Air Force Red, Bay Storm Lead Santa Anita Turf Stakes

Air Force Red will try and become the first two-time stakes winner at the Santa Anita Park meet that began Dec. 26 when he takes on 11 rivals in a contentious edition of the $100,000 Thunder Road Stakes (G3T) going a mile on turf Feb. 4 at Santa Anita Park. Air Force Red is riding a two-race winning streak for trainer Leonard Powell following a front-running victory in the Joe Hernandez Stakes (G2T) on the downhill turf course Dec. 31. Prior to that, the 5-year-old ridgling by Air Force Blue won the restricted Lure Stakes going a mile at Santa Anita. Santa Anita's leading rider Juan Hernandez was aboard for both of Air Force Red's stakes wins and will again be in the irons on Saturday. Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Holly Golightly, Air Force Red has won half of his 10 starts and banked $354,140. Looking to get back on the beam on Saturday is grade I winner Hit the Road, who returned from an 11-month layoff and finished last in the Joe Hernandez. Trained by Dan Blacker, the 6-year-old More Than Ready horse won the 2021 Thunder Road and could move forward with recency and the stretch-out back to his preferred distance. In 14 starts, all six of Hit the Road's wins have been at a mile, which includes his biggest score in last year's Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1T). Hit the Road, owned by D K Racing, Radley Equine, Taste of Victory Stables, Rick Gold, Tony Maslowski, and Dave Odmark, will be ridden for the first time by Kazushi Kimura. There Goes Harvard, last year's Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes (G1) winner, will make his return to the races after a six-month layoff for trainer Michael McCarthy. Off since a ninth-place finish in the San Diego Handicap (G2) last July, There Goes Harvard is a two-time winner on turf but never at the stakes level. There Goes Harvard will be ridden for the first time by Hall of Famer John Velazquez for owner Cannon Thoroughbreds. Returning off an even longer layoff on Saturday is grade 2 turf winner Du Jour for trainer Bob Baffert. The 5-year-old gelding by Temple City has been off since a fifth-place finish in the Mathis Mile Stakes (G2T) in December 2021. Owned by Natalie J. Baffert and Debbie Lanni, Du Jour will have Umberto Rispoli aboard. Thomas Hopes to Take West Coast by 'Storm' Trainer Jonathan Thomas makes a rare foray to Santa Anita when he sends out Bay Storm from South Florida in search of a first graded stakes win in $100,000 Megahertz Stakes (G3T) going a mile on turf. Owned by Bridlewood Farm, Bay Storm won a black-type stakes sprinting on turf at Monmouth Park in August and has since gone on to hit the board in a pair of grade 3s. In the Ladies Sprint Stakes (G3T) at Kentucky Downs in September, Bay Storm was prominent throughout before getting nipped by a nose at 13-1. Then after a brief freshening, Bay Storm was stretched out to a mile for her return Dec. 31 in the Suwanee River Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park. The 5-year-old Kantharos mare set the pace into the stretch but yielded in the final furlong to finish third. Bay Storm will be ridden by John Velazquez in her Santa Anita debut. Among the local hopes Bay Storm will have to contend in an eight-horse field is a trio for trainer Phil D'Amato: School Dance, Hamwood Flier (IRE), and Oakhurst. School Dance made her first seven starts at Gulfstream Park for trainer Joe Orseno before being transferred to D'Amato last summer. She won her first two starts in Southern California, including an allowance at Del Mar last November, before stepping up to the American Oaks (G1T) Dec. 26 at Santa Anita. In the American Oaks going 1 1/4 miles, School Dance pressed the pace in second, seized a narrow lead at the eighth pole but was then run down by stablemate Rhea Moon (IRE) to lose by a head. A 4-year-old filly by Animal Kingdom, School Dance is owned by Agave Racing Stable and Rockin Robin Racing Stables. She will be ridden by Ramon Vazquez, who has been aboard for all three of her previous starts in California. Hamwood Flier won the restricted Swingtime Stakes at a mile at Santa Anita on Oct. 9. The 5-year-old Irish-bred returned in the Matriarch Stakes (G1T) going a mile at Del Mar Dec. 4. She set the pace in that effort and led into the mid-stretch but proved no match when champion Regal Glory uncorked a scintillating turn of foot to win going away. Hamwood Flier is owned by Rockingham Ranch and Talla Racing. In the Megahertz, she will be ridden for the first time by Hernandez. Little Red Feather Racing's Oakhurst is also exiting the American Oaks. In what was her first start for D'Amato, Oakhurst rallied to be fourth, beaten only a length. The 4-year-old Mr Speaker filly lures Flavien Prat to the saddle.