Fury Kapcori Well-Spotted in Precisionist

Fury Kapcori, on a three-race win streak for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, looks for his first graded stakes victory in the $100,000 Precisionist (gr. III), the featured event at Santa Anita Park on Derby day May 3.



The Precisionist, a prep for the Gold Cup (gr. I) previously contested as the Mervyn LeRoy Handicap at Hollywood Park, attracted a field of seven older horses at 1 1/16 miles on the main track. It is the 10th on an 11-race program Saturday with a 4 p.m. PDT scheduled post. Santa Anita will observe an early first post of 11:30 a.m. to facilitate simulcasting from Churchill Downs.



A multiple stakes winner for owners Rick Awtrey, Hollendorfer, and George Todaro, Fury Kapcori won the Santana Mile in his most recent start March 30, combining good early speed with a solid kick to score by three-quarters of a length as the 9-10 choice. The 4-year-old son of Tiznow   will be ridden from the far outside post by Rafael Bejarano.



The Hall of Fame trainer will also be represented in the Precisionist by Zeewat, who has sprinted in his past three starts including his most recent win, the six-furlong Lost In the Fog Stakes at Golden Gate Fields Feb. 17. A five-time stakes winner for partners Hollendorfer and Todaro, the 4-year-old Harlan's Holiday colt has had two starts at 1 1/16 miles, winning once.



Fellow Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has a new shooter in Secretsatmidnight, a 4-year-old son of Midnight Lute   trying stakes company for the first time for owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman. Secretsatmidnight pressed the pace before clearing off for a 2 3/4-length score over first-level allowance foes March 29.



The gray/roan ridgling worked five furlongs in :58 3/5 April 24, best of 41 at the distance. He has two wins and a third from seven starts and will be ridden from the rail by Joe Talamo. Baffert won the Mervyn LeRoy last year with Liaison  .



Majestic City, a distant second in the Razorback Handicap (gr. III) on a wet/fast track March 15 at Oaklawn Park, returns to Santa Anita for trainer Ron Ellis and Bloom Racing Stable. The 5-year-old son of City Zip   had his most recent success at Santa Anita last Oct. 31 in winning the Big Bear overnight stakes. He has posted two seconds and a third from four starts since then.



Reddam Racing's multiple graded stakes winner Handsome Mike gets back on dirt for the first time since finishing eighth in the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) nearly a year ago at Belmont Park for trainer Doug O'Neill. The 5-year-old Scat Daddy   horse has been sprinting down the hillside turf course in his most recent outings, and comes off a good third in the San Simeon (gr. IIIT) April 13.



The speedy Batti Man will try to take them all the way for trainer Dan Hendricks. Supplemental entrant American Blend shortens up off a fourth-place effort in the 1 1/2-mile Tokyo City Cup (gr. III) March 29.



$100,000 Precisionist Stakes (gr. III, Race 10, 4 p.m.), 3 & Up, 1 1/16 Miles

PP. Horse, Jockey, Trainer

1. Secretsatmidnight (FL), J Talamo, B Baffert

2. Zeewat (PA), F H Perez, J Hollendorfer

3. American Blend (KY), A T Gryder, C Gaines

4. Handsome Mike (KY), M Gutierrez, D F O'Neill

5. Majestic City (KY), E A Maldonado, R W Ellis

6. Batti Man (ARG), B Blanc, D L Hendricks

7. Fury Kapcori (KY), R Bejarano, J Hollendorfer

All assigned 119 pounds.