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Slider Transitions To Turf And Heads Saturday’s $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes
10/4/2023
SLIDER TRANSITIONS TO TURF AND HEADS SATURDAY’S $100,000 SPEAKEASY STAKES AS 10 JUVENILES GO FIVE PANELS ON GRASS
ARCADIA, CA (Oct. 4, 2023)—A rousing maiden winner on dirt, John Sadler’s Kentucky-bred Slider hopes to be just as effective on turf as he heads a field of 10 juveniles in Saturday’s $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes, to be contested at five furlongs over the Santa Anita grass.
An impressive three-length maiden winner going 5 ½ furlongs in his second start on Sept. 9 at Del Mar, Slider, a colt by Jimmy Creed out of the Congrats mare Days Like This, was off at 3-5 in a field of 10 and registered a Speakeasy best last-out Beyer Speed Figure of 86.
Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Hall Racing, LLC and Pearl Racing, Slider will be ridden back by Hector Berrios.
One of two fillies in the lineup, Richard Mandella’s Mysticism comes off a solid first-out maiden win going five furlongs on turf Aug. 4 at Del Mar and appears to have ample upside. Off as the 2-1 favorite in a field of eight, Mysticism led gate to wire and won by 1 ¼ lengths under Ramon Vazquez, who rides her back on Saturday.
By War Front out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Candy Causeway, Mysticism was bred in Kentucky by Ramona Bass and Perry Bass who own her in partnership with Cheyenne Stables, LLC.
The lone California-bred in the lineup, trainer Jeff Bonde’s Lord Prancealot would appear to be the speed of the field and looms very dangerous with Kent Desormeaux riding back. A gate to wire Cal-bred maiden winner going five furlongs on dirt, Lord Prancelot came back as the 3-1 favorite in the statebred Graduation Stakes and set splits of 21.80 and 46 flat before prevailing by a head going 5 ½ furlongs on dirt in 1:04.40—thus earning a 71 Beyer Speed Figure.
A disappointing fifth as the 2-1 favorite in the Cal-bred I’m Smokin at six furlongs Sept. 8, Desormeaux figures to try and ration his considerable speed while trying turf for the first time in what will be his fourth start.
A colt by Sir Prancealot out of the Country Reel mare Disko Dasko, Lord Prancelot is owned by his breeder Jeff Ganje and Rusty Brown. Perhaps the biggest question mark in the race is the Luis Mendez-trained Tranche. Winless in two starts in Kentucky this spring, Tranche was a lights-out winner of his Southern California debut, the $100,000 Fasig Tipton Futurity here on June 17—winning gate to wire by 7 ¼ lengths while earning a lofty 83 Beyer Speed Figure at odds of 20-1.
Off at 12-1 in the Grade III Best Pal at Del Mar Aug. 13, this Kentucky-bred colt by Collected had the lead early but caved late to be beaten 24 lengths by eventual Grade I winner Prince of Monaco.
A $210,000 Keeneland September Yearling, Tranche, who will be making his fifth start, is owned by William Peeples and will be ridden for the fourth consecutive time by Edwin Maldonado.
THE $100,000 SPEAKEASY STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 4 of 10 Approximate post time 2:30 p.m. PT
- Dark Vintage—Juan Hernandez—122
- Slider—Hector Berrios—122
- Charge for Gold—Ricardo Gonzalez—122
- Tranche—Edwin Maldonado—124
- Des Doigts—Efrain Hernandez—120
- Mysticism—Ramon Vazquez—119
- Bear River—Abel Cedillo—118
- Always on Cay—Mike Smith—120
- Lord Prancealot—Kent Desormeaux—124
- April Vintage—Antonio Fresu—119
First post time for a 10-race card that includes three other stakes on Saturday is at 1 p.m. Admission gates open at 11 a.m.