D'Amato Entrants Look Tough in Kilroe, Buena Vista

Trainer Phil D'Amato could come away with both of the graded turf stakes during Santa Anita Park's March 5 card, part of the inaugural 1/ST Saturday that includes major stakes coast to coast at Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park. D'Amato is preparing Count Again  for the $500,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1T) and distaffers Leggs Galore  and Tony Ann  for the Buena Vista Stakes (G2T).

Count Again, who faces 11 in the Kilroe Mile, finished third in the race last year when he closed from far back, racing wide, and missed catching Hit the Road  and Smooth Like Strait  by two necks. D'Amato freshened the 7-year-old gelded son of Awesome Again  from August till the Feb. 5 Thunder Road Stakes (G3T), a mile turf event that Count Again won by a half-length.

"He came flying late last year and he's ready to go, second off the bench," D'Amato said. "Hopefully, he's locked and loaded."

D'Amato is battling Bob Baffert for the lead in the Santa Anita trainer standings. He trains Count Again for breeder Sam-Son Farm and co-owner Agave Racing Stable. Ontario-bred Count Again's stakes portfolio includes victories in the 2020 Singspiel Stakes (G3T) at Woodbine and the 2020 Seabiscuit Handicap (G2T) at Del Mar. Flavien Prat, Santa Anita's current leading jockey, will ride Count Again from post 4.

One of Count Again's primary Kilroe foes is Law Professor , who was nominated to both the Kilroe and Santa Anita Handicap presented by Yaamava' Resort & Casino (G1). Bred and owned by Twin Creeks and trained by Michael McCarthy, Law Professor at the current Santa Anita meet has proved adept on both surfaces, winning the Dec. 26 Santa Anita Mathis Brothers Mile (G2T) and then running second to probable Santa Anita Handicap favorite Express Train  in the Feb. 5 San Pasqual Stakes (G2). Abel Cedillo is set to ride Law Professor, a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred gelded son of Constitution  , from post 6.

Others in the Kilroe include Thunder Road second Subconscious  (Juan Hernandez, post 2), Mathis Mile second Beyond Brilliant  (Victor Espinoza, post 3), and Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G3) third Space Traveller  (Jamie Spencer, post 8).

Leggs Galore could very well set the pace in the Buena Vista, also at a mile on the turf. Bred in California by William "Jack" Sims, the filly grew up at Sims' ranch in Evanston, Wyo., getting her name because "as a baby she had a lot of leg," Sims explained.

Those long legs help the speedy 5-year-old daughter of Bayern  lead early in most of her races. She has won four stakes, all restricted to Cal-breds or California-sired runners, though she ran second in the 2021 Wilshire Stakes (G3T). Regular pilot Ricky Gonzalez is named from post 5.

D'Amato's other Buena Vista entrant, Tony Ann (Umberto Rispoli, post 2), is making her stakes debut coming off of three consecutive wins. Alex Venneri Racing bred the 4-year-old daughter of Cairo Prince   in Kentucky and owns her with Anthony Fanticola.

The 11-horse Buena Vista field also includes grade 1 winners Going to Vegas  (Prat, post 10) and Mucho Unusual  (John Velazquez, post 11).

Entries: Buena Vista S. (G2T)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, March 05, 2022, Race 5

• Grade IIT
• 1m
• Turf
• $200,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 2:00 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Closing Remarks (CA)	Joe Bravo	120	Carla Gaines	-
2	Tony Ann (KY)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	120	Philip D'Amato	-
3	Keeper of Time (IRE)	Mike E. Smith	120	Brendan P. Walsh	-
4	Madone (KY)	Ryan Curatolo	122	Simon Callaghan	-
5	Leggs Galore (CA)	Ricardo Gonzalez	120	Philip D'Amato	-
6	Fast Jet Court (BRZ)	Juan J. Hernandez	122	Michael W. McCarthy	-
7	Avenue de France (FR)	Drayden Van Dyke	120	Leonard Powell	-
8	Canoodling (KY)	Roimes Chirinos	122	Mike Puype	-
9	Javanica (KY)	Tyler Baze	120	Eoin G. Harty	-
10	Going to Vegas (KY)	Flavien Prat	124	Richard Baltas	-
11	Mucho Unusual (CA)	John R. Velazquez	120	Tim Yakteen	-