Isotherm Cuts Back in San Simeon Stakes

A grade 2 winner at a mile and a quarter, Matthew Schera's Isotherm will try something entirely different in the $100,000 San Simeon Stakes (G3T) April 29 at Santa Anita Park.

The 5-year-old son of Lonhro captured the top win of his career in the 2017 San Marcos Stakes (G2T) at ten furlongs for trainer George Weaver, but he hasn't had any success in four starts since. So current trainer Phil D'Amato, who took over for Isotherm's 2018 campaign, is now going to try a sprint down Santa Anita's hillside turf course.

"We're trying something different at (about) 6 1/2 (furlongs), and hopefully he'll make that big move and just keep going," D'Amato said of the dark bay, who last sprinted in August of 2015 when he made his debut (fourth place) on dirt at Saratoga Race Course.

Isotherm, who finished fourth in an optional-claiming allowance at a mile on the grass March 29, will have to take on several turf sprint specialists in the San Simeon, including a trio from the barn of trainer Peter Miller.

The headliner of that group is Gary Barber's Conquest Tsunami, the Feb. 24 Daytona Stakes (G3T) winner who set the pace and finished a game third last time out in the Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored By Azizi Developments (G1) March 31 at Meydan. Grade 3 winner and Miller stablemate Belvoir Bay also has multiple stakes wins down the hillside, and longshot Anatolian Heat won an optional-claiming allowance over the course last time out April 1.

CROSBY: Conquest Tsunami Leads Miller Sweep in Daytona

Coniah, one of three females in the field along with Belvoir Bay and multiple French stakes winner Miss Julia Star, earned her graded stripes down the hill in the Jan. 20 Las Cienegas Stakes (G3T) but finished fourth (albeit only three-quarters of a length behind the victorious Belvoir Bay) last time out in the March 25 Mizdirection Stakes.

BALAN: Coniah Breaks Through for Morey in Las Cienegas

Last-out optional-claiming allowance winner Double Touch and 2015 TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) winner Mongolian Saturday complete the field.

Mongolian Saturday has gone winless in 11 starts since taking the 2016 Woodford Stakes Presented by Keeneland Select (G3T). The 8-year-old Any Given Saturday gelding has shifted away from grass in his last two starts. He finished a non-threatening last of four in the Palos Verdes Stakes (G2) on dirt Feb. 3, then shipped to Golden Gate Fields to try synthetic in the Feb. 19 Lost in the Fog Stakes and came in last of eight. He has more than $1.2 million in earnings from 47 starts.

Entries: San Simeon S. (G3T)

Santa Anita Park, Sunday, April 29, 2018, Race 8

• Grade III
• About 6 1/2f
• Downhill turf
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 3:16 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Conquest Tsunami (ON)	Victor Espinoza	126	Peter Miller	8/5
2	2Miss Julia Star (FR)	Drayden Van Dyke	119	Neil D. Drysdale	15/1
3	3Coniah (CA)	Kent J. Desormeaux	121	William E. Morey	4/1
4	4Belvoir Bay (GB)	Tyler Baze	121	Peter Miller	4/1
5	5Isotherm (KY)	Geovanni Franco	122	Philip D'Amato	5/1
6	6Double Touch (GB)	Flavien Prat	122	Dan Blacker	12/1
7	7Mongolian Saturday (KY)	Stewart Elliott	122	Enebish Ganbat	6/1
8	8Anatolian Heat (CA)	Israel Ocampo	122	Peter Miller	12/1