Fury Kapcori will look to repeat his success in the $100,000 Precisionist Stakes (gr. III) April 30 at Santa Anita Park.
The 5-year-old son of Tiznow owned by Rick Awtrey, George Todaro, and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is the lone graded-stakes winner in the field of nine for the 1 1/16-mile test, with his 5 3/4-length victory in last year's edition of the Precisionist.
He took the field gate-to-wire last year, but could be tested for the lead by speedy opponents Appealing Tale, Mystery Train, and Motown Men. Fury Kapcori will break from post 2 with first-time rider Drayden Van Dyke.
Motown Men and Mystery Train appear to be the most formidable front-end challengers.
By Decarchy , Motown Men is making his first graded-stakes appearance since 2011, but the 6-year-old gelding is coming off a 7 1/2-length allowance/optional claiming romp at Santa Anita April 10. He'll break from the outside post with return jockey Tyler Baze.
Mystery Train, by Not for Sale and bred in Argentina, is only making his fourth start since relocating from South America in mid-2014, but put in his best U.S. effort in the April 21 Mineshaft Handicap (gr. III) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, in which he finished second. Fury Kapcori and Mystery Train will be the co-highweights, carrying 121 pounds, while the rest of the field will load with 119. The ridgling will pick up jockey Santiago Gonzalez and leave post 6.
With competition for the lead, the race could set up best for another Argentina-bred, Catch a Flight. A stalking runner, the son of Giant's Causeway was third—behind Shared Belief and Moreno —in the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) last time out March 7. With regular rider Gary Stevens in Kentucky, Flavien Prat will be in the irons for trainer Richard Mandella.
Sammy Mandeville, Rousing Sermon, Blue Tone, and Magic Mark, round out the field.
Precisionist S. (gr. III)
Santa Anita Park , Saturday, May 02, 2015, Race 10
PP
Horse
Jockey
Weight
Trainer
1
Sammy Mandeville (KY)
Alex O. Solis
119
Doug F. O'Neill
2
Fury Kapcori (KY)
Drayden Van Dyke
121
Jerry Hollendorfer
3
Rousing Sermon (CA)
Mario Gutierrez
119
Jerry Hollendorfer
4
Appealing Tale (KY)
Edwin A. Maldonado
119
Peter Miller
5
Catch a Flight (ARG)
Flavien Prat
119
Richard E. Mandella
6
Mystery Train (ARG)
Santiago Gonzalez
121
Darrell Vienna
7
Blue Tone (KY)
Abel Cedillo
119
Robert B. Hess, Jr.
8
Magic Mark (CA)
Fernando Hernandez Perez
119
Ronald W. Ellis
9
Motown Men (CA)
Tyler Baze
119
Ted H. West