Kanthaka Dials Back for Lazaro Barrera
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Photo: Zoe Metz
Kanthaka
West Point Thoroughbreds' Kanthaka will drop in class and cut back to a distance he's proven at in the $100,000 Lazaro Barrera Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park May 12.
Both of the 3-year-old Jimmy Creed colt's wins have been at the Barrera's seven-furlong distance, including his breakthrough, 3 1/4-length score in the Feb. 10 San Vicente Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita.
BALAN: Kanthaka Charges Home to Take San Vicente
Then came some tries around two turns on the Triple Crown trail—a third in the San Felipe (G2) and a sixth in the Toyota Blue Grass (G2)—but a return to one turn and a hot pace in front of him could suit the late-running Jerry Hollendorfer trainee.
"He's won at that distance, so we thought he'd be competitive at that distance again," Hollendorfer said. "That's not saying his other races were bad races, because those were some pretty good horses."
Kanthaka won't be facing the likes of grade 1 winners Good Magic, Bolt d'Oro, or McKinzie like he has in his previous two starts, but he'll still take on a talented group of 3-year-olds, albeit without a graded win.
The main two threats appear to be from the barn of trainer Bob Baffert, who will send out Zulfikhar and McKale, who ran first and second, respectively, and a half-length apart in a 6 1/2-furlong optional-claiming allowance April 15.
Facing a talented Baffert-trained duo is not unfamiliar for Kanthaka, who won the San Vicente at odds of 11-1 and defeated highly regarded Baffert trainees Nero (second) and Ax Man (fourth) in the process.
"That's why when you train in California, if you can get them to win in (conditional allowances) and in stakes, they can be tough everywhere," Hollendorfer said. "We may not have a high number of horses, but the competition level is very high."
The field is completed by stakes winner Beautiful Shot, who last won the Oct. 15 Speakeasy at Santa Anita and finished third in the Bob Hope (G3) at Del Mar Nov. 11 before off-the-board finishes two Triple Crown preps in 2018; maiden winners Calexman and King Cause; and maiden Bocephus, who is winless in eight starts but has placed in three stakes at Turf Paradise.
Later on the card at Santa Anita, 3-year-old fillies will also go seven furlongs in the $75,000 Angels Flight Stakes.
The favorite figures to be multiple grade 1 winner Moonshine Memories, who is returning to racing off a six-month layoff. The Del Mar Debutante (G1) and Chandelier Stakes (G1) winner finished seventh in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) to end her 2-year-old season, then had her training delayed in March because of a slight fever.
Simon Callaghan said her main summer target will be the Test Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, a race the trainer won last year with American Gal.
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, May 12, 2018, Race 5Entries: Lazaro Barrera S. (G3)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Kanthaka (KY)
Flavien Prat
124
Jerry Hollendorfer
9/5
2
2Calexman (KY)
Alonso Quinonez
120
Vladimir Cerin
8/1
3
3McKale (MD)
Drayden Van Dyke
120
Bob Baffert
2/1
4
4Zulfikhar (KY)
Martin Garcia
120
Bob Baffert
5/2
5
5King Cause (KY)
Geovanni Franco
120
Doug F. O'Neill
20/1
6
6Bocephus (KY)
Stewart Elliott
120
Molly J. Pearson
30/1
7
7Beautiful Shot (FL)
Kent J. Desormeaux
122
J. Keith Desormeaux
6/1
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, May 12, 2018, Race 8Entries: Angels Flight S.
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Show It N Moe It (CA)
Rafael Bejarano
124
Gary Sherlock
6/1
2
2Moonshine Memories (KY)
Flavien Prat
124
Simon Callaghan
5/2
3
3First Dudette (FL)
Stewart Elliott
120
Brian J. Koriner
15/1
4
4Emboldened (KY)
Martin Garcia
120
Bob Baffert
8/1
5
5Surrender Now (KY)
Victor Espinoza
124
Peter Miller
15/1
6
6Uppercut (KY)
Mike E. Smith
120
Peter Eurton
7/2
7
7Highland Lass (KY)
Tyler Conner
120
John W. Sadler
12/1
8
8True Royalty (FL)
Drayden Van Dyke
120
John W. Sadler
8/1
9
9Thirteen Squared (KY)
Joseph Talamo
120
Bob Baffert
4/1
10
10Film Actress (KY)
Brayan Pena
124
Margie Cantrell
30/1