BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred El Potente, a multiple graded-stakes winner of six of 10 starts on the Santa Anita turf, takes his stellar record into the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on the Great Race Place grass course Monday. The 7-year-old horse trained by Dan Blacker is one of nine 3-year-olds and older who will vie for the winner’s share of the $300,000 in prize money.
El Potente, a homebred for My Way Racing, also runs for a $7,500 Export Incentive paid to the breeder by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association should he win.
The Shoemaker Mile is run at a key distance for El Potente, a two-time winner of the Grade 3 Thunder Road at a mile on the Santa Anita turf. He took the 2025 Thunder Road by three lengths for his first career stakes victory and defended his title with an improved three-and-three-quarters length score two starts back on February 7, both times with jockey Hector Berrios.
Berrios has ridden El Potente in eight of his last nine starts, winning five, and will team up with him again in the Shoemaker Mile.
This will be just the third start of the year for El Potente after finishing second to Final Boss in the Grade 2 Frank E. Kilroe Mile on the Santa Anita green on March 7.
El Potente had just two races between his Thunder Road victories. He was third when only a half-length off and conceding five pounds to winner Call Sign Seven in the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar in November, and a fourth in the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez going six-and-a-half furlongs on the downhill turf course at Santa Anita on December 29.
In 18 career starts, El Potente has won seven times, all while trained for Blacker since January of 2023, with three seconds and three thirds and earnings of $384,796.
El Potente has the inside post one.
Michael McCarthy saddles Formidable Man, who makes his first start since finishing second to Notable Speech (GB) in the Grade 1 FanDuel Breeders Cup Mile presented by PDJF at Del Mar on November 1.
Formidable Man won half of his six starts last year including the Kilroe Mile, and the Eddie Read (G2) in July and Del Mar Mile (G2) in August, both on the Del Mar grass.
Formidable Man is the richest among the Shoemaker rivals with $1,505,425 for owners Mr. and Mrs. W.K. Warren Jr., having won half of his 16 races lifetime with three seconds.
Flavien Prat will ride the son of City of Lights from post two.
The Shomaker Mile has a well-balanced field that includes Almendares (GB), winner of the Grade 3 American Stakes going a mile on the Santa Anita grass last out.
Almendares is trained by Philip D’Amato for CYBT McLean Racing Stables, Saul Gevertz, Michael Nentwig and Ray Pagano. He was third behind Final Boss and El Potente in the Kilroe Mile two starts back and in his only other start this year, was third in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) going nine furlongs at Gulfstream Park on January 24. In both losses this year, Almendares was less than two lengths behind the winner.
Almendares has won six with five seconds and five thirds in 23 career starts with earnings of $643,695. He is by Havana Grey (GB) and will be ridden from post five by Antonio Fresu.
Also set to line up for the Shoemaker Mile are King of Gosford (GB) with jockey Kazushi Kimura, Juan Hernandez has the call on Genius Jimmy, Mi Hermano Ramon will have Emisael Jaramillo up, Seal Team will be guided by Joel Rosario, Mike Smith rides Call Me Cory and Twirling Point with Ricardo Gonzalez.
Return to the May 22 issue of Wire to Wire
