Whatmakessammyrun Tops Daytona Entries on Downhill Turf

Sterling Racing's Whatmakessammyrun  is the likely favorite for the May 27 Daytona Stakes (G3T) after going last to first to win Santa Anita Park's prior downhill turf stakes for older horses, the $100,000 Simon Lure Stakes, in April.

Three of the top four finishers from that 6 1/2-furlong downhill test return for the Daytona, a group that includes Indian Peak  and Burnin Turf , third and fourth, respectively, for Saturday's expected field of seven.

Whatmakessammyrun, a 5-year-old We Miss Artie  gelding, is two-for-four sprinting down the hill, with the other score being last fall's Eddie D Stakes (G2T). Joe Bravo, who was aboard for both those wins, has the return call for trainer Mark Glatt.

Indian Peak, by Comic Strip, moved to the lead after crossing over the dirt strip in the Daytona but was unable to hold off Whatmakessammyrun and favored Air Force Red , finishing a clear third. The 6-year-old gelding is trained by Peter Miller, who has won this race twice before, and ridden by the meet's leading jockey, Juan Hernandez.

Burnin Turf , a 7-year-old gelding by Acclamation  , was fourth in the Simon Lure and third in this race last year. 

Eight-year-old millionaire Restrainedvengence , by Hold Me Back , is the field's other graded stakes winner along with Whatmakessammyrun. Those two each will carry 124 pounds, while nongraded stakes winners get 122 and the others tack 120.

The field's lone intact entrant is Prince Lancelot , by Sir Prancealot  , making his North American debut for trainer George Papaprodromou. The 5-year-old is group stakes-placed in France but hasn't raced since finishing fifth in a group 3 at Chantilly in October.