Forbidden Kingdom Back From SA Derby Loss in SA Sprint

Questions abound for the seven runners set for the Oct. 1 edition of the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2).

Can Forbidden Kingdom  rebound from a sixth-place finish in the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1), the race that knocked him off the Triple Crown trail? Can C Z Rocket  regain the form that saw him win this race in 2020 before finishing second to Whitmore  in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Keeneland?

Can Todo Fino  build on an impressive victory in his first North American start after winning nine of 14 starts in Chile? How will None Above the Law  cope with not only a turn back in distance, but also a switch from dirt to turf?

Inquiring minds will know the answers at the end of six furlongs in the sixth race on a stakes-packed Santa Anita Park program.

MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm's Forbidden Kingdom, a 3-year-old American Pharoah   colt trained by Richard Mandella, won the San Vicente (G2) at seven furlongs and the San Felipe (G2) at 1 1/16 miles, both pretty easily, before fading from the lead to finish last in the Santa Anita Derby. He hasn't raced since and takes on older rivals for the first time.

Mandella sees speed as Forbidden Kingdom's weapon, perhaps explaining the return to a sprint distance. After the San Felipe, he said he was nervous when the colt was motoring so quickly in his first try around two turns.

"I was a little nervous when I saw the (:45.90) on the board for the first half. He just did what he likes to do," the trainer said.

Jockey Juan Hernandez echoed that, saying: "I let him run because if you fight with him he tries to go faster. I let him have fun. I turned him loose and he never stopped, he kept going the whole race. He proved how good he is today."

At the other end of the age and experience spectrum, 8-year-old C Z Rocket makes his 34th lifetime start with questions about how much he has left in the tank.

The Peter Miller trainee, as noted, was in peak form at the end of 2020 and into 2021 but finished seventh in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Sprint and his only win in three starts this year came in an allowance optional claimer at Del Mar July 23. He was last seen finishing eighth in the Aug. 27 Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2).

Todo Fino is one of two Chilean-bred starters, both trained by Amador Sanchez. By Verrazano , he was an imposing figure in minor stakes in Chile before shipping north. He battled gamely through much of his first U.S. start Sept. 3 at Del Mar before winning by half a length, earning a 96 Equibase Speed Figure—the highest last-race figure in the field.

None Above the Law, a 4-year-old gelding by Karakontie  , is versatile enough to make his potential in the field difficult to pin down. Much of his recent success has come on the turf against state-bred company and, with that, he has not won since posting a 10-1 upset in the Del Mar Derby Presented by Caesars Sportsbook (G2T) nearly 13 months ago.

The other Chilean, Super Ocho , a Dubai Sky  colt, made his U.S. debut at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort June 22, leading all the way to a 10 1/4-length victory in a conditioned allowance. Sanchez then tried him on the turf in the Green Flash Handicap (G3T) at Del Mar, where he faded to seventh.

The others are Kid Corleone , a speedy type with two wins from four starts who makes his stakes debut for Doug O'Neill, and Howbeit , a 5-year-old by Secret Circle  whose presence may reflect the attitude of his owner partnership, which includes It Pays to Dream Racing Stable.