Air Strike Upsets Triple Bend Stakes

Persistence paid off for Air Strike in the $201,053 Triple Bend Stakes (G2) May 25 at Santa Anita Park.

Closing from the back of the field in the seven-furlong Triple Bend with fleet-footed pacesetter Cistron to catch, the 4-year-old son of Street Sense  just kept grinding, cutting into his target's lead with every stride.

At the top of the lane, that advantage appeared insurmountable as Cistron opened up a three-length lead. Inside the final sixteenth, however, Air Strike was gaining ground under strong left-handed urging from Norberto Arroyo Jr.

The race came down to the final stride.

"This horse ran great," Arroyo said after Air Strike eked out the victory by a head. "It was a basic, easy ride from coming off the pace. … I just took him out. He did it all himself."

Cistron bobbled a bit at the start under Victor Espinoza but recovered well and went straight to the lead to set swift fractions of :22.10 and :44.53. He appeared to have the win sewn up when he turned for home through three-quarters in 1:09.61 but got caught in the shadow of the line.

"That was a tough one," Espinoza said. "I knew the fractions were fast, but he was in charge. I knew that other horse was coming, and my horse tried really hard. It's a tough loss. We just couldn't hold him off."  

Trained by Phil D'Amato, Air Strike finished the seven furlongs in 1:23.12 on a fast track. Nero was 1 1/2 lengths back to complete the trifecta. American Anthem, favored at 9-5, never was a factor and finished fourth.

"It looked like it was going to work out on paper," D'Amato said. "I told Norberto, 'Just let them set the table for you and just come with that big wide run and just keep on 'em.' He followed instructions to a T with a great ride and got the job done.

"We were going to use (Flavien) Prat, but he had the call on Kanthaka (who went in the grade 3 Daytona Stakes instead), and Joe (Talamo) had the call for Ron Ellis (on The Hardest Way, who finished last), so we were left looking for a jock. Norberto has been breezing a lot of horses for me, and I thought he was the kind of rider who could fit this horse. You have to stay on this horse the whole time. With a quarter of a mile to go, you have to ride him like you are riding a bicycle. Norberto never stopped. He kept making up ground, and we got up at the end."

Fourth last time out in the April 28 Steve Sexton Mile Stakes (G3) at Lone Star Park for Madaket Stables, Slam Dunk Racing, and Michael Nentwig, Air Strike was sent off at 12-1 in a field of eight 4-year-olds and up and paid $27.40, $10.40, and $4.60. He picked up his first stakes win and improved his earnings to $279,310 with a 3-2-1 record from 10 starts.

"He made a huge move that day at Lone Star," D'Amato said. "He just petered out that last eighth of a mile, so we were left scratching our heads. Is he a late-running sprinter? Is he a grass miler? And we answered that today."

Air Strike was bred in Kentucky by Gary and Mary West Stables out of the winning Tapit  mare Omnitap and was based in the Bluegrass for his first three starts with trainer Steve Asmussen before being sold privately. He has won three of his seven starts with D'Amato. His dam produced a Union Rags  filly in 2018 and was bred back to Street Sense for 2019. 

"He's got the pedigree, and he just looks like a great horse," D'Amato said. "He just has to put it all together, and Norberto brought him a long way today. Hopefully, we will keep going forward."

Video: Triple Bend S. (G2)