BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Trainer Dan Blacker looks for Florida-bred El Potente to avenge his narrow third-place loss to winner King of Gosford (GB) and runner-up Detain (Ire) in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile last out when he takes on many of the same rivals Saturday in the Grade 2, $200,000 City of Hope Mile on the Santa Anita turf. The three Southern California-based turf milers, plus Del Mar Mile fourth-place finisher Cabo Spirit and two others, make up the six 3-year-olds and older who will again go a mile on the grass.
Going a mile on the turf at Santa Anita is key for El Potente, who has won four of six starts there at the distance including the last two runnings of the Grade 3 Thunder Road and two optional claiming races in 2024 and 2025. His only losses at a mile on the Santa Anita lawn came when second in the Grade 2 Frank Kilroe on March 7 and a third in the $92,000 Lure in October of 2024. Overall, he is six for 10 on the grass at Santa Anita.
The City of Hope Mile will also be his second start after a nearly six-month break between the Kilroe and the August 22 Del Mar Mile.
Owned by Mike Way’s My Way Racing of Salinas, California, El Potente raced a length-and-a-half off Cabo Spirit in the Del Mar Mile then was third, just a head and a neck off King of Gosford among the four runners in the photo finish.
El Potente has a career record of seven wins, three seconds and four thirds in 19 starts with earnings of $420,796—proving a good return on his $35,000 purchase price at the 2021 Ocala Breeders’ Sales June Sale. Bloodstock agents McMcMahon and Hill selected him out of the Nice and Easy Thoroughbreds consignment of Eddie Herrera based in Ocala, Florida.
El Potente is by Temple City out of the Silver Charm mare Charmsil and was bred in Florida by Charmsil LLC. Should El Potente take the Ack Ack, the breeders’ will earn a $5,000 Export Incentive paid by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association for the out-of-state graded stakes victory.
Blacker keeps regular rider Hector Berrios, who has ridden El Potente in 10 of his last 11 races going back to a first condition, $50,000 optional claiming victory at Santa Anita in June of 2024 going—you guessed it—a mile on the turf.
El Potente has post two and is the second choice on the morning line at 9-5.
King of Gosford is the 8-5 program favorite having won his last two including the $101,000 Wickerr going a mile on the grass at Del Mar on July 19.
Trained by Philip D’Amato for Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, Saul Gevertz, Michael Nentwig and Jeremy Peskoff, King of Gosford has won nine of 22 with three seconds and three thirds with earnings of $1,002,192.
Umberto Rispoli has the return riding assignment from post six.
Cabo Spirit, a 7-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile out of Fancy Day (Ire), by Shamardal, is the richest among the Ack Ack entrants with $1,448,856 from seven wins, six seconds, 10 thirds in 44 starts. However, he has not made the winner’s circle since taking the Grade 3 San Gabriel going nine furlongs on the grass at Santa Anita in December.
Trained by George Papaprodromou for Kretz Racing, Cabo Spirit will be ridden from post three by Mike Smith and they are 6-1 in the program.
Also entered is the John Sadler-trained Teao (Chi), who makes his first since arriving from his native Chile where he won six of his last nine including the Gran Premio Latinoamericano, a Grade 1 race in Chile going a mile-and-a-quarter on the grass.
Teao is owned by Don Alberto Stable, is 6-1 on the morning line, and will be ridden from post one by Paco Lopez.
Juan Hernandez will ride Detain from post four and Irish Aces will carry jockey Joel Rosario from post five.
Return to the September 23 issue of Wire to Wire
