Acclimate Leads Santa Anita's California-Bred Stakes

Santa Anita Park's 10-race card Jan. 16 lacks graded stakes, but not graded stakes winners.

Five stakes for California-breds attracted sizable fields that drew graded winners Warren's Showtime, who races in the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint Stakes Presented by John Deere, and Marckie's Water, Ward 'n Jerry, and Acclimate in the $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic Presented by City National Bank.

Complimenting those stakes is the $200,000 California Cup Derby for 3-year-olds, in which The Chosen Vron, a runaway winner of his debut Dec. 27 at Santa Anita, takes on more seasoned foes while stretching out to 1 1/16 miles.

The California Cup Derby and its sister race, the $200,000 Leigh Ann Howard California Cup Oaks at a mile on turf, will be contested with treatment of Lasix prohibited. The diuretic—used to control respiratory bleeding in horses but being phased out in some jurisdictions, including California—is permitted in the three stakes for older California-breds, the last of which is the $150,000 Don Valpredo California Cup Sprint. All but one of Saturday's older stakes competitors will race with Lasix.

Although Marckie's Water, Ward 'n Jerry, and Acclimate are graded winners now competing with state-bred rivals, the Unusual Heat Turf Classic is a competitive race. Margot's Boy, Indian Peak, and Heck Yeah are other leading contenders.

Acclimate, a close fourth after a layoff of more than a year in the Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes (G2T) Nov. 27 at Del Mar, is the probable favorite. The speedy 7-year-old gelded son of Acclamation won the Del Mar Handicap Presented by the Japan Racing Association (G2T) in 2019 and was later second in the John Henry Turf Championship Stakes (G2T) and ninth in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) that year.

Earlier in 2019, he won the San Juan Capistrano Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita.

Tyler Baze is aboard the frontrunner for trainer Phil D'Amato and owners The Ellwood Johnston Trust, Timmy Time Racing, and Ken Tevelde.

Acclimate appears to have caught a field with an above-average amount of pace for a 1 1/8-mile turf race.

"I thought he ran a smashing race first time back," said D'Amato.  "Now he's in with Cal-breds at a little shorter distance and he's training as good as ever."

The California Cup Derby drew a solid field. Originated in 1990, it was notably won by eventual two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome in 2014—the year in which he triumphed in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) at Churchill Downs.

A chestnut gelding by Vronsky  out of the Tiz Wonderful mare Tiz Molly, The Chosen Vron raced 6 1/2 furlongs in a quick 1:16.74 in his only appearance late last year. Sent to the lead, he extended his advantage and crossed the wire 6 3/4 lengths in front. He races for trainer Eric Kruljac, who owns him with Robert Fetkin, John Sondereker, and Richard Thornburgh.

Joel Rosario picks up the mount for the rail-drawn 3-year-old, replacing eastern-based John Velazquez, who was in town to ride at Santa Anita on the day of the gelding's maiden score.

The first of the stakes races on Saturday, the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf, goes to post at 1:30 p.m. PT as the fourth race. The California Cup Sprint is the final stakes as the ninth race at 4:00 p.m., one race before a maiden special weight goes as the nightcap.

Entries: Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint S. Presented by John Deere

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, January 16, 2021, Race 4

• STK
• 6f
• Turf
• $150,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 1:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1She's Devoted (CA)	Flavien Prat	120	Richard Baltas	4/1
2	2Leggs Galore (CA)	Ricardo Gonzalez	122	Philip D'Amato	4/1
3	3Hollywood Hills (CA)	Abel Cedillo	124	Art Sherman	12/1
4	4Sheza Girly Girl (CA)	Tiago Josue Pereira	122	Steve Knapp	20/1
5	5Warren's Showtime (CA)	Juan J. Hernandez	124	Craig Anthony Lewis	5/2
6	6Florentine Diamond (CA)	Alexis Centeno	120	Paula S. Capestro	20/1
7	7Mo See Cal (CA)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	124	Peter Miller	3/1
8	8Homehome (CA)	Mario Gutierrez	120	Doug F. O'Neill	15/1
9	9Nardini (CA)	Joel Rosario	122	Andy Mathis	6/1