ARCADIA, Calif. – A highly regarded comeback sprinter and a promising Midwest turf filly, both making their fourth start, aim for their first stakes victories in back-to-back graded races Saturday at Santa Anita.
Even though Dr. Venkman and Faith Understood are the least-experienced runners in the Grade 2 Triple Bend and Grade 3 Honeymoon, one could argue they are the most likely winners.
Dr. Venkman faces three rivals in the seven-furlong Triple Bend, race 6. It’s the smallest Triple Bend field since the $200,000 stakes moved from Hollywood Park to Santa Anita in 2014. Dr. Venkman’s rivals include stakes winner Big City Lights and high-figure entrant Happy Jack.
Faith Understood shipped from Kentucky to meet six modest locals in the Honeymoon, a 1 1/8-mile grass race for 3-year-old fillies. Her rivals in the $100,000 Honeymoon, race 7, include graded-placed Shiloh’s Mistress and Circle of Trust, and allowance winner Sea Dancer.
Mark Glatt trains Dr. Venkman, who began his career in auspicious manner last summer at Del Mar. Dr. Venkman, a Ghostzapper gelding named after the “Ghostbusters” movie character, won maiden and allowance sprints by more than five lengths and followed with a highly rated runner-up finish in the Perryville Stakes in October at Keeneland.
:: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports
“He came back from Keeneland and he was a little jammed up,” Glatt said. He considered Dr. Venkman for the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita, but passed. “I figured, let’s turn him out and let him get over a couple little hiccups, and have him ready for spring-summer.”
Dr. Venkman is ready Saturday, though Glatt acknowledged “seven furlongs is a tough race for any horse coming off a lengthy layoff.” But the trainer added Dr. Venkman “is kind of a natural, so I think I can get away with it. I don’t know how much fitter I could have him.”
In addition to a challenging comeback distance, Dr. Venkman drew the rail under jockey Antonio Fresu. But if he returns as good as he was when he left – his ascending Beyer Speed Figures topped at 97 – the obstacles are hardly insurmountable.
“We don’t know how good he is just yet,” Glatt said. “I think he’s a special horse, but we haven’t proven that he is.”
Pending the gelding’s performance Saturday, Glatt has two stakes options July 27 at Del Mar – the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles, and Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs.
Dr. Venkman’s main Triple Bend rival is Richard Mandella-trained Big City Lights, whose nine starts produced five wins (three stakes) and four runner-up finishes to The Chosen Vron. Big City Lights scratched last weekend from the $100,000 Thor’s Echo, a California-bred stakes won by The Chosen Vron. Big City Lights runs for double the purse in the Triple Bend.
:: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets.
From the outside post with a pace-pressing or pacesetting trip likely under Kyle Frey, Big City Lights should vie for favoritism. Happy Jack, trained by Doug O’Neill, enters with the field’s top figure. Happy Jack earned a 101 Beyer finishing second in his April 27 comeback in the Grade 3 Kona Gold Stakes won by The Chosen Vron. Tahoe Sunrise also entered the Triple Bend.
The race after the four-runner Triple Bend is the seven-runner Honeymoon for 3-year-old turf fillies. Faith Understood shipped Wednesday from Kentucky to try to give trainer Jonathan Thomas his second straight Honeymoon victory.
“We got lucky with that race last year with a filly with a similar trajectory,” Thomas said.
Selenaia won the Honeymoon in her fourth career start; Faith Understood will try to follow suit. Thomas said “the timing was good; she seems like a filly that has traveled well. We like the distance for her, a mile and one-eighth.”
Faith Understood will like the company. The locals are regular in ability, as is Faith Understood. But she is on her way up, with two solid efforts on turf – maiden win and stakes runner-up. She has raced at Turfway Park, Keeneland, and Aqueduct.
Thomas trained her Grade 1-winning sire, Catholic Boy, and notes similarities. Faith Understood “has a lot of his temperaments around the barn and on the track. She’s kind of a high-energy filly, but very intelligent. Just a real observant horse. Her dad was very similar in that vein.”
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.
Faith Understood figures for a pressing trip under Mike Smith. Their chief rivals are recent Grade 3 two-three finishers Shiloh’s Mistress and Circle of Trust. Sea Dancer, sibling to Grade 1 Shoemaker winner Johannes, also should be forwardly placed.
The field also includes turf-sprint stakes winner Visually and Arizona Oaks one-two finishers Sakura Blossom and Pink Whitney.