Sharp Samurai Powers Through to Win City of Hope
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Sharp Samurai wins the City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita Park
Sharp Samurai kept the momentum going to the wire to score his first graded victory of the year in the $200,000 City of Hope Mile Stakes (G2T) Oct. 6 at Santa Anita Park.
Breaking mid-pack under Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, Sharp Samurai settled in fourth for a stalking trip behind early pacesetter Psycho Sister who led the field through the first half-mile in :46.26. Rounding the second turn, Fly to Mars passed the tiring leader to take command by a half-length with a quarter-mile to run.
Urging Sharp Samurai ahead under a strong left hand ride, Stevens attempted to close the short, head margin between Sharp Samurai and Fly to Mars but dropped his whip as the dueling pair reached the eighth pole. In a last minute attempt to challenge, Ohio cut between the leaders in the final strides but Sharp Samurai held on gamely to turn back the late challenge and edge Fly to Mars by a nose at the wire in a final time of 1:32.47.
"In the stretch, I pulled my stick through with my left hand, used it once, he responded and we were head and head with Flavien and Fly to Mars," Steven said. "I went up to use it again, and Flavien was coming down with his at the same time, hit my hand, and I lost it way outside of the sixteenth pole."
Owned in partnership by Red Baron's Barn, Rancho Temescal, and trainer Mark Glatt, the multiple graded stakes winner entered Saturday's test off a pair of second-place finishes in the July 22 Eddie Read Stakes (G2T) and Aug. 18 Del Mar Mile Handicap (G2T).
"I didn't think he won," Glatt said of his charge. "I honestly thought the other horse got the bob. I didn't see Gary lose his stick watching it live, but when they showed the replay I saw it. We certainly had to have a good run today and we did. We'll hope to be able to get in (the grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Mile), he deserves it."
The City of Hope marked the third grade 2 score for the 4-year-old son of First Samurai , who took the Del Mar Derby and Twilight Derby during his sophomore campaign.
"What an honest horse and Mark has done such a great job managing him," Tim Cohen of Red Baron's Barn said. "We gave him some time and wanted to get him ready for his 4-year-old year. We've had some tough races and some tough losses and this could have been one those as well but it turned out well."
Bred in Kentucky by Cudney stables, Sharp Samurai is the only foal to race from his dam, the Street Cry mare Secret Wish. He was an $85,000 purchase by Glatt from the John and Tanya Gunther's Glennwood Farm consignment to the 2015 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Sharp Samurai improved his record to 8-2-0 from 14 starts with $735,720 in earnings.