Round 3 for Tizamagician, Heywoods Beach in Tokyo City

The $100,000 Tokyo City Cup (G3) Oct. 2 at Santa Anita Park will be a tiebreaker between Tizamagician  and Heywoods Beach , who have bested each other in 1 1/2-mile stakes on the West Coast. The Tokyo City also sets up a potential rubber match between the 5-year-olds on Friday of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

The Tokyo City Cup, formerly run in April, was moved permanently this year to Santa Anita's Autumn Meet to be a prep for the 1 5/8-mile Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes (G2), formerly the Breeders' Cup Marathon, which will be run Nov. 4 at Keeneland as part of Breeders' Cup undercard.

MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm's Tizamagician, a son of Tiznow , won last year's edition of the Tokyo City Cup by nine lengths and two races later won the 1 1/2-mile Cougar II Stakes (G3) at Del Mar by 2 1/4 lengths. Heywoods Beach was third in the 2021 Cougar II by 7 1/2 lengths.

A son of Speightstown   campaigned by Hronis Racing, Heywoods Beach took revenge July 24 in this year's Cougar II, which he won by a length after pressing his rival in the early going and passing him in the stretch. This year's Cougar II was run in 2:30.09 compared with Tizamagician's victory in 2021 that was won on the front end in 2:31.45.

Tizamagician is trained by Richard Mandella and will break from post 1 under Mike Smith, who rode him last out to a fourth-place finish in the Del Mar Handicap Presented by The Japan Racing Association (G2).

Heywoods Beach is trained by John Sadler and will be ridden by Ramon Vazquez from post 3. They also teamed up in the Del Mar Handicap, where they finished eighth.

Among the six challengers looking to upset the rivalry is multiple graded stakes winner Newgrange , a 3-year-old son of Violence   raced by David Bernsen, Little Red Feather Racing, and Rockingham Ranch. The colt has won three of five lifetime starts, with his victories including the Sham Stakes (G3) and Southwest Stakes (G3). Newgrange is trained by Philip D'Amato and will be ridden by Ricardo Gonzalez from post 2.

The other graded stakes winner in the field is Jay Em Ess Stable's Extra Hope , a 6-year-old gelded son of Shanghai Bobby , who won the 1 1/8-mile Native Diver Stakes (G3) at Del Mar in 2020 and was third in this year's Cougar II by 1 1/4 lengths. Extra Hope is trained by Mandella and will by ridden by Tyler Baze.

Another challenger with plenty of route experience is grade 3-placed Avenue , a 4-year-old son of Quality Road  , who is raced by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, William Freeman, Robert LaPenta, and Michael Valdes. Avenue broke his maiden at 1 1/8 miles last year and comes into the Tokyo City Cup off a win in a 1 3/8-mile allowance optional claimer at Del Mar. Two races back he finished third by only half a length in the 1 3/4-mile San Juan Capistrano Stakes (G3T) to grade 1 winner Breakpoint  and to runner-up and previous grade 2 winner Red King . Avenue is trained by Michael McCarthy and will be ridden by Juan Hernandez, who has been aboard for the last two starts.

Entries: Tokyo City Cup S. (G3)

Santa Anita Park, Sunday, October 02, 2022, Race 8

• Grade III
• 1 1/2m
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:38 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Tizamagician (KY)	Mike E. Smith	126	Richard E. Mandella	5/2
2	2Newgrange (KY)	Ricardo Gonzalez	122	Philip D'Amato	8/1
3	3Heywoods Beach (KY)	Ramon A. Vazquez	126	John W. Sadler	3/1
4	4Extra Hope (KY)	Tyler Baze	126	Richard E. Mandella	5/1
5	5Win the Day (KY)	Umberto Rispoli	118	Doug F. O'Neill	10/1
6	6Avenue (KY)	Juan J. Hernandez	122	Michael W. McCarthy	4/1
7	7Storm the Court (KY)	Edwin A. Maldonado	126	Peter Eurton	6/1
8	8Govenor's Party (CA)	Kyle Frey	122	Daniel Franko	20/1