Dandy Man Shines Could Brighten in Mathis Mile

A talented group of 3-year-old turf runners has been assembled for the Dec. 26 $200,000 Mathis Mile Stakes (G2T) on opening day at Santa Anita Park and one of them will emerge with his first graded stakes victory.

About half of the field of seven contesting the one-mile race on the grass have won or placed in a black-type stakes, with three of these having placed in graded stakes.

Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal's Dandy Man Shines  is the lone stakes winner in the field and graded-placed.

Dandy Man Shines, an Irish-bred son of Dandy Man, is a last-out winner, having taken the Nov. 10 Let It Ride Stakes at Del Mar. The stakes win was his second consecutive win since breaking his maiden Sept. 9—both wins were one-mile races on the turf.

"He obviously has something to prove in here, but he is a physically improved horse since we got him," said trainer Jeff Mullins.

Red Baron's and Rancho Temescal bought Dandy Man Shines at the 2022 Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale for US$143,344 from CH Thoroughbreds. The gelding's first race in the United States resulted in a third in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes (G3T) following a disqualification. He actually had finished a close fourth by half a length. He would later place in three other maiden special weights before getting a seven-month break starting in late January.

"There were some minor issues and he was just not moving forward," Mullins said. "That break was what he needed."

His first start back produced his first win.

Mullins said Dandy Man Shines' consecutive wins at a mile does give him some confidence heading into the Mathis Mile.

"The mile is certainly good for him. At some point, we'll find out if he can go farther but for now we'll stay in his comfort zone," he said.

The runner-up in the Let It Ride also rolls back into the Mathis Mile. Ah Jeez  is raced by Great Friends Stables and Mark Davis and trained by Doug O'Neill.

Panic Alarm  and Almendares  are the other challengers looking to convert graded-placed finishes into a graded win.

Hronis Racing's Panic Alarm ran second in the 8 1/2-furlong La Jolla Handicap (G3T) at Del Mar in early August and has followed with two unplaced performances in graded company. In his most recent start, the gelded son of Kuroshio  was a relatively close seventh by one and three-quarter lengths in the nine-furlong Twilight Derby (G2T) at Santa Anita.

"Frankie Dettori said he never saw daylight," trainer John Sadler said about the Twilight Derby. "It was a big field and he was down on the inside, got beat a couple lengths. But I think he's a pretty nice horse."

Almendares also was in the scrum at the end of the Twilight Derby, where he was fifth by a length. Prior to this start he was third in the Del Mar Derby (G2T), and he comes into the Mathis Mile off a win at Del Mar in an $80,000 one-mile turf allowance/optional claiming race. The gelded son of Havana Grey  is raced by CYBT, McLean Racing Stables, Saul Gevertz, Michael Nentwig, and Ray Pagano. He is trained by Phil D'Amato.