SAN ANTONIO STAKES

With a couple stakes wins under his belt and some of that old grade 1-winning pep back in his step, Battle of Midway will try to keep his momentum going in the $300,000 San Antonio Stakes (G2) Dec. 26 at Santa Anita Park.

Six months since Battle of Midway returned to training, after he was pronounced subfertile following his first year at stud, the 4-year-old son of Smart Strike has notched back-to-back stakes wins and is on track for a third should all go according to plan. 


After runs in the Aug. 25 Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) and Sept. 22 Kelso Handicap (G2), where he finished second and fifth, respectively, Battle of Midway recaptured his winning rhythm in the Oct. 28 Comma to the Top Stakes at Santa Anita, where he pulled away to win by 4 1/2 lengths. 



Back in graded company in the Nov. 25 Native Diver Stakes (G3) at Del Mar, the Jerry Hollendorfer trainee battled with Dabster in the stretch and prevailed by a neck to secure his first graded victory since he took the Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) in 2017. 



Owned in partnership by Don Alberto Stable and WinStar Farm, Battle of Midway is slated as the 9-5 morning-line favorite for the 1 1/16-mile San Antonio.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum's Dabster enters Wednesday's test off a brace of second-place finishes in the Nov. 2 Marathon Stakes Presented by TAA (G2) and Native Diver. Trained by Bob Baffert, victory in graded company has eluded the 4-year-old son of Curlin  in his 11-start career.

Trying his luck in stakes company for the first time since 2016, Hronis Racing's Gift Box will make his first start in almost eight months. Formerly trained by Chad Brown for W.S. Farish, the 5-year-old son of Twirling Candy  was privately purchased by Hronis and turned in a bullet work for new trainer John Sadler Dec. 19 at Santa Anita, where he clocked five furlongs in 1:00 flat, the fastest of 66 at the distance.

"The plan was obviously to have (Hronis-owned) Catalina Cruiser for those (handicap division) races this year, but it doesn't hurt to have two," Sadler said of Gift Box. "We were looking for depth. I think he fits in the division out here."

Another horse to watch is Levy Racing's Beach View, the only Maryland-bred in nine-horse field. Trained by Leonard Powell, the versatile son of the late Giant's Causeway enters off a third-place finish in the Nov. 23 Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes (G3T) at Del Mar. Prior to that effort, Beach View scored a 1 3/4-length win the July 25 Cougar II Handicap (G3) at Del Mar going 1 1/2 miles on the dirt.



ENTRIES: SAN ANTONIO S. (G2)

Santa Anita Park, Wednesday, December 26, 2018, Race 8

Grade II1 1/16mDirt $300,0003 yo's & up3:25 PM (local)


PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Pitino (MD)Keeneland Sales Graduate Edwin A. Maldonado 119 Doug F. O'Neill 30/1

2 2Battle of Midway (KY) Flavien Prat 124 Jerry Hollendorfer 9/5

3 3Dabster (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Joseph Talamo 122 Bob Baffert 5/2

4 4Sonneteer (KY) Kent J. Desormeaux 122 J. Keith Desormeaux 20/1

5 5Yulong Warrior (FL)Keeneland Sales Graduate Irad Ortiz, Jr. 119 Doug F. O'Neill 20/1
6 6Tatters to Riches (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Tyler Baze 119 Jeff Mullins 5/1

7 7Gift Box (KY) Joel Rosario 122 John W. Sadler 4/1

8 8Air Strike (KY) Florent Geroux 119 Philip D'Amato 12/1

9 9Beach View (MD)Keeneland Sales Graduate Rafael Bejarano 124 Leonard Powell 8/1