Tuesday, April 21, 2015

LAST TYCOON STAKES


IN ADDITION TO ‘ABBEY’ TRAINER D’AMATO WILL ALSO BE REPRESENTED BY CLASSY COMEBACKER BIG JOHN B



ARCADIA, Calif. (April 19, 2015)–Although they will both be racing for the second time off lengthy layoffs, the similarities end there as up and coming Abbey Vale and classy Quick Casablanca figure prominently among a field of eight older horses set to go 1 ¼ miles on turf in Saturday’s Grade III, $100,000 Last Tycoon Stakes at Santa Anita.

Speedy Abbey Vale overcame an 11-month absence to win a second condition allowance here on March 27, as he pressed the pace and went on to an impressive one length win at 1 1/8 miles on turf. Trained by Phil D’Amato, the 5-year-old Irish-bred was originally conditioned by the late Mike Mitchell, who sent him out to a 1 ¼ length win in his U.S. debut going a flat mile on turf on March 8, 2014.

With two wins from three Southern California starts, Abbey Vale, who is owned by Ellis, R/M Racing and Sim, will try graded stakes competition for the first time and is 18-3-4-1 overall with earnings of $98,014.

D’Amato will also be represented by classy Big John B, who has been idle since running ninth, beaten 5 ¼ lengths in the Grade I, 1 ½ miles Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 1. A winner of the Grade II, 1 3/8 miles turf Del Mar Handicap three starts back on Aug. 23, the late running Big John B will again be handled by regular rider Mike Smith. Owned by Michael House, the 6-year-old gelding by Hard Spun is 30-11-5-4 overall with earnings of $482,805.

Chilean-bred Quick Casablanca, an imposing physical specimen who won last year’s Last Tycoon in his first start for Ron McAnally, came off a nine-month freshening to run a close eighth, beaten 5 ½ lengths, in the one mile turf Thunder Road Stakes on April 4. A Group I winner in Argentina in March, 2012, 7-year-old Quick Casablanca is 20-4-7-5, with earnings of $612,830.

Neil Drysdale’s Power Foot comes off a good third in the Grade II, 1 ½ miles turf San Luis Rey Stakes on March 21 and he’ll get the services for the first time of Rafael Bejarano.

The complete field for the Grade III Last Tycoon, to be run as the eighth race on a nine-race card Saturday, with jockeys and weights in post position order: Big John B, Mike Smith, 122; Power Foot, Rafael Bejarano, 120; Ganesh, Flavien Prat, 122; Joes Blazing Aaron, Tyler Baze, 120; Play Hard to Get, Kent Desormeaux, 120; Si Sage, Elvis Trujillo, 120; Quick Casablanca, Gary Stevens, 120, and Abbey Vale, Tiago Periera, 120



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