Shippers Take on Tough Locals in City of Hope, Eddie D.

The opening weekend of the Santa Anita Park fall season features a classic-division slugfest in the California Crown Stakes (G1) but the quality runs deeper, to the $750,000 Eddie D. Stakes (G2T) down the iconic hillside course and the City of Hope Mile (G2T), a "Win and You're In" Challenge race for the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T).

"Invasion" is the key word when describing the lineup for the Sept. 28 Eddie D.

Big Invasion  invades from New York, visiting California for the first time since finishing second, just a nose back of Nobals , in the 2023 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T). Two Rivers Over  is locally based with trainer Doug O'Neill but staged an audacious invasion of his own earlier this year, winning the Godolphin Mile (G2) in Dubai on World Cup (G1) night, March 30.

Despite the big Breeders' Cup effort 11 months ago, Big Invasion has some negatives. The 5-year-old son of Declaration of War  drew the outside gate for the 6 1/2-furlong trip down the winding hillside course and the Christophe Clement trainee turned in dismal performances earlier this year in the Turf Sprint (G2T) at Churchill Downs on Derby Day and the Jaipur Stakes (G1T) at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Two Rivers Over stepped out of relative obscurity to win the Zia Park Derby in New Mexico in November 2023, then was fourth in the San Pasqual Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita in January. He was a surprise again in Dubai, defeating a solid field with a determined stretch move. Minuses: The Doug O'Neill trainee has not raced since Dubai and has only three third-place finishes to show for five previous starts on the green course.

That pair faces nine locally based sprinters, several of them accomplished veterans on the Santa Anita turf. And two of them invaded Kentucky Downs in September, without making much of a mark.

The local contingent includes First Peace , who boasts a 3-5-1 record from 10 starts on the grass at Santa Anita; Johnny Podres , a close second in two turf starts at the recent Del Mar meeting; King of Gosford , 3-for-3 on the Santa Anita turf; and Noble Reflection , third in the 2023 Eddie D. after leading most of the way.

Trikari Ships in for City of Hope

The City of Hope Mile also features an imposing visitor in Trikari , a 3-year-old Oscar Performance   colt trained by Graham Motion. His 5-for-8 record features victories in the American Turf Stakes (G2T) on Derby Day at Churchill Downs, the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) at Aqueduct, and the Secretariat Stakes (G2T) at Colonial Downs.

Here, too, the locals look capable of defending home turf.

Johannes  is 5-for-5 on the Santa Anita greensward with a victory in the Eddie Read Stakes (G2T) at Del Mar in his latest start. Conclude , Almandares, Astronomer , and Du Jour  were the first four finishers in the Del Mar Mile (G2T) Aug. 31, all crossing the finish line separated by less than a length.

The "Win and You're In" has had some recent, albeit not very positive, bearing on the Breeders' Cup Mile.

Du Jour, a Temple City   gelding trained by Bob Baffert for his wife, Jill, and her friend, Debbie Lanni, won the 2023 Del Mar Mile, skipped the City of Hope, and finished 10th in the Breeders' Cup Mile, just 3 1/2 lengths adrift of the winner, Master of the Seas . Astronomer, an Air Force Blue  gelding from Simon Callaghan's barn, finished second to Hong Kong Harry  in the 2023 City of Hope, then 12th in the big race.