SANTA ANITA PICKS

ARCADIA, CA — Mucho Del Oro returns to defend his title in Saturday’s Grade III, $100,000 San Simeon Stakes for older horses sprinting about 6 ½ furlongs on Santa Anita’s hillside turf course. Joining him in a field of eight for trainer Doug O’Neill is stablemate Anarchist, who was second in the 2023 San Simeon.

Mucho Del Oro went gate-to-wire when winning last year’s San Simeon by a half-length under Juan Hernandez, who will again be aboard. Mucho Del Oro last year also won the GIII Daytona over the hillside course in May before being sidelined the remainder of the year.

After being off eight months, the 7-year-old gelding by Mucho Macho Man resurfaced Jan. 25 in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint in South Florida. In a field of 12 dashing five furlongs, Mucho Del Oro rallied to be sixth while beaten just 1 ¾ lengths. He is owned by Purple Rein Racing and has a record of 20: 10-2-0 with $422,600 in earnings.

Looming among Mucho Del Oro’s chief rivals are Sorrento Sky and Air Force Red, who will be wheeling back just one week after finishing last in this past Saturday’s GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile.

Sorrento Sky most recently won a classified allowance sprinting five furlongs over Santa Anita’s flat turf course on Feb. 16. Previously, he was second by a half-length in the Stormy Liberal Stakes, also five furlongs on turf at Santa Anita, in December.

Sorrento Sky is trained by Phil D’Amato and will be ridden by Antonio Fresu. Bred in Ireland, where he made his first two starts, Sorrento Sky is a 4-year-old colt by Prince of Lir. He is campaigned domestically by Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, McLean Racing Stables et. al. Sorrento Sky has a record of 10: 4-3-1 with $198,258 in earnings.

In the Kilroe Mile, Air Force Red pressed the pace in second before weakening in the stretch. He is a Grade II on the hillside turf course and is 9: 4-2-0 overall racing on Santa Anita’s unique layout.

A 7-year-old ridgling by Air Force Blue, Air Force Red is trained by Leonard Powell for owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Holly Golightly. He is 23: 6-3-2 with $651,074 in earnings. Armando Ayuso will ride Air Force Red.

Anarchist’s runner-up finish in last year’s San Simeon is his only time racing on turf. Most recently, the 6-year-old horse by Distorted Humor returned from a five-plus month layoff in the GIII Palos Verdes going six furlongs on dirt Feb. 15. He was never a factor that day and finished last in a five-horse field.

Anarchist is owned by Ilium Stables LLC and has a record of 16: 3-7-1 with $574,078 in earnings. He will have Ramon Vazquez in the irons.

__THE GIII SAN SIMEON WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER __

Race 9 of 11 – Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

1. Charge For Gold – Kyle Frey – 120
2. Gaslight Dancer – Edwin Maldonado – 120
3. Sorrento Sky – Antonio Fresu – 120
4. Air Force Red – Armando Ayuso – 124
5. St Anthony – Umberto Rispoli – 122
6. Anarchist – Ramon Vazquez – 124
7. Lovesick Blues – Geovanni Franco – 120
8. Mucho Del Oro – Juan Hernandez - 124

First post Saturday is 12 p.m. PT. Admission gates open at 10 a.m.