Say the Word to Be Heard in 1 1/2-Mile San Luis Rey

A formidable team on turf, trainer Phil D'Amato and jockey Flavien Prat will combine forces March 12 with the venerable 7-year-old gelding Say the Word , who heads a field of nine older horses going 1 1/2 miles on turf in the $125,000 San Luis Rey Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park.

The Ontario-bred by More Than Ready  , second in last year's San Luis Rey, comes off a third-place finish going 1 1/4 miles on turf in the San Marcos Stakes (G2T) Jan. 30 and gets back to a distance he relishes, where he has compiled a record of 3-2-1 in six starts. Among his three wins was a score in the 2020 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes Presented by Pattison (G1T) at Woodbine.

Say the Word is a three-time graded stakes winner who runs best from well off the pace. Last ridden by Prat to a second-place finish in the Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1T) five starts ago on May 31, 2021, Say the Word rallied from far back under Kent Desormeaux two starts back to win the Hollywood Turf Cup (G2T) when last racing 1 1/2 miles Nov. 26.

Owned by Agave Racing Stable and Sam-Son Farm, Say the Word earned $353,500 last year and enters the San Luis Rey with earnings of $849,792 from an overall mark of 7-4-6 in 34 starts.

A horse who has flourished in the care of veteran trainer David Hofmans, Award Winner , a close fourth, beaten 1 1/2 lengths by Say the Word in the Hollywood Turf Cup, looms a leading Saturday adversary with Juan Hernandez back aboard Saturday. 

A 6-year-old gelding by Ghostzapper  , Award Winner, who had been based in the east, made his first start for Hofmans eight starts ago on Jan. 8, 2021, and has been competitive since. He took the Charles Whittingham Stakes (G2T) five starts back last May.

Owned by Amerman Racing and bred in Kentucky by Mrs. Jerry Amerman, Award Winner figures to be tracking the speedy Acclimate early on Saturday. 

Lightly raced and on the improve, the Leonard Powell-trained Dicey Mo Chara  appears a contender after an allowance optional claiming win going 1 1/8 miles on turf at Santa Anita Feb. 4. Ridden by Prat that day, he was attentive to the pace and should be in a forward position again as he tries 1 1/2 miles for the first time with Drayden Van Dyke up.

A 4-year-old English-bred gelding, Dicey Mo Chara is 3-2-1 overall in nine starts with earnings of $175,277.

In what looks like a certainty, California-bred gelding Acclimate  should be winging on the lead with regular rider Ricardo Gonzalez. Fourth in last year's San Luis Rey, the front-running 8-year-old son of Acclamation   is winless in five tries at the San Luis Rey distance, but he was second, beaten a length by stablemate Say the Word two starts ago in the Hollywood Turf Cup. 

Racing for the partnership of The Ellwood Johnston Trust, Timmy Time Racing, Brooke and Ryan Bartlett, Michael Goritz, and Kenneth Tevelde, he weakened to fifth in the San Marcos.

D'Amato also trains him, as he does Red King  for owners Philip Belmonte and Gordon Jacobsen.

Entries: San Luis Rey S. (G3T)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, March 12, 2022, Race 9

• Grade III
• 1 1/2m
• Downhill turf
• $125,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 4:41 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Say the Word (ON)	Flavien Prat	124	Philip D'Amato	5/2
2	2Red King (KY)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	120	Philip D'Amato	8/1
3	3Airman (KY)	Ryan Curatolo	120	John A. Shirreffs	20/1
4	4Dicey Mo Chara (GB)	Drayden Van Dyke	120	Leonard Powell	6/1
5	5Current (KY)	Christopher A. Emigh	120	Brittany A. Vanden Berg	8/1
6	6Acclimate (CA)	Ricardo Gonzalez	122	Philip D'Amato	4/1
7	7Award Winner (KY)	Juan J. Hernandez	122	David E. Hofmans	5/1
8	8Henley's Joy (KY)	Mike E. Smith	120	Richard Baltas	6/1
9	9Offlee Naughty (KY)	John R. Velazquez	120	Michael W. McCarthy	10/1