Coming off a disappointing disqualification from victory in the Grade 3 Green Flash at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on Aug. 30, Alex and JoAnn Lieblong’s homebred Reef Runner returns to action with purpose Saturday in the $200,000 Eddie D Stakes (Grade 2) at Santa Anita. Eight 3-year-olds and older will sprint six-and-a-half furlongs on the downhill turf course in a significant preview of the $1 Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) to be run at Del Mar on Nov. 1.
Reef Runner crossed the finish a nose in front of Motorious (GB) in the $150,000 Green Flash but was placed second following a post-race review by the track stewards. According to footnotes in the Equibase race chart, Reef Runner was taken down for crossing over and forcing Florida-bred Queen Maxima into the path of Motorious early in the race.
After the original mishap, the Green Flash trip got no easier for Reef Runner. After racing mid-pack in the 12-horse field, Reef Runner found himself boxed in on the turn while trying to gain on rivals. Jockey Paco Lopez found room on the rail in the stretch for an eager Reef Runner while still three lengths behind leader Book Smart; then punched through to finish a nose in front of Motorious in second under the wire.
That was the first start on the West Coast for Reef Runner after trainer David Fawkes had trained him at his base in South Florida for 17 of his previous 18 starts. His last race at Gulfstream was a length victory in the $70,000 Warrior’s Pride overnight handicap going five furlongs on the turf on Aug. 3.
Although that was his first win since taking last year’s $95,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint going five furlongs on the synthetic course at Gulfstream, Reef Runner had two seconds and four thirds in seven races between, mostly in stakes at Gulfstream. He best efforts in that span included a nose loss to Eamonn in the $107,000 Silks Run (Listed) on March 8 and when third, less than a length behind winner Horsepower in the $70,000 Go Cats Go overnight handicap on April 5.
Reef Runner is a son of The Big Beast out of Paradise Bay, by Yes It’s True and has reliable lifetime record of five wins, five seconds and five thirds in 19 career starts with earnings of $382,405.
Fawkes will very likely be in search of a rider for Reef Runner after Lopez was suspended earlier this week. Lopez is currently hoping for a stay of the six-month suspension handed down by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, but the HISA board rejected his request on Thursday.
Reef Runner is the 3-1 morning line favorite and has drawn post one.
The Michael McCarthy-trained Yellow Card has started just twice this year, both against second level, $80,000 optional claimers going five furlongs on the turf at Del Mar. He was a half-length winner in his last race on Aug. 23 and second by a neck to Book Smart on July 25 in his first race in 11 months.
A son of Lost Treasure (Ire) out of the Pulpit mare Paris Girl, Yellow Card finished 2024 with a second to Howard Wolowitz in the six-and-a-half-furlong Aristocrat Franklin-Simpson (G1) run on the grass at Kentucky Downs in September of last year.
The 4-year-old colt has three wins, two seconds and a third in eight career starts with earnings of $569,245.
Yellow Card is the 7-2 second choice on the morning and will be ridden by Kazushi Kimura from post five.
Also slated for the Eddie D are Nesso’s Lastharrah with Hector Berrios taking the riding assignment, Mucho Del Oro with jockey Edwin Maldonado, Umberto Rispoli has the assignment on Sorrento Sky (Ire), Beyond Brilliant will have Ricardo Gonzalez up, Juan Hernandez has been named on Kale’s Angel and First Peace will be guided by Mike Smith.
Return to the September 25 issue of Wire to Wire
