Avanzare Back on Grass for City of Hope Mile

The $200,000 City of Hope Mile (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita Park Oct. 4 has attracted a 12-horse grab-bag, and trainer Tom Proctor’s consistent Avanzare would appear to head the crowded field of turf runners.



Avanzare will shorten up off a front-running win in the Washington Park Handicap (gr. III) on Polytrack at Arlington International Race Course Aug. 30, and could likely be favored in his Southern California debut for owners Donato Lanni and John F. Youngblood.



The 4-year-old gelding by Grand Reward has only been worse than second once in nine starts, all but one of those races on turf. Avanzare was a close fourth two starts back in the Arlington Handicap (gr. IIIT) July 12 at 1 1/4 miles, the longest distance of his career.



With two wins and two seconds from four tries at a mile, Avanzare has overall earnings of $217,180. He will be handled Saturday by top apprentice Drayden Van Dyke, who rode him in the Arlington Handicap. They break from post 3 with 119 pounds.



The City of Hope is one of three graded stakes on the 10-race Santa Anita card. It follows the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (gr. I) as race 9 with a tentative starting time of 5 p.m. PDT.



With jockey Rafael Bejarano’s services in keen demand, Florida invader Grand Tito must also be respected. A close third in a minor turf stakes at Gulfstream Park going 1 1/16 miles Sept. 13, Grand Tito was a three-length winner of a one-mile classified allowance a race earlier. The 4-year-old Candy Ride   colt won the off-the-turf Miami Mile Handicap, (gr. IIIT) April 19 at Calder Casino & Raceourse, and has three wins and a second from seven turf mile starts for trainer Antonio Sano and Grupo 7C Racing Stable.



Trainer David Hofmans will be represented by Amerman Racing’s homebred Schoolofhardrocks, who finished fourth after employing front-running tactics in the 1 1/16 mile La Jolla Handicap (gr. IIIT) Aug. 9 over the Del Mar lawn. A close fourth as the 6-5 favorite in Arlington Park’s American Derby (gr. IIIT) July 12, the 3-year-old colt by Rock Hard Ten was on the Triple Crown trail earlier this year. He was switched to turf following disappointing runs in both the San Felipe Stakes (gr. II) and Santa Anita Derby (gr. I), and is the only sophomore in the City of Hope field.



Trainer Leonard Powell’s Soi Phet, claimed for $16,000 in May 2013, comes off the best race of his career, a 7 1/4-length score in the $200,000 Los Alamitos Mile Sept. 6. However, he’ll be without the services of recently injured Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux, who was a perfect 3-for-3 aboard the 6-year-old California-bred gelding. He will be ridden instead by the relatively unknown Olivier Doleuze.



Although beaten 12 1/2 lengths by Soi Phet in the Los Alamitos Mile, trainer Craig Dollase’s Rock Me Baby should appreciate a return to turf. He has three wins, three seconds and a third from nine starts on grass, but must overcome the outside post.



Highly regarded California-bred Big Bane Theory appears dangerous with a recent race under his belt. A close second in the Citation Handicap (gr. IIT) at Hollywood Park late last year, he comes off a second, beaten a head, in Del Mar’s Harry F. Brubaker Stakes going one mile on Polytrack Aug. 30.

Trained by Carla Gaines and owned by his breeders, Scott Gross and Mark Devereaux, all three of Big Bane Theory's wins have come on grass.



The race also marks the return of St. George Farm Racing's Mr. Commons to Santa Anita, where he won the 2012 Arcadia Stakes (gr. IIT) as well as the 2011 Sir  Beaufort Stakes (gr. IIT) in back-to-back style. The 6-year-old son of Artie Schiller   hasn't won since, however, and seeks to end a 12-race losing skid for trainer John Shirreffs. Mr. Commons is a lifetime earner of a field-best $883,844 with a 5-6-3 mark from 23 starts.