The seven-furlong $100,000 GIII Lazaro Barrera S. at Santa Anita Park Saturday marks the return of one-time Classic contender American Anthem (Bodemeister). The WinStar Farm, LLC, China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, LLC and SF Racing LLC colorbearer donned cap and gown sprinting at Del Mar Dec. 3 and was a game runner-up to Gormley (Malibu Moon) after making the early running in a sloppy rendition of the GIII Sham S. over this surface in his sophomore debut Jan. 7. Stamina limitations where exposed for the Bob Baffert trainee after unplaced runs in Oaklawn's 1 1/16-mile GII Rebel S. Mar. 18 and to the aforementioned Gormley in the GI Santa Anita Derby–Kimbear (Temple City) ran sixth–going nine panels Apr. 8. The $435,000 OBSMAR juvenile has been working well since his latest, drilling a five-panel bullet in :59 1/5 (1/11) over the Arcadia oval May 8.
Aristocratic (Malibu Moon) makes his first appearance for the new Simon Callaghan/Kaleem Shah axis in the Lazaro Barrera. The dark bay graduated locally in his third try Feb. 11, prior to a sixth-place run in the Gazebo S. at Oaklawn Park Mar. 4. He rebounded with a frontrunning tally over Rockingham Ranch's GI Los Alamitos Futurity S. fourth Bobby Abu Dhabi (Macho Uno) in the San Pedro S. here going six furlongs Apr. 16 in his final start for trainer Doug O'Neill.
Trainer Peter Miller's other Barrera entrant after Bobby Abu Dhabi, Sutton Impact (Tizway) hopes to build on a 5 1/2-length romp in a $75,000 maiden tagger going a furlong shorter Apr. 15. Carrying the colors of Ike and Dawn Thrash, the dark bay recorded a six-panel move in 1:12 3/5 (2/3) at San Luis Rey May 4.
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