Count Again Back on California Turf in San Gabriel

Agave Racing Stable and Sam-Son Farm's Count Again made his first start on the Southern California turf a winning one just over a month ago, and the Awesome Again gelding will try to repeat that success in the $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes (G2T) Jan. 2 at Santa Anita Park. 

Count Again is one of seven entries for the 1 1/8-mile grass event for 4-year-olds and up. After transferring to the barn of Phil D'Amato from Gail Cox at Woodbine, he rallied from last to win the 1 1/16-mile Seabiscuit Handicap (G2T) Nov. 28 at Del Mar by three-quarters of a length under Juan Hernandez. The move across North America came after Agave bought into the Sam-Son Farm homebred.

"Gail Cox delivered this horse to me in excellent condition, and I was really glad to have him," D'Amato said after the Seabiscuit. "She got him going really good and his confidence up as well, and I just kind of trained on from that. I'm just fortunate to have him."

The Ontario-bred is lightly raced for his age, having only started eight times heading into his 6-year-old season. He debuted at age 4 in August 2019, broke his maiden two months later, and as a 5-year-old in 2020 also won the Sept. 19 Singspiel Stakes (G3T) racing 1 1/4 miles on the Woodbine turf.

Count Again is a half brother to two-time Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) winner Ransom the Moon , another initial Sam-Son Farm runner that moved from Canada to D'Amato's barn and raced for Agave Racing Stable and Jeffry Wilke.

The Richard Baltas-trained Next Shares will kick off his 8-year-old season in the San Gabriel. The Archarcharch gelding was third beaten 1 1/2 lengths in the Seabiscuit, an event he won in 2019. The effort was an improvement following three prior off-the-board finishes. But Next Shares did show good form in the spring, finishing third beaten a neck in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1T) and second in the Shoemaker Mile (G1T).

Next Shares won the San Gabriel for Baltas in 2019, and the trainer added a second consecutive win in the race last year with Desert Stone.

Next Shares races for Debby and Richard Baltas, Michael and Julia Iavarone, Jerry McClanahan, Jeremy Peskoff, Ritchie Robershaw, and Mark Taylor. 

Trying turf for the second time will be Peter Redekop's Anothertwistafate, who will make his second start since moved to trainer Peter Miller. Formerly with Northern California-based Blaine Wright, the son of Scat Daddy won the 2019 El Camino Real Derby and the Sept. 10 Longacres Mile Handicap (G3). In his first start for Miller, Anothertwistafate was fourth beaten 2 1/2 lengths in the Seabiscuit after grabbing the lead early. He adds blinkers for the first Saturday.

Others in the field are graded winner Cleopatra's Strike, claimed from the D'Amato stable for $62,500 Nov. 13 and now with trainer Bob Hess Jr.; the Baltas-trained Bob and Jackie, a multiple stakes winner and third in the Oct. 3 City of Hope Mile (G2T); Multiplier, whom Miller returns to turf following an 11th-place finish in the Nov. 27 Clark Stakes Presented by Norton Healthcare (G1); and D'Amato winner Bowies Hero, fifth in the Seabiscuit.

Bowies Hero and Next Shares are past top-level winners of the Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland in 2019 and 2018, respectively.

All seven runners race without Lasix under new California stakes rules.

Entries: San Gabriel S. (G2T)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, January 02, 2021, Race 7

• Grade IIT
• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $200,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 3:35 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Cleopatra's Strike (ON)	Kent J. Desormeaux	120	Robert B. Hess, Jr.	15/1
2	2Next Shares (KY)	Jose Valdivia, Jr.	120	Richard Baltas	4/1
3	3Bob and Jackie (KY)	Heriberto Figueroa	120	Richard Baltas	4/1
4	4Multiplier (KY)	Abel Cedillo	120	Peter Miller	12/1
5	5Count Again (ON)	Juan J. Hernandez	124	Philip D'Amato	2/1
6	6Anothertwistafate (KY)	Joel Rosario	122	Peter Miller	5/2
7	7Bowies Hero (KY)	Flavien Prat	120	Philip D'Amato	6/1