David E. Hofmans
15/1
4
4Lostintranzlation (CA)
Brice Blanc
120
Richard Baltas
15/1
5
5Dogtag (KY)
UMBERTO RISPOLI
122
Richard E. Mandella
4/1
6
6Meal Ticket (FL)
Tiago Josue Pereira
120
Matthew Chew
10/1
7
7Tiny Tina (KY)
Flavien Prat
120
Philip D'Amato
7/2
8
8Siberian Iris (IRE)
Rafael Bejarano
122
Richard E. Mandella
7/2
9
9Opus Won (CA)
Mario Gutierrez
120
Mike Puype
3/1
