Gift Box (Twirling Candy) annexed last year's GII San Antonio S. first time for his then new connections, and will return from another lay-off while looking to defend his title Saturday at Santa Anita. The grey bested the formidable McKinzie (Street Sense) by a nose in this venue's 10-panel GI Santa Anita H. in April, and was a close second to eventual GI Breeders' Cup Classic hero Vino Rosso (Curlin) in the GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita May 27. Gift Box was fourth as the favorite in the GII Stephen Foster S. at Churchill June 15, and was freshened after that. He appears to have worked well for trainer John Sadler leading up to this return to the races, and most recently drilled five furlongs in 1:00.20 (3/38) over this strip Dec. 20 (XBTV Video).
Lightly raced 4-year-old Midcourt (Midnight Lute) is an intriguing runner both for this race and next year. He's won each of his last four starts, steadily climbing the class ladder. The John Shirreffs pupil took the one-mile Comma to the Top S. by a neck here Oct. 27, and crushed three rivals by 5 3/4 lengths in Del Mar's nine-furlong GIII Native Diver S. Nov. 23.
Northern California invader Mugaritz (Dialed In) also enters on a hot streak–he started a six-race win streak in a grassy Golden Gate starter allowance last New Year's Eve and hasn't tasted defeat since then. His five victories this term include a 6 1/2-length score in Fresno's Bull Dog H. on the dirt Oct. 13, Golden Gate's Joseph T. Grace S. on the lawn Nov. 2, and that venue's GIII Berkeley H. on the Tapeta Nov. 30.
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