Mi Hermano Ramon, who has developed into a leading turf stakes horse in California in recent starts, is likely to stay at Santa Anita this winter rather than be sent to Gulfstream Park for the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf on Jan. 25, trainer Mark Glatt said on Friday.
Glatt said the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita, a $300,000 turf race on March 1, has greater appeal because of the timing.
Mi Hermano Ramon, a 5-year-old gelding, won the first stakes of his career in his ninth start in the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar on Nov. 30, and was second by three-quarters of a length to division leader Johannes in the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.
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Mi Hermano Ramon led in the stretch of the San Gabriel, but could not hold off Johannes, a candidate for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf.
“He’s run two hard races a month apart,” Glatt said of Mi Hermano Ramon. “If he would come right back for the Pegasus against that quality of horses you’ll see back there, then that might be jamming in too much for a short period of time considering how he runs.
“A freshening into the Kilroe is definitely on our radar.”
The Kilroe and the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile, also a $300,000 race on turf on May 26, are the two richest turf races for males in California in the first half of the year.
The Pegasus World Cup Turf, run at 1 1/8 miles, is expected to draw the California-based stakes winners Balnikhov and Formidable Man.
Balnikhov, a winner of four stakes, was second by a half-length in the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup at 1 1/2 miles at Del Mar on Nov. 29. Formidable Man won his third consecutive stakes of 2024 in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at 1 1/8 miles at Del Mar on Nov. 30.
Balnikhov is winless in four starts since the Grade 3 Dinner Party Stakes at Pimlico in May. He was a stakes winner at Keeneland and Golden Gate Fields earlier in his career.
“He came out of his race in great shape,” trainer Phil D’Amato said of the Hollywood Turf Cup.
“We’ve got him set for the Pegasus Turf. He’s going to have to have his A-plus game ready to go.”
The D’Amato-trained Stronghold, winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby last April, has been invited to the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup, a $3 million race at 1 1/8 miles on dirt at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25, but is not a certain starter.
D’Amato said on Friday that Stronghold is also under consideration for the $20 million Saudi Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 22. Stronghold was second in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at seven furlongs at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.
“We’re going to keep our options open, possibly the Pegasus and/or the Saudi Cup,” D’Amato said.
“We’ll see how he trains. He could be a possible contender in the Pegasus if he trains well out of the race.”
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