Miller Sends Out Tough Older Pair in Thunder Road

Fresh off a grade 2 win sprinting and in the money in 26 out of 40 lifetime starts, Tom Kagele's 7-year-old Hembree heads a field of eight older horses going one mile on turf in the Feb. 6 $100,000 Thunder Road Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park.

Claimed for $62,500 out of a one-turn mile allowance optional claiming win two starts back on Nov. 19 at Churchill Downs, Hembree rallied for an authoritative three-quarter-length score going 6 1/2 furlongs on the turf in the Joe Hernandez Stakes (G2T) Jan. 1 at Santa Anita. It was the bay's first graded stakes score since taking the 2018 Nearctic Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine. Trained by Peter Miller, Hembree, by Proud Citizen and out of the Langfuhr mare Knockatrina, has earned $927,371 in his career. He will be ridden back by Joel Rosario and break from post 8.

Video: Joe Hernandez S. (G2T)

Miller's "Avis Choice" is Sombeyay, who comes off a front-running Jan. 15 allowance optional claiming win over the Santa Anita lawn. Previously trained by Todd Pletcher, Sombeyay will be making his third start for Miller as he seeks his third graded stakes win. A graded stakes winner on the dirt as a 2-year-old, the son of Into Mischief  has since performed notably on the turf. Last year, he captured the Canadian Turf Stakes (G3T) and was runner-up in the Appleton Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park.

Owned by Swifty Farms, Sombeyay will be ridden for the first time by Juan Hernandez and breaks from post 1.

Trained by Richard Mandella, Border Town comes off what appeared to be his best career race on Jan. 8, as he rallied from off the pace to take a one mile allowance optional claiming by half a length under regular rider Flavien Prat.  Owned by Ramona Bass and Perry Bass II, the 5-year-old gelding by War Front  seeks his first graded stakes win. Prat retains the mount and the pair will start from post 4.

Trainer Dan Blacker's comebacking Hit the Road, who seeks his third consecutive win, lends further depth to the Thunder Road party. Idle since taking the restricted July 10 Runhappy Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar, Hit the Road was also a minor stakes winner going a mile on grass at Santa Anita in his third career start on Oct. 6, 2019.  Owned by D K Racing, Radley Equine, Taste of Victory Stables, Rick Gold, and Dave Odmark , the 4-year-old More Than Ready colt would relish a fast pace to run at with regular rider Umberto Rispoli up. He breaks just to the outside of Sombeyay from the post 2.

Entries: Thunder Road S. (G3T)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, February 06, 2021, Race 8

• Grade IIIT
• 1m
• Turf
• $100,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 3:46 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Sombeyay (KY)	Juan J. Hernandez	122	Peter Miller	4/1
2	2Hit the Road (KY)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	122	Dan Blacker	4/1
3	3Restrainedvengence (KY)	Ruben Fuentes	124	Val Brinkerhoff	15/1
4	4Border Town (KY)	Flavien Prat	122	Richard E. Mandella	6/1
5	5Campaign (KY)	Tyler Baze	122	John W. Sadler	8/1
6	6Award Winner (KY)	Abel Cedillo	120	David E. Hofmans	12/1
7	7Bob and Jackie (KY)	Heriberto Figueroa	122	Richard Baltas	5/2
8	8Hembree (KY)	Joel Rosario	120	Peter Miller	7/2