EDITED SANTA ANITA PRESS RELEASE
ARCADIA, CA (Feb. 2, 2026) — El Potente, which translates to “the powerful,” may live up to his moniker again with a repeat in the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes, a $100,000 test for 4-year-olds and older going a mile on the turf at Santa Anita Saturday.
Trained by Dan Blacker, El Potente finished fourth by three and three-quarters of a length behind winner Gas Me Up in the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez Stakes sprinting about six and a half furlongs on Santa Anita’s hillside turf course Dec. 29. The 7-year-old horse by Temple City is winless in two starts since his victory in last year’s Thunder Road.
Prior to the Joe Hernandez, El Potente was a narrowly-beaten third by a half-length in the Grade 2 Seabiscuit going a mile at Del Mar in November. Having never been off the board at the Thunder Road distance, El Potente has an overall record of 16 starts with six wins, two seconds and three thirds bankrolling $284,796 in earnings for owner Mike Way’s My Way Racing LLC, he will have regular rider Hector I. Berrios aboard.
El Potente is by Temple City out of the stakes-placed Florida-bred mare Charmsil, by legendary Florida-bred Silver Charm and was bred in Florida by Marilyn and Mike Bianco’s Charmsil LLC. El Potente was the last foal and first stakes-winner out of Charmsil, who has five winners from nine starters and 10 foals. Two full-siblings retired to be show horses with one competing in Ocala and the other in Lexington.
Mike Bianco noted that Charmsil’s foals were all by Temple City as they had lifetime rights to the stallion.
“The first few we bred did not run as well. Temple City’s tend to run better older. They mature at 4 or 5, so we decided not to run El Potente until later. I am always cheering for the horse obviously,” said Bianco.
Bianco noted the horses are a family affair. His son-in-law Boomer Rowles is a horse dentist in Ocala and his daughter Talia has a hobby farm. Both met at University of Florida as he completed an animal sciences degree and she obtained a master’s degree in animal physiology.
Bianco and his family may be cheering even more. If the Florida-bred wins, his breeders Charmsil LLC will receive a $5,000 FTBOA Export Incentive.
A true fan of the sport, Bianco loves the greats as he fell in love when Secretariat won at Belmont and later, he fell in love with Silver Charm. He loved the horse so much that when Silver Charm came to Old Friends in Lexington, he went and met Michael Blowen and they talked for hours.
“I love Silver Charm so that is why I bought Charmsil to begin with. She ran great on the track. I am happy she is retired out to pasture with another horse near my daughter’s farm in Citra,” he said.
El Potente is a graduate of the 2021 Ocala Breeders’ Sales June Sale where McMahon and Hill Bloodstock as agent purchased him for $35,000 out of the Nice and Easy Thoroughbreds consignment.
He faces a rematch against Gas Me Up who beat him in his last start. Gas Me Up rallied from last in a field of 10 to win the Joe Hernandez by one and a quarter-lengths for trainer Peter Eurton. The career-best performance earned a lofty 100 Beyer Speed Figure. The 6-year-old Hard Spun gelding when trained by Kevin Attard last year won the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes at a mile on turf at Woodbine and then was third the Grade Woodbine Mile.
Gas Me Up ended the 2025 campaign with a seventh-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar. Owned by Exline Boarder Racing, Michael Jawl, Aaron Kennedy and Tom Zwisler, Gas Me Up has five wins, a second and a third in 11 starts with $490,262 in earnings. He will have Mirco Demuro in the irons.
Tammy A Gantt contributed to this story.
Return to the February 4 issue of Wire to Wire
