By Brian DiDonato
California-based American Anthem (Bodemeister) ships into New York to take on a talented group in the GII Woody Stephens S. for sophomore sprinters. Beaten a head by GI Belmont S. competitor Gormley (Malibu Moon) in the one-mile GIII Sham S. at Santa Anita in January, the colt checked in a disappointing 10th in the GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Mar. 18, and 12th in the GI Santa Anita Derby Apr. 8 again behind Gormley. Shortened up to seven panels for the GIII Lazaro Barrera Memorial S. in Arcadia May 13, the $435,000 OBSMAR acquisition bested a solid field while earning a career- and field-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure.
“That was a huge effort last time coming off of those other races,” American Anthem's Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who won this race emphatically three years ago with Bayern (Offlee Wild), told the NYRA notes team. “If he can run that race back he's going to be very competitive. Eventually I want to stretch him out. I thought about the Easy Goer [S. earlier on the card] because of the mile and a sixteenth [distance], but the Woody Stephens is a big race, so we'll take a shot there.”
Another coming off a bounce-back graded win is Calumet homebred Wild Shot (Trappe Shot). The Rusty Arnold trainee hit the board in several two-turn events late last year and on the Triple Crown trail, but was last of seven after controlling the pace in the GII Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Apr. 8. The bay was very impressive pressing and drawing off to a four-length score in the one-turn GIII Pat Day Mile on GI Kenucky Derby day May 6.
Alpha Delta Stables homebred Long Haul Bay (Quality Road) got up by a nose to graduate over a pair of next-out winners in New York-bred company at Aqueduct Feb. 18, and was pounded late in the wagering before uncorking a wide rally en route to a comfortable tally in the GIII Bay Shore S. at this distance Apr. 8.
'TDN Rising Star' Recruiting Ready (Algorithms) has been just about unstoppable since his connections committed to keeping him sprinting. He returned to winning ways in a Laurel allowance Mar. 10, and crushed his competition in Oaklawn's Bachelor S. Apr. 13. The bay ran away with Pimlico's Chick Lang S. on GI Preakness S. day three weeks ago.
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