Itsinthepost to Begin 2018 Campaign in San Gabriel

Mapping out a season of racing isn't so easy for Red Baron's Barn's Itsinthepost.

Twelve-furlong graded stakes on the grass aren't exactly in abundance in Southern California for the 6-year-old American Post (GB) gelding, who won a trio of long-distance turf races in 2017, so trainer Jeff Mullins will take a race-by-race approach to his 2018 campaign, which will start Jan. 6 in the $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita Park.

"He had a pretty steady campaign all year (in 2017), so we gave him some time," Mullins said of Itsinthepost, who won the San Luis Rey (G2T), Dixiana Elkhorn (G2T), and John Henry Turf Championship (G2T) last year. "Now we'll give him a race and see how he runs. I think a mile and an eighth is a little too short for him, but he's doing so good right now, we'll give him a start here and see (how) the rest of the year shapes up."

BALAN: Itsinthepost Finds Just Enough to Win John Henry Turf

Three other multiple graded winners will also line up for the San Gabriel—Flamboyant, Isotherm, and Free Rose.

Abbondanza Racing and Nathan McCauley's Free Rose, who won the La Jolla Handicap (G3T) and Del Mar Derby (G2T) at Del Mar in 2016, only raced once in 2017 before a bout of colic and the ensuing surgery knocked him out for the rest of the year. That lone start was a fourth-place run in the Shoemaker Mile (G1T) June 3, when the son of Munnings  finished two lengths behind winner Bal a Bali .

LEWYN: Free Rose Holds Tough for Del Mar Derby Win

"He was ready to run at Del Mar and then he colicked on a really hot day at Santa Anita," said trainer Richard Baltas. "He had surgery and then 90 more days (off). ... His last two works have been good, and he's never been really good (training on the main track), because he's better on the grass. He might still need a race, but we're glad to have him back and racing."

The other graded winner in the field is last-out Berkeley Handicap (G3) winner Editore, but Holly and David Wilson's Top of the Game also provides some intrigue moving to grass.

The Desert Party  gelding, who won the Comma to the Top Stakes at Santa Anita in October, was likely going to be the second choice behind heavily favored Collected in the Dec. 26 San Antonio Stakes (G2), but was scratched and will now switch surfaces for trainer Vladimir Cerin. Cerin declined to disclose the reason for the scratch, but said even if Top of the Game doesn't take to the grass, he'll still aim for the Feb. 3 San Pasqual Stakes (G2) back on the Santa Anita dirt.

BALAN: Top of the Game Takes Comma to the Top Stakes

Since moving into Cerin's care during the summer of 2016, Top of the Game has raced twice on the turf, both at the optional-claiming allowance level. His best finish was third.

"We hit a little mishap before the last race and we couldn't run, so (a week and a half) later, he's ready to go," Cerin said. "He's only had three races on the grass, and there's no reason he shouldn't like it."