Newgrange Tops Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita
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Photo: Coady Photography
Newgrange wins the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park
A two-time grade 3 stakes winner, trainer Tim Yakteen's Newgrange heads an evenly matched group of six sophomores going a mile and one sixteenth in the June 11 $100,000 Affirmed Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park.
A winner of the Jan. 1 Sham Stakes (G3) in his second career start, Newgrange then shipped to Oaklawn Park where he posted an impressive 1 1/2-length win in the Southwest Stakes (G3) as the 3-2 favorite.
Subsequently the 4-5 favorite among a field of 11 in the Rebel Stakes (G2) at the same mile and one-sixteenth distance, Newgrange tasted defeat for the first time as he came up empty through the stretch to finish sixth, beaten 4 1/4 lengths.
Idle since the Rebel, Newgrange, one of four Affirmed entrants originally trained by currently suspended Bob Baffert, will make his first start for Yakteen and rates top billing in a tight call as he seeks his fourth win in what will be his fifth start.
Newgrange, a 2020 $125,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale graduate out of the Brookdale Sales consignment, is by Violence out of the Empire Maker mare Bella Chianti. Newgrange has earnings of $555,334 and is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan, Golconda Stable, and Siena Farm. He will be ridden from post 5 by Edwin Maldonado.
A runaway 10-length first-out maiden winner going 6 1/2 furlongs here on March 26 with Baffert, High Connection was subsequently sent off as the 3-5 favorite in an allowance optional claiming race going 1 1/16 miles May 8, but he was soundly beaten by his front-running stablemate Armagnac . He will be making his second start for trainer Sean McCarthy. Juan Hernandez rides from post 3.
A $290,000 Ocala Breeders' Sales March 2-Year-Ols in Training Sale purchase a year ago, High Connection is by the Curlin stallion Connect and is out of the Forest Camp mare Forest Legend. He is owned by HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud.
Never a factor in his six-furlong turf debut Feb. 25, Hopper shifted to seven furlongs on dirt May 7 and the result was a solid 2 1/4-length win. With Hernandez sticking with High Connection, Hopper, in what will be his second start for McCarthy, will stretch out for the first time and be ridden by Abel Cedillo from post 1. He is owned by Lanni Bloodstock, SF Racing, and Madaket Stables.
An impressive first-out maiden winner going six furlongs at Los Alamitos Dec. 11, Doppelganger , who was purchased for $570,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Selected Yearlings Sale, has been winless in four subsequent starts, all graded stakes.
In his first start for Yakteen, Doppelganger (Into Mischief ) never threatened in the Arkansas Derby (G1), finishing fourth by eight lengths at 7-1 and in his most recent outing, he was sixth, beaten 10 lengths in the Pat Day Mile Stakes Presented by LG&E and KU (G2) at Churchill Downs May 7.
Doppelganger will be ridden for the first time by Drayden Van Dyke. Owned by the same connections as Newgrange, he's got a win and a second-place finish from five starts and earnings of $190,700.
The field is completed by stakes winner Fast Draw Munnings and Pioneering Papa .
First post time for a 10-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. Santa Anita's admission gates will open early at 8 a.m. for simulcast wagering on a Belmont Stakes Day card from New York.
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, June 11, 2022, Race 7Entries: Affirmed S. (G3)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Hopper (KY)
Abel Cedillo
120
Sean McCarthy
4/1
2
2Doppelganger (KY)
Drayden Van Dyke
120
Tim Yakteen
5/2
3
3High Connection (KY)
Juan J. Hernandez
120
Sean McCarthy
2/1
4
4Fast Draw Munnings (CA)
Tyler Baze
124
Jeff Mullins
8/1
5
5Newgrange (KY)
Edwin A. Maldonado
124
Tim Yakteen
5/2
6
6Pioneering Papa (FL)
UMBERTO RISPOLI
120
George Papaprodromou
12/1
