Michael House's Hunt (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), making his first start of the year, stormed to the lead in the dying strides to just nip favored Heart to Heart (English Channel) on the line in the GI Shoemaker Mile S. at Santa Anita Monday, earning an automatic berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile. A winner of four of 10 starts over the Santa Anita turf, but winless in four efforts at Monday's mile distance, Hunt was let go at 9-1. He settled in midpack as pacesetting Om (Munnings) opened a clear lead through a quarter in :23.22 and :46.66. Heart to Heart aggressively pulled his way to challenge the leader passing the three-eighths pole and appeared to have the measure of the pacesetter in upper stretch. But it was Hunt, tipped off the rail at the top of the lane, who was traveling best of all in the middle of the course and he outbattled a game Heart to Heart to win by a neck with Next Shares (Archarcharch) a late-closing neck back in third.
“This is great, it's what we're all in it for,” said House. “Flavien [Prat] was inside, saving ground in a good spot, and I was smiling.”
Prat added, “He has been training really well, pretty much like he was at Del Mar last summer right before he won two graded stakes. I was expecting a good race but you never really know off a layoff. He was fresh and he got the job done. I don't think it's a matter of distance at all with him. He won at six and a half, he's won at a mile and three-eighths so I think it's a matter of his mood and feeling the right way on race day.”
Julien Leparoux, aboard runner-up Heart to Heart, had no excuses for the beaten favorite. “We had a good trip,” Leparoux said. “I knew the one [Om] was going to go out real fast. I tried not to pay attention to him and to ride my race. When the winner came to us, my horse tried very hard. He fired…we can't complain.”
Hunt won back-to-back graded stakes over the Del Mar turf last term, winning the July 22 GII Eddie Read S. by one length over Ashleyluvssugar (Game Plan) and besting Saturday's GII Charles Whittingham S. winner Itsinthepost (Fr) (American Post {GB}) by 3/4 lengths in the Aug. 19 GII Del Mar H. After finishing 13th in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf, the gray gelding concluded 2017 with a narrow score in the Nov. 26 GII Seabiscuit H.
“The time off did this horse a world of good,” said winning trainer Phil D'Amato. “We really kind of geared his campaign to focus towards Del Mar where he won three graded stakes last year, so these races were kind of preps leading up to the Del Mar meet. We won the Eddie Read last year, so we'll try to defend our title. I think the spacing is really good, and from there, we'll see, but I've got a Win and You're In Mile berth and we'll definitely gear our campaign towards that.”
Pedigree Notes:
Mansiya produced a filly by Gutaifan (Ire) in 2017. The mare is a half-sister to stakes winner Abury (Ire) (Law Society), as well as to the dam of South African champion Bad Girl Runs (SAf) (Western Winter). In foal to Showcasing (GB), she sold for €7,000 at the 2014 Goffs February sale.
Monday, Santa Anita
SHOEMAKER MILE S.-GI, $401,035, Santa Anita, 5-28, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:34.07, fm.
1–HUNT (IRE), 123, g, 6, by Dark Angel (Ire)
1st Dam: Mansiya (GB), by Vettori (Ire)
2nd Dam: Bay Shade, by Sharpen Up (GB)
3rd Dam: Bay Street (GB), by Grundy (Ire)
1ST GRADE I WIN. (€24,000 RNA Wlg '12 GOFNOV;
€78,000 2yo '14 GBMBR). O-Michael House; B-Michael
O'Callaghan (IRE); T-Philip D'Amato; J-Flavien Prat. $240,000.
Lifetime Record: GISW, 27-9-5-3, $908,764. Werk Nick Rating:
A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”itm-g1″]2–Heart to Heart, 125, h, 7, English Channel–Ask the Question,
by Silver Deputy. (C$25,000 Ylg '12 CANSEP). O-Terry
Hamilton; B-Red Hawk Ranch (ON); T-Brian A. Lynch. $80,000.[bullet ad=”rodenalistair-boughtby”][bullet ad=”ontario-bred-sold”]3–Next Shares, 121, g, 5, Archarcharch–Two Dot Slew, by
Evansville Slew. ($87,000 Ylg '14 FTKOCT; $190,000 4yo '17
KEENOV). O-Michael & Jules Iavarone, Jerry McClanahan,
Christopher T. Dunn, William Marasa, Ritchie Robershaw &
Mark Taylor; B-Buck Pond Farm, Inc. (KY); T-Richard Baltas.
$48,000.[bullet ad=”meah-bloodstock-purchase”][bullet ad=”elite-sales-grad”]Margins: NK, NK, 1. Odds: 9.80, 1.50, 8.60.
Also Ran: Om, Bowies Hero, Colonist, Blackjackcat, Arms Runner. Scratched: Pavel.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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