Champion Roy H to Make 2018 Debut in Palos Verdes

The $200,000 Palos Verdes Stakes (G2) will serve a few purposes for Rockingham Ranch and David Bernsen's Roy H Feb. 3 at Santa Anita Park.

Not only will the six-furlong dirt test get the ball rolling for the 6-year-old More Than Ready  gelding's defense of his Eclipse Award for champion male sprinter, but it will also serve as a prep for a start in the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) at Meydan March 31.

"We're going to try to win in Dubai," Rockingham's racing manager, Brian Trump, said of the TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) winner. "It's not that large of a field, so this will be a nice prep and he can get his legs stretched out. It's tough to lay out goals for this horse, specifically. You hope to repeat last year, but at the same time, you've done it.

"The Golden Shaheen would be something different, but it's one of the toughest races on the (Dubai World Cup card). The people I've talked to seem to think he's a good fit for the track, though."

CROSBY: Roy H Continues Big Day for Connections in Sprint

Rockingham could bring a contingent overseas, as X Y Jet is also probable for the Golden Shaheen and Richard's Boy is under consideration for the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint (G1).

"We're trying to make a trip out of it," said Trump, who traveled to Dubai with X Y Jet in 2016 (when he finished second in the Dubai Golden Shaheen) and with Richard's Boy in 2017 (when he finished fifth in the Al Quoz Sprint). "(Roy H and X Y Jet), with their running styles, complement each other nicely, so we don't have any problem running them both."

Roy H's competition this weekend, however, features another past Breeders' Cup winner in Mongolian Saturday. Although Mongolian Stable's 8-year-old Any Given Saturday gelding has ample form on dirt from the past, he has been a turf sprinting specialist for quite some time. The 2015 TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) winner has only won once since that breakthrough score, though, and that has inspired his connections to think about different options.

"For this horse, everything changes," said Santiago Aragon, trainer Enebish Ganbat's assistant. "At first he didn't like the turf, and then he loved the turf. He liked the dirt, then didn't like it, now likes it again.

"This race came up short, so why not try?"

Mongolian Saturday's last start on dirt came in his race right before the 2015 Breeders' Cup, when he finished second in an off-the-turf edition of the Woodford Stakes (G3). His one win on dirt from 11 starts came way back in February of 2014, in an optional-claiming allowance at Calder Race Course, but he's also placed in five stakes on dirt, including the 2014 Mr. Prospector (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

"He runs well on every surface and we thought about trying him (on dirt) last year, but we didn't have a chance, because he was pointing toward (the Turf Sprint)," Aragon said.

Aragon also said the Palos Verdes could serve as a prep for a start on synthetic at Golden Gate Fields, and that the bay gelding could be a work short for Saturday's race. He has two wins over synthetic surfaces in his career and both came at Arlington International Racecourse in 2013, when he was a 3-year-old.

"He might be short a work, but we expect him to run well," Aragon said. "We thought about running him down the (Santa Anita hillside turf course), but he really doesn't like the hill, so we might use this as a work and send him (to Golden Gate). We expect him to run second or third. That's our mindset."

Also in the field is Rockingham's stakes-placed Bobby Abu Dhabi, stakes winner Americanize, and last-out allowance winner Red Lightning.

Entries: Palos Verdes S. (G2)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, February 03, 2018, Race 3

• Grade II
• 6f
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 1:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Roy H (KY)	Kent J. Desormeaux	124	Peter Miller	3/5
2	2Bobby Abu Dhabi (KY)	Victor Espinoza	120	Peter Miller	6/1
3	3Americanize (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	120	Simon Callaghan	5/2
4	4Mongolian Saturday (KY)	Flavien Prat	120	Enebish Ganbat	8/1
5	5Red Lightning (FL)	Tyler Conner	120	William E. Morey	8/1