War of Will Eyes Shoemaker Over Sunshine Forever
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
War of Will at Santa Anita Park
War of Will, the winner of the 2019 Preakness Stakes (G1), will likely bypass the $75,000 Sunshine Forever Stakes on May 9 at Gulfstream Park as his connections roll the dice that Santa Anita Park will resume racing in time to run the May 25 Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1T).
The California track has been shuttered by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health since March 27 over concerns related to the possible spread of COVID-19, but track owner The Stronach Group has been working with the health department to resume spectatorless racing. The track recently released a condition book that lists a May 15 date for the hopeful resumption of racing behind closed doors, which could come about if a "Safer at Home" order is lifted.
Trainer Mark Casse shared the news May 8 via TVG of his intent to likely scratch War of Will from the 1 1/16-mile Sunshine Forever, which would have been the colt's 4-year-old debut. The son of War Front owned by Gary Barber has not raced since a ninth-place finish in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in November.
"I've been in contact with Gary Barber, and I think we are going to scratch him and you'll see him in California; we'll aim for the Shoemaker Mile on the 25th," Barber told TVG's Britney Eurton.
"When we went ahead and gave him the rest of the winter off, Gary and I talked about it, and our goal for 2020 was to try to make him a grade 1 winner on the grass," Casse told BloodHorse this week, referencing the colt's résumé as a stallion prospect. "We had lots of plans, and then, of course, the coronavirus slowed things down."
The scratch takes the Sunshine Forever field down to 11, including main-track-only entry Just Whistle. Leading the group are Sam-Son Farm homebred El Tormenta and The Elkstone Group's Social Paranoia, co-highweights at 126 pounds.
El Tormenta fared well last season at Woodbine, taking the Connaught Cup Stakes (G2T) in June and then earning a top-level score in the Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1T) in September before finishing sixth in the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T).
Woodbine Mile winner El Tormenta seeks to rebound in the Sunshine Forever Stakes at Gulfstream Park
But the Stormy Atlantic gelding trained by Gail Cox was a disappointing 12th in the March 28 Appleton Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park in his season debut. In fact, all four of his wins have come at Woodbine.
On the other hand, Social Paranoia won the Appleton off a six-month layoff.
The Street Boss colt trained by Todd Pletcher placed second or third in all five of his 2-year-old efforts before finally breaking his maiden in his sophomore debut at Gulfstream. He went on to finish third in two graded stakes before a runner-up finish in the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T). He ended 2019 with a score in the Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Derby at Kentucky Downs.
Social Paranoia wins the Appleton Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Pletcher also entered last year's Tropical Park Derby winner, Halladay.
Gulfstream Park, Saturday, May 09, 2020, Race 9Entries: Sunshine Forever S.
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Just Whistle (KY)
Luis Saez
118
Michael R. Matz
8/1
2
2Sand Dancer (KY)
Marcos Meneses
118
Timothy A. Hills
20/1
3
3El Tormenta (ON)
Dylan Davis
126
Gail Cox
12/1
4
4Aquaphobia (KY)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
123
Michael J. Maker
10/1
5
5Cullum Road (KY)
Joe Bravo
118
Ignacio Correas, IV
20/1
6
6Halladay (KY)
Luis Saez
123
Todd A. Pletcher
4/1
7
7Hawkish (KY)
Emisael Jaramillo
121
James J. Toner
10/1
8
8Regally Irish (NJ)
Rajiv Maragh
118
H. Graham Motion
20/1
9
9Social Paranoia (KY)
Edgard J. Zayas
126
Todd A. Pletcher
3/1
10
10Highland Sky (KY)
Miguel Angel Vasquez
123
Barclay Tagg
15/1
11
11Admission Office (KY)
Joel Rosario
118
Brian A. Lynch
5/2
12
12War of Will (KY)
Tyler Gaffalione
121
Mark E. Casse
10/1
