San Onofre Heads Kona Gold

Santa Anita Park’s Kona Gold Stakes (gr. II) brings together the top lot of older sprinters in Southern California with an interesting Midwest addition of Subtle Indian. The $200,000 race at 6 1/2 furlongs goes as the ninth race on the card with a post of 4 p.m. PDT, or just after the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) from Pimlico Race Course.

The Kona Gold is named for trainer Bruce Headley’s Eclipse Award winning sprinter and has drawn a field of 10.

Leading the way figures to be San Onofre, who drew the outside 10 slot. The 6-year-old Surf Cat gelding finished second in the Kona Gold last year and won the April 16 Los Angeles Stakes (gr. III) at 5 1/2 furlongs from the outside post. Trained by Karen Headley, and bred by her father Bruce, and owned by the family’s Matson Racing, San Onofre stalked a fast pace and went on to an authoritative one length win under Edwin Maldonado last time.

With four wins and as many seconds from 11 starts at Santa Anita, San Onofre has six wins from 13 overall starts and earnings of $402,385.

Mercedes Stable’s Subtle Indian, a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding by Indian Charlie, comes off a huge gate-to-wire win in the six-furlong Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (gr. III) at Oaklawn Park in early April 10. Trained by Robertino Diodoro, Subtle Indian has rattled off four consecutive sprint wins at Oaklawn. With seven wins from nine overall starts, Subtle Indian has earned $500,300.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has three in the Kona Gold: two-time grade I winner Wild Dude, who is 4-2-4 from 13 Santa Anita starts and finished second in the Los Angeles; Dream Saturday, a 5-year-old making his first start since last August at Saratoga Race Course and third in last year’s Carter Handicap (gr. I); and Sahara Sky, winner of the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) in 2013 and the seven-furlong San Carlos Stakes (gr. II) in 2014. In his 2016 return, Sahara Sky was a gaining fifth in a six-furlong allowance at Golden Gate Fields.

Trainer Phil D’Amato has a pair in Coastline and Cherubim.

Coastline, by Speightstown  , comes off a second-place finish, beaten 1 1/4 lengths, by Kobe's Back here in the March 12 San Carlos. Cherubim, a 5-year-old Henny Hughes gelding, posted a nose victory in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance optonal claiming race April 22 at Los Alamitos Race Course. He had been idle since running second in the Pirate’s Bounty Stakes for state-breds at Del Mar last September.

Saturday is Preakness Day at Santa Anita. Admission gates will open early at 8 a.m.