Class, Distance Hurdles for Weston in American Pharoah

Weston is the only graded stakes winner in the field of eight entered in the $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes (G1) Sept. 26 at Santa Anita Park but the gelding's co-owner and trainer Ryan Hanson still sees a tough test ahead.

"A lot of it depends on whether he can get the distance or not," said Hanson who co-owns Weston with Chris Drakos. "A mile-and-a-sixteenth might be a bit of a stretch right now. With the exception of a few, I think most are going to two turns for the first time. There are a couple that have been two turns on the turf, but that's a big difference."

The American Pharoah Stakes will be run at 1 1/16 miles and is a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" race for the TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1).

Weston is a son of Spendthrift Farm freshman sire Hit It a Bomb , who did his best running at 2 and won at a mile but no farther. The gelding's dam, Elke, who is a daughter of Dixie Union, also did her best running at 2 and didn't win beyond six furlongs.

Still, Weston already has done more than many would have expected when Drakos bought him for $7,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He broke his maiden at first asking by 1 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita and followed that achievement with a win in the six-furlong Best Pal Stakes (G2) at Del Mar. Weston comes into the American Pharoah Stakes off a third in the seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity (G1).

To date, Weston has earned $150,000. He will be ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, who has been in irons for all his starts.

"He trains and works like he can get two turns," Hanson said. "Now it is whether he can get two turns with this level of class. I think the water is getting deeper."

Hanson said earlier in the year he might have had an advantage with not many horses shipping in ready to run. Now, he said, the rest of the horse population is catching up.

"This horse has always been an underdog, so we'll see," the trainer said. "Honestly, we are just happy with where we are right now and happy with the horse."

Other key contenders in the American Pharoah include Bob Baffert's Spielberg, a son of Union Rags  who finished second in the Del Mar Futurity and was 3 3/4 lengths ahead of Weston.

"He got beat going seven eighths but you know what, this horse, he's shown me he's a two-turn horse," Baffert said. "The way he's come back and worked (well), and he's a beautiful horse. I'm proud of both of his efforts. He got beat by a good horse. But I think two turns, I think he will just explode going two turns."

Spielberg has been second in both his starts to date. He finished second by 5 3/4 lengths to Dr. Schivel, who also beat him by 1 3/4 lengths in the Del Mar Futurity and also is not entered in the American Pharoh. Spielberg is owned by the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm, and Robert Masterson. Lane's End sold the colt for $1 million at the Keeneland September sale.

Three American Pharoah contenders have already won or placed at two turns. They are: Waspirant, another son of Union Rags, who comes into the Sept. 26 race off a one-mile maiden win on Del Mar's main track; Rombauer, a son of Twirling Candy , who broke his maiden going a mile on the Del Mar turf July 25 and then most recently finished sixth going the same distance in the Sept. 7 Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes; and, Dyn O Mite, a son of Goldencents , who was second in a one-mile maiden special weight July 25 on the Del Mar turf and comes into American Pharoah off a fifth-place finish in the Del Mar Futurity.

Entries: American Pharoah S. (G1)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, September 26, 2020, Race 8

• Grade I
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $300,000
• 2 yo
• 4:12 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Touchdown Brown (CA)	Juan J. Hernandez	122	Rafael Becerra	5/1
2	2Rombauer (KY)	Mike E. Smith	122	Michael W. McCarthy	8/1
3	3Dyn O Mite (KY)	Victor Espinoza	122	J. Keith Desormeaux	20/1
4	4Notable Exception (KY)	Abel Cedillo	122	Jack Sisterson	7/2
5	5Spielberg (KY)	Luis Saez	122	Bob Baffert	3/1
6	6Get Her Number (KY)	Flavien Prat	122	Peter Miller	7/2
7	7Weston (KY)	Drayden Van Dyke	122	Ryan Hanson	6/1
8	8Waspirant (KY)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	122	John A. Shirreffs	6/1