Bombard Tops Short Daytona Field

With a recent race under his belt, Richard Mandella's Bombard  perhaps rates a slim advantage over Mark Glatt's comebacking Law Abidin Citizen  in the May 29 $100,000 Daytona Stake (G3T) at Santa Anita Park.  For older horses, the Daytona has attracted five older horses who will contest 6 1/2 furlongs on turf.

A lightly raced 8-year-old gelding by War Front  , Bombard led turning for home, but was collared by a razor sharp Gregorian Chant  late when second, beaten a half-length in a six furlong turf classified allowance here April 25.

Owned by Perry Bass, Ramona Bass, Adele Dilschneider, and Waddell Hancock II, Bombard, although winless in four starts last year, was nonetheless in top form for Mandella, evidenced by a narrow second place finish, beaten a neck, in the Runhappy Turf Sprint Stakes (G3T) at Kentucky Downs Sept. 12 and subsequent 3 1/4 length defeat in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Keeneland two starts back Nov. 7.

The multiple stakes winner recorded a five-furlong bullet work in :59.80 May 19, the fastest of 20 works that morning at Santa Anita.

With regular rider Flavien Prat back aboard Saturday, Bombard will leave the gate from post 2. He is 4-for-9 over the Santa Anita turf and brings an overall mark of 17-5-6-2 and earnings of $399,771.

A graded stakes winner on both turf and dirt, Law Abidin Citizen has been idle since running a close third to top sprinter C Z Rocket  in the Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) at Del Mar last August. Although he hasn't ran on the turf since 2019, the versatile son of Twirling Candy   has four wins from nine lifetime starts over the Santa Anita lawn, including a win in the 2019 San Simeon Stakes (G3T).

Law Abidin Citizen has tremendous early speed and can be counted upon to press or make the early pace on Saturday. Owned by Dan Agnew, Gerry Schneider, and John Xitco, the 7-year-old will break from post 4 with regular rider Abel Cedillo in the irons.

Majestic Eagle , second in the Lure Stakes two starts back, is also entering off a lengthy layoff for trainer Neil Drysdale. The Medaglia d'Oro   gelding has been away from the races since last November. The French-bred Commander  breaks from the outside for the always dangerous Peter Miller barn and the Andrew Lerner trainee Jamming Eddy , fourth in the Lost in the Fog Stakes April 24 over the synthetic track last time out, complete the field.

Entries: Daytona S. (G3T)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, May 29, 2021, Race 5

• Grade IIIT
• 6 1/2f
• Turf
• $100,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 3:15 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Majestic Eagle (KY)	Mario Gutierrez	122	Neil D. Drysdale	5/1
2	2Bombard (KY)	Flavien Prat	122	Richard E. Mandella	6/5
3	3Jamming Eddy (CA)	Tyler Baze	120	Andrew Lerner	8/1
4	4Law Abidin Citizen (KY)	Abel Cedillo	122	Mark Glatt	8/5
5	5Commander (FR)	Juan J. Hernandez	120	Peter Miller	5/1