Om Looks to Rebound in Mathis Brothers Mile

Multiple grade II winner Om, who finished a disappointing third in the Hollywood Derby (gr. IT) at 4-5 odds, tops the 12-horse field entered in the $200,000 Mathis Brothers Mile (gr. IIT) on Santa Anita Park's Dec. 26 opener.



Trained by Dan Hendricks, early on in his career Om has the distinction of being the colt that beat Triple Crown Winner American Pharoah   when they were both 2-year-olds. But with a 3-year-old season in which has won or placed in six of seven outings, Om has achieved his own success that includes victories in the Del Mar Derby and Twilight Derby, both grade II turf tests at 1 1/8 miles, previous to the Hollywood Derby.



Om, who typically races on the front end, sat second to 60-1 shot Acceptance in the Hollywood Derby behind fractions of :23.51 and a half mile in :47.41 before taking the lead around the far turn but couldn't hold off a pair of late runners and finished third.

Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, who returns Saturday, noted that Om had issues in the gate but still showed a huge effort.



"He threw a fit in the starting gate," Stevens said. "We had all kinds of problems. He kicked the you-know-what out of it. He was good during the running though. He wasn't pulling. He ran his race and ran well. We just got beat."



Owned by the Sareen Family Trust, Om is by Munnings   out of the Tabasco Cat mare Rare Cat and was bred in Kentucky by Lavin Bloodstock, Bernie Sams, and Bill Farish. He has an overall record of 9-4-1-2 with earnings of $430,500.



D. P. Racing's Ocho Ocho Ocho will make a long-awaited return to competition in the Mathis Brothers Mile, having finished fourth in the Penn Mile (gr. IIT) May 30.



The winner of the Delta Downs Jackpot (gr. III) as a 2-year-old, Ocho Ocho Ocho placed third in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) before finishing 14th in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).



Om carries 123 pounds; all others will tote 118 pounds each.