With runaway leading rider Flavien Prat engaged, Neptune's Storm, idle since Sept. 7, returns to action against five rivals in the $100,000 American Stakes (G3T) at one mile on turf June 20 at Santa Anita Park. The race is among four stakes on the track's closing-day program of its winter/spring meet, another of which, the $100,000 Wilshire Stakes (G3T), is also graded.
Neptune's Storm, owned by CYBT, Saul Gevertz, Lynn Gitomer, Mike Goetz, Michael Nentwig, and Daniel Weiner, has joined the barn of trainer Peter Miller after racing in 2019-20 for trainer Richard Baltas. Winner of the Hill Prince Stakes (G2T) at Belmont Park 12 starts ago in October 2019, Neptune's Storm earned a second graded stakes victory by taking the San Francisco Mile (G3T) at Golden Gate Fields last June.
Subsequently third, beaten one length by United in the Eddie Read Stakes (G2T) July 26, Neptune's Storm went to the sidelines following a fourth-place finish in the Tourist Mile Stakes Sept. 7 at Kentucky Downs.
A 5-year-old gelding by Stormy Atlantic, Neptune's Storm has a pressing style that has enabled him to avoid trouble and has resulted in a total of 14 top-three finishes from his last 16 starts. He is 6-3-6 from 19 starts overall with earnings of $848,085.
Hall of Fame conditioner Neil Drysdale, winless from 36 starters at the Santa Anita meet through Thursday, looks to rebound with Majestic Eagle, the 2019 American winner.
Mario Gutierrez, who rode the Medaglia d'Oro gelding to a runner-up finish in the 6 1/2-furlong Daytona Stakes (G3T) May 29, returns in the irons aboard the Rave Green Racing-owned 6-year-old.
Tiz Plus, Restrainedvengence, Border Town, and Sash round out the field.
Of these, Restrainedvengence (Hold Me Back) appears the most formidable, having been third in the May 31 Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1T) at Santa Anita in his last start. The Val Brinkerhoff trainee races for owners Kelly Brinkerhoff and Bob Grayson Jr.
The Wilshire, also at a mile on turf but for older fillies and mares, features a rematch between William Sims' Leggs Galore and Benjamin and Sally Warren's Warren's Showtime. The duo finished 1-2 in the Fran's Valentine Stakes May 9 for trainers Phil D'Amato and Craig Lewis, respectively.
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A threat to that pair is comebacking Stela Star, who ran second to Warren's Showtime in her U.S. debut in the 2020 China Doll Stakes and later was again the runner-up in the Honeymoon Stakes (G3T) a couple of months later in May of last year. She has not raced since.
Owned by Hronis Racing, Stela Star was previously a group 3 winner in Ireland. She fired a bullet breeze on the Santa Anita training track June 11 toward her return for trainer John Sadler.
Santa Anita Park, Sunday, June 20, 2021, Race 7Entries: American S. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Tiz Plus (KY) Trevor McCarthy 122 Mike Puype 15/1 2 2Restrainedvengence (KY) Tyler Baze 124 Val Brinkerhoff 5/2 3 3Neptune's Storm (KY) Flavien Prat 122 Peter Miller 4/5 4 4Border Town (KY) Mike E. Smith 122 Richard E. Mandella 5/1 5 5Majestic Eagle (KY) Mario Gutierrez 122 Neil D. Drysdale 5/1 6 6Sash (GB) Juan J. Hernandez 122 Mark Glatt 12/1
Santa Anita Park, Sunday, June 20, 2021, Race 9Entries: Wilshire S. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Quiet Secretary (KY) Jessica Pyfer 122 Ian Kruljac 8/1 2 2Brooke (CHI) Umberto Rispoli 122 Michael W. McCarthy 5/1 3 3Gidgetta (KY) Mario Gutierrez 122 Richard Baltas 6/1 4 4Querelle (KY) Trevor McCarthy 122 Peter Miller 12/1 5 5Warren's Showtime (CA) Juan J. Hernandez 124 Craig Anthony Lewis 5/2 6 6Leggs Galore (CA) Ricardo Gonzalez 124 Philip D'Amato 3/1 7 7Stela Star (IRE) Flavien Prat 122 John W. Sadler 4/1 8 8Ippodamia's Girl (KY) Joe Bravo 122 Richard Baltas 12/1
