ARCADIA, Calif. – Plenty has changed in the seven months since the last starts by Sunset Glory and Circle of Trust. Friday at Santa Anita will determine if the stakes winners have changed as well.
Circle of Trust’s most recent start was Oct. 27 at Santa Anita, where, on the same day, a 2-year-old colt by Curlin had just finished third in his career debut. That colt, Journalism, has done fairly well since and is favored Saturday in the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga.
Sunset Glory’s most recent start was Nov. 2 at Del Mar in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. It was an ambitious spot for Sunset Glory, a listed stakes winner who finished next to last at 52-1 odds. She meets easier company Friday at Santa Anita.
Nine can start in the featured seventh race, a second-level allowance turf mile open to non-winners of $60,000 since Dec. 26. Twelve are entered, including three also-eligibles.
Circle of Trust has never faced older, but the 4-year-old is not overmatched Friday based on her form as a 3-year-old. Phil D’Amato trains Circle of Trust, who won the Grade 3 Honeymoon Stakes last June at Santa Anita, finished off the board in two subsequent starts, and disappeared.
Since she commenced a workout pattern late March at Los Alamitos, Circle of Trust has not missed a beat. Antonio Fresu rides Circle of Trust, a late runner who has won two races and $120,560 from nine starts.
Sunset Glory will make her comeback at a one-mile distance that is shorter than she prefers. Michael McCarthy trains Sunset Glory, winner of the CTT & TOC Stakes at a mile and three-eighths last summer at Del Mar. The filly subsequently finished fifth with a tough trip in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita, followed by her effort in the BC Filly and Mare Turf.
Notwithstanding layoff and distance, Sunset Glory is the choice. The last time she raced at a distance this short, she finished second in a maiden race in fall 2022. Kazushi Kimura rides Sunset Glory, who has won three races and $154,854 from seven starts. She is eligible for the Friday allowance because her summer stakes win was prior to the Dec. 26 cutoff.
Sun Of Hill is the second D’Amato trainee, and she’s likely to attract support based on her runner-up finish last out in the Grade 3 Royal Heroine. Sun Of Hill was a Group 1 winner in Chile. She is winless in six U.S. starts but finished in the money her last three. Tiago Pereira is her jockey.
Certitude has won three straight, including an entry-level allowance last out. After starting her career 0 for 9, Certitude’s last six starts have produced four wins and two seconds. Hector Berrios rides for trainer John Sadler, who entered Friday having won with seven of his last 14 starters.
The most probable winner Friday will appear one race after the feature, in race 8, where Wishful Winker is likely to make a shambles of the $8,000 maiden-claiming sprint for fillies and mares.
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