Horse racing notes: Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita draws talented field

LOS ALAMITOS LEADERS

(Final standings)

JOCKEYS / WINS

Abel Cedillo / 18

Kyle Frey / 10

Drayden Van Dyke / 8

Juan Hernandez / 7

Diego Herrera / 7

TRAINERS / WINS

Peter Miller / 7

Steven Miyadi / 6

Bob Baffert / 5

Three tied / 4

WEEKEND STAKES AT SANTA ANITA

Friday

• $300,000 Grade I American Pharoah Stakes, 2-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles

• $200,000 Grade II Chandelier Stakes, 2-year-old fillies, 1 1/16 miles

• $200,000 Grade II Eddie D. Stakes, 3-year-olds and up, 6 1/2 furlongs (downhill turf course)

• $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes, 2-year-olds, 5 furlongs (turf)

Saturday

• $300,000 Grade I Awesome Again Stakes, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/8 miles

• $300,000 Grade I Rodeo Drive Stakes, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/4 miles (turf)

• $200,000 Grade II Santa Anita Sprint Championship, 3-year-olds and up, 6 furlongs

• $200,000 Grade II City of Hope Mile, 3-year-olds and up, 1 mile (turf)

• $200,000 Grade II John Henry Turf Championship, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/4 miles (turf)

Sunday

• $200,000 Grade II Zenyatta Stakes, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/16 miles

• $100,000 Grade III Chillingworth Stakes, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, 6 1/2 furlongs

• $200,000 Zuma Beach Stakes, 2-year-olds, 1 mile (turf)

• $200,000 Surfer Girl Stakes, 2-year-old fillies, 1 mile (turf)

DOWN THE STRETCH

• The item of this opening play of racing astatine Santa Anita is the $300,000 Grade I Awesome Again Stakes, which drew a tract of eight. Medina Spirit is the 5-2 favourite connected Jon White’s greeting line, followed by Tripoli astatine 3-1 and Tizamagician and Express Train astatine 4-1. Medina Spirit won this year’s Kentucky Derby, which is inactive nether review, and Tripoli goes successful disconnected a triumph successful the $1 cardinal Grade I Pacific Classic astatine Del Mar connected Aug. 21. Idol, who won the Santa Anita Handicap this twelvemonth but has been disconnected since, is the 5th prime astatine 5-1.

• Knicks Go, the No. 1 equine successful the latest Breeders’ Cup Classic rankings, is the 2-5 morning-line favourite successful Saturday’s $400,000 Grade III Lukas Classic astatine Churchill Downs. The race, which drew a tract of six, is named for Hall of Fame trainer Wayne Lukas. “He’s a equine that puts a batch into his grooming and he’s done that starring into Saturday’s race,” trainer Brad Cox told Churchill Downs publicity. “He’s accomplished a batch this twelvemonth and we judge the Lukas Classic is simply a bully contention to vie successful anterior to the Breeders’ Cup.”

• The $500,000 Grade I Woodward Stakes, a large prep for the Breeders’ Cup Classic astatine Del Mar connected Nov. 6, drew a tract of six for Saturday’s contention astatine Belmont Park, including Maxfield, 4th successful this week’s Classic rankings. Maxfield is the 7-5 morning-line favorite, followed by Code of Honor (5-2) and Art Collector (3-1). The Woodward is scheduled to spell postward astatine 2:45 p.m.

— Art Wilson