The Mathis Mile Stakes (Grade II) at Santa Anita Park is set to take place on December 26, 2024. This prestigious race offers a purse of $200,000 and covers a distance of one mile on turf. It is open to three-year-olds and is a key race in Santa Anita’s Strub Series.
Race Details:
- Purse: $200,000
- Distance: One mile (Turf)
- Eligibility: Three-year-olds
- Weight: 124 lbs
- Entry Fee: $1,500 with an additional $1,500 to start
- Winners’ Share: $120,000
- Second Place: $40,000
- Third Place: $24,000
- Fourth Place: $12,000
- Fifth Place: $4,000
- Non-Winners of a Grade I or Grade II Stake at One Mile or Over since June 26, 2024: Allowed 2 lbs
- Non-Winners of a Sweepstakes at One Mile or Over since December 26, 2023: Allowed 4 lbs
- Trophy: Presented to the winning owner
Contenders:
- King of Gosford (GB) – Jockey: Flavien Prat, Trainer: Philip D’Amato, Odds: 6/5
- Atitlan (KY) – Jockey: Hector I. Berrios, Trainer: John A. Shirreffs, Odds: 8/1
- Curlin’s Kaos (CA) – Jockey: Armando Ayuso, Trainer: Antonio C. Garcia, Odds: 12/1
- Siennois (IRE) – Jockey: Antonio Fresu, Trainer: Philip D’Amato, Odds: 6/1
- Stay Hot (KY) – Jockey: Juan J. Hernandez, Trainer: Peter Eurton, Odds: 7/2
- Heart Headed (KY) – Jockey: Lanfranco Dettori, Trainer: George Papaprodromou, Odds: 12/1
- Call Sign Seven (KY) – Jockey: Kyle Frey, Trainer: Michael W. McCarthy, Odds: 20/1
- Cathal (IRE) – Jockey: Joel Rosario, Trainer: John W. Sadler, Odds: 12/1
- Lord Bullingdon (KY) – Jockey: Umberto Rispoli, Trainer: Michael W. McCarthy, Odds: 15/1
Analysis:
- King of Gosford: The morning-line favorite with odds of 6/5, King of Gosford is trained by Philip D’Amato and ridden by Flavien Prat. He has shown consistent form and is expected to be a strong contender.
- Atitlan: Trained by John A. Shirreffs and ridden by Hector I. Berrios, Atitlan has shown potential and could be a surprise contender with odds of 8/1.
- Curlin’s Kaos: With odds of 12/1, Curlin’s Kaos is trained by Antonio C. Garcia and ridden by Armando Ayuso. He has shown promise but needs to step up against this competitive field.
- Siennois: Another horse from Philip D’Amato’s barn, Siennois is ridden by Antonio Fresu and has odds of 6/1. He has shown consistent performances and is expected to be competitive.
- Stay Hot: Trained by Peter Eurton and ridden by Juan J. Hernandez, Stay Hot is a strong contender with odds of 7/2. He has won multiple stakes on turf and is expected to perform well.
- Heart Headed: With odds of 12/1, Heart Headed is trained by George Papaprodromou and ridden by Lanfranco Dettori. He has shown potential but needs to step up against this competitive field.
- Call Sign Seven: Trained by Michael W. McCarthy and ridden by Kyle Frey, Call Sign Seven has odds of 20/1. He is considered an underdog but could surprise with a strong performance.
- Cathal: With odds of 12/1, Cathal is trained by John W. Sadler and ridden by Joel Rosario. He has shown potential and could be a strong contender.
- Lord Bullingdon: Trained by Michael W. McCarthy and ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Lord Bullingdon has odds of 15/1. He has shown potential and could be a surprise contender.
The Mathis Mile Stakes promises to be an exciting race with a mix of top contenders and potential upsets. Will King of Gosford live up to expectations, or will another horse rise to the occasion?
