Wildman Jack Returns to Santa Anita for Eddie D

W C Racing's homebred Wildman Jack will return to a familiar course and distance Sept. 25 when he takes the rail position in the $200,000 Eddie D Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita Park.

Run at 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf, the Eddie D will place Wildman Jack back in the setting of his May 23 Daytona Stakes (G3T) victory. The 4-year-old Goldencents  gelding eked out a nose win that day, the same margin he lost by when running the same course and distance in an allowance optional claiming event in October.

One start prior to the Daytona, Wildman Jack won the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint (G3) over six furlongs in Dubai. He trailed throughout in the Shakertown Stakes (G2T) July 11 at Keeneland and last out was fourth, beaten 1 1/2 lengths, after a brief lead in the stretch of the Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) on dirt at Del Mar.

Trainer Doug O'Neill has assigned jockey Abel Cedillo to ride Wildman Jack for the first time. 

Wildman Jack will face another graded stakes winner on the Southern California turf in Jay Em Ess Stable's Mr Vargas, who makes his first start off a year-long layoff. The 6-year-old Midshipman  gelding stepped up to stakes company in August 2019 to wire the five-furlong Green Flash Handicap (G3T) at Del Mar. He last raced in the Eddie D a year ago and faded to eighth. 

Mr Vargas has put in a string of sharp breezes at Los Alamitos Race Course for trainer Brian Koriner. He worked five furlongs Sept. 6 and Sept. 13 in :58 2/5 and :59 3/5, respectively, and both times were bullets. He tuned up with four furlongs in :47 Sept. 19.

Tyler Baze will have the mount on Mr Vargas from post 3.

Other stakes winners in the field are Sparky Ville, the winner of the 2019 San Vicente Stakes (G2) who was second to Wildman Jack in the Daytona; El Tigre Terrible, who cuts back from seven furlongs after winning the Real Good Deal Stakes by 4 3/4 lengths against state-breds on Del Mar's main track; and Big Runnuer, who won the Siren Lure Stakes June 21 and an allowance optional claimer May 25, both over the same course and distance as the Eddie D.

Last out allowance-level winners Give Me the Lute and Grit and Curiosity complete the field.

Entries: Eddie D S. (G2T)

Santa Anita Park, Friday, September 25, 2020, Race 7

• Grade IIT
• 5 1/2f
• Turf
• $200,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 3:43 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Wildman Jack (KY)	Abel Cedillo	126	Doug F. O'Neill	5/2
2	2Give Me the Lute (CA)	Drayden Van Dyke	124	Andy Mathis	12/1
3	3Mr Vargas (FL)	Tyler Baze	126	Brian J. Koriner	4/1
4	4Grit and Curiosity (KY)	Luis Saez	124	Peter Miller	6/1
5	5Sparky Ville (KY)	Mike E. Smith	126	Jeff Bonde	6/1
6	6El Tigre Terrible (CA)	Flavien Prat	120	Peter Miller	4/1
7	7Big Runnuer (KY)	Juan J. Hernandez	124	Victor L. Garcia	3/1