Forbidden Kingdom Must Be Caught in San Carlos

Forbidden Kingdom , who fell off the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail last year before regaining top form in late 2022 with a second in the Dec. 26 Malibu Stakes (G1), heads six older sprinters racing seven furlongs March 11 in the $200,000 San Carlos Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park.

Well beaten as the even-money favorite last spring in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), Forbidden Kingdom went to the sidelines with an entrapped epiglottis that needed correction and then to recover from a bout of colic. He returned and showed good speed in his comeback, a fifth-place finish in the Oct. 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (G2) on Oct. 1.

Subsequently third, beaten a half-length by Get Her Number  as the 8-5 favorite in a six-furlong allowance optional claimer at Del Mar Nov. 20, Forbidden Kingdom was most recently beaten 4 1/4 lengths by the multiple grade 1 winner Taiba  in the Malibu.

A 4-year-old colt by American Pharoah  , Forbidden Kingdom is owned by MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm. Winless in four starts since taking the San Felipe Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita a year ago, Forbidden Kingdom will be reunited with leading rider Juan Hernandez. With an overall race record of 3-2-2 in nine starts for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, Forbidden Kingdom has earnings of $507,500.

Owned by Gary Barber and trained by Peter Miller, Get Her Number, who followed his allowance optional claimer win over Forbidden Kingdom Nov. 20 with a close second to the now-retired Mind Control   at Aqueduct Racetrack in the Dec. 3 Cigar Mile Handicap (G1), returns to Santa Anita following a ninth-place finish going 1 1/8 miles in the Jan. 28 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream Park. He appears to be more effective racing from behind in long one-turn races than around two turns, conditions he encountered against tougher competition in the Pegasus World Cup.

A 5-year-old horse by Dialed In  , Get Her Number is based at San Luis Rey Downs and will be reunited with Flavien Prat for the first time since his win at Del Mar Nov. 20. With an overall mark of 5-2-1 in 16 starts, late-running Get Her Number has earnings of $725,661.

Trainer Mark Glatt will be well represented by a pair of horses, his grade 2-winning Howbeit , who has been supplemented and will be ridden by Mike Smith, and Holden the Lute , who marched to a 3 1/2-length score going seven panels in a second condition allowance Feb. 19.

Bruce Chandler's speedy homebred Spirit of Makena , a head shy of being unbeaten in three starts, comes off a scintillating first-condition allowance optional claiming score at six furlongs at Santa Anita Feb. 11 and will be ridden back by Joe Bravo.

A 5-year-old horse by Ghostzapper  , Spirit of Makena is trained by George Papaprodromou and will be making his first stakes appearance Saturday on the heels of earning a career-best 113 Equibase Speed Figure.

"He came out of that race good and has continued to do well," Papaprodromou said. "Obviously we're stepping into a stakes race and it will be tougher, but hopefully he does well."