Big, Tough Fields Set for Eddie D, City of Hope Mile

After a short break in the schedule and with the Breeders' Cup World Championships looming, Southern California turf horses appear to be ready and their connections eager to go with 11 entered for the Eddie D Stakes (G2T) down the Santa Anita hillside course and nine for the City of Hope Mile (G2T) on the last day of September.

As has been the case all year on the local grass, trainer Phil D'Amato is well represented by two entries in each race.

Balnikhov  gets his first test down the hill starting from the inside gate in the Eddie D. The 4-year-old Adaay  gelding has assayed 6 1/2 furlongs only once in his career, that in the Prix de Puits de l'Ermite at Longchamp more than two years ago. D'Amato has not tried him shorter than one mile in his 12 starts in the United States but, with only three wins from those races and none in the past 11 months, a change was in order.

D'Amato also fields Unconquerable Keen , a 4-year-old gelding by Clodovil , who stretches out from two five-furlong starts at Del Mar. In his only start on the Santa Anita hill, he faded to finish seventh. He had two wins in Ireland, one on an all-weather course.

John Sadler saddles Bran , who finished seventh in the five-furlong Green Flash Handicap (G3T) at Del Mar Sept. 2. That effort marked the 5-year-old gelding's return from a year-long absence. His 2022 campaign included three wins from eight starts, highlighted by victories in the Daytona Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita and the Turf Sprint (G2T) at Kentucky Downs. He has a career mark on the hillside course of 2-2-1 from five starts.

Sumpter , a 4-year-old War Front   colt from John Sadler's barn, exits a fading, 10th-place finish in the Del Mar Mile (G2T). He finished sixth in his only previous experience on Santa Anita's unique downhill layout, the March 5 Sam Simeon (G3T). Noble Reflection  and Lane Way  also have had success running down the hill but much of that has been lower on the class ladder. Noble Reflection finished 11th at Kentucky Downs in his last start after taking up at the break.

Meanwhile, the City of Hope mile looks to be a scramble with some familiar foes who have taken turns beating one another going at it again.

D'Amato has Hong Kong Harry , a three-time graded stakes winner on the circuit who has been on the bench since finishing third in the Shoemaker Mile (G1T) over the course May 29, and Cathkin Peak , a close second in this race last year who was last seen finishing sixth in the Del Mar Handicap (G2T).

Also in the field are Irideo , who finished second in front of Hong Kong Harry in the Shoemaker Mile; Flavius  and Hit the Road , second and fourth in the restricted Wickerr at Del Mar July 23; and Astronomer , winner of an allowance at Del Mar with Hit the Road seventh.

Hong Kong Harry, Irideo, and Cathkin Peak finished 1-2-3 in the 2022 Del Mar Mile (G2T).

For all the back-and-forth, Astronomer is the only horse in the field with a last-race win—that in an allowance at Del Mar Aug. 19. And only one of the others, Twist , has won in any of his previous three races.