Ashleyluvssugar Highlights Eddie Read Stakes

Ashleyluvssugar, the last-out winner of the grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes, is set as the highweight in a field of seven for Del Mar's July 22 Eddie Read Stakes (G2T). 

The 1 1/8-mile turf event for horses 3-years and older goes off four races ahead of the highly anticipated TVG San Diego Handicap (G2), in which Arrogate will make his first start since he won the Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1).

Owned by Sharon Alesia, Bran Jam Stable, and Ciaglia Racing, Ashleyluvssugar won his season debut by a half-length over grade 1 winner What a View in the California Cup Turf Classic Stakes presented by City National Bank Jan. 28. 

The Game Plan gelding then placed third in the San Luis Rey Stakes (G2T) before his May 28 Whittingham victory by a half-length over Frank Conversation. In that race, he also defeated fellow Eddie Read entrant Up With the Birds. All three races were on the Santa Anita Park turf.

Trained by Peter Eurton, the 6-year-old with a record of 10-3-4 from 22 starts and $1,289,004 in earnings will leave post 6 with Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens aboard.

Agave Racing Stable and Sam-Son Farm's Up With the Birds finished seventh in the 1 1/4-mile Whittingham and has not won a race since last year's Nijinsky Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine in July. That race was at the Eddie Read distance.

The 7-year-old son of Stormy Atlantic   showed class early in his career. He won six races at 2 and 3—including four stakes and the grade 1 Jamaica Handicap at Belmont Park. As a 4-year-old he shipped to Tokyo for the Japan Cup (G1), but finished 16th.

The rest of the group is made up of horses who have raced at this level previously but are still seeking a graded score.

Hunt and Kenjisstorm come into the Eddie Read off fifth- and sixth-place finishes, respectively, in the July 4 American Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita. The Irish-bred Hunt, D'Amato's other entry, finished fourth in the Nov. 26 Seabiscuit Handicap (G2T) at Del Mar in his previous start. 

Trainer Doug O'Neill has entered another Irish-bred in Abbey Vale, but the 7-year-old gelding has not managed to score above the optional-claiming allowance level since he came to the United States in 2014.

Mr. Roary, a 4-year-old son of Scat Daddy and the youngest of the bunch, comes into the race off a successful season debut for trainer George Papaprodromou in a June 16 optional-claiming allowance at 1 1/4 miles. Ontario-bred Wanstead Gardens finished third in his last two starts at the same optional-claiming allowance level—one in November and the other March 9.

Eddie Read S. (G2T)

Del Mar, Saturday, July 22, 2017, Race 4

• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $250,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 3:33 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Mr. Roary (KY)	Santiago Gonzalez	120	George Papaprodromou	10/1
2	2Hunt (IRE)	Flavien Prat	120	Philip D'Amato	3/1
3	3Kenjisstorm (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	120	Richard Baltas	5/2
4	4Wanstead Gardens (ON)	Tyler Baze	120	Neil French	8/1
5	5Up With the Birds (ON)	Jamie Theriot	120	Philip D'Amato	15/1
6	6Ashleyluvssugar (CA)	Gary L. Stevens	122	Peter Eurton	7/5
7	7Abbey Vale (IRE)	Kyle Frey	120	Doug F. O'Neill	12/1