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Overflow field of 13 signed on for Saturday’s Grade III Daytona Stakes at about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita

6/8/2026

OVERFLOW FIELD OF 13 SIGNED ON FOR SATURDAY’S GRADE III DAYTONA STAKES AT ABOUT 6 ½ FURLONGS ON THE HILLSIDE TURF COURSE AT SANTA ANITA

ARCADIA, CA (June 8, 2026)—An overflow field of 13 that includes one also-eligible is entered in the Grade III, $100,000 Daytona Stakes at about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course Saturday at Santa Anita.

The deep lineup includes veteran Sumter, winner of the GIII San Simeon on the hillside turf course in March, Later Than Planned, who won the John Shear Stakes for 3-year-olds on the hillside turf course in April, and Freedom’s Not Free, a multiple stakes winner who returns from a 10-month layoff for trainer Mark Glatt.

Trained by Richard Mandella, Sumter won the San Simeon by a nose under Mike Smith after pressing the early pace on March 14. It was the fourth stakes win for the 7-year-old gelding by War Front, a homebred for Perry Bass III and Ramona Bass. Sumter was subsequently stretched out to a mile in the GIII American on April 18 and finished fifth after running up on heels in the stretch. Hall of Famer Smith will again ride Sumter.

Later Than Planned, trained by Phil D’Amato, will be facing older horses for the first time. An Irish-bred colt by Cotai Glory, Later Than Planned won the John Shear by a comfortable 1 ½ lengths. It was his second stakes win and upped his record to 8: 3-1-1 with $207,858 in earnings. Later Than Planned is owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables and Marsha Naify. Hector Berrios, who rode Later Than Planned for the first time in the John Shear, again has the call.

Freedom’s Not Free hasn’t started since August when finishing second in the GII Del Mar Derby at 1 1/8 miles after setting the pace. Trained by Mark Glatt, the 4-year-old colt by Omaha Beach last year won the Cinema Stakes and Pasadena Stakes, both going one mile on turf at Santa Anita. He is campaigned by an ownership group that includes Blinkers On Racing Stable, Jankois Racing and Valinor Racing Stable. Juan Hernandez will ride Freedom’s Not Free.

THE GRADE III DAYTONA WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 12 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

  1. Friendly Confines—Armando Ayuso—122
  2. Later Than Planned—Hector Berrios—118
  3. Nesso’s Lastharrah—Emisael Jaramillo—122
  4. First Peace—Kazushi Kimura—126
  5. Irish Royalty—Kyle Frey—122
  6. Modus Bestia—Armando Aguilar—122
  7. War At Sea—Ricky Gonzalez—126
  8. Anmer Hall—Antonio Fresu—122
  9. Incanto—Tiago Pereira—124
  10. Zio Jo—Joel Rosario—122
  11. Freedom’s Not Free—Juan Hernandez—124
  12. Sumter—Mike Smith—126 Also Eligible:
  13. The Old Nine—Edwin Maldonado—122

First post Saturday is 1 p.m. PT.