Haras Don Alberto certainly went out on a limb by naming a homebred Midshipman son The Goat, assuming it was referencing the sport acronym for "greatest of all time." Talk about pressure.
The Goat is not the best horse produced by the farm but he is deservedly among the best, having won three consecutive group 1 races in Chile during the 2024-25 Southern Hemisphere season and eventually honored as the country's Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old male.
Having been shelved last year, The Goat is back to test his skills in North America. The 5-year-old horse makes his return in the May 31 Triple Bend Stakes (G3), a $100,000 7-furlong sprint on the dirt at Santa Anita Park. He has been working steadily since late February with trainer John Sadler and notched a couple of bullet works at 5 furlongs April 27 and 4 furlongs May 4.
The Goat, raced by Don Alberto Stable with Paola Stable, will be ridden in the Triple Bend by Emisael Jaramillo as the co-highweight carrying 126 pounds.
Stronghold, winner of the 2024 Santa Anita Derby (G1), looks to be The Goat's greatest competition in the Triple Bend. Eric and Sharon Waller's homebred son of Ghostzapper is making his second start off an eight-month layoff. He made his 2026 debut a winning won, albeit a dead heat in an allowance optional claiming race going 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn Park.
Prior to being given time off in August 2025, Stronghold ran a close second to Dr. Venkman in the Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2), also run at 7 furlongs. In 2024, he followed his Santa Anita Derby victory with runner-up efforts in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1), to Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Seize the Grey , and in the 7-furlong Malibu Stakes (G1) to Raging Torrent , who went on to win the 2025 Metropolitan Handicap (G1).
Stronghold has produced three near-bullet works since May 11 when he went 5 furlongs in :59 2/5 followed by a 6-furlong work May 18 in 1:11 4/5 and a 5-furlong work May 25 in :59 4/5. He is trained by Phil D'Amato and will be ridden by Antonio Fresu, who was the 5-year-old horse's regular rider through 2024-25.
The only other contender in the five-horse field with stakes credentials is Bartholdy, a 4-year-old gelded son of Mendelssohn, who ran a distant third in this year's San Pasqual Stakes (G2) and San Carlos Stakes (G3). He is co-owned by John Haagsma, Robert J. Vanderdussen, and trainer Steve Knapp.
Santa Anita Park, Sunday, May 31, 2026, Race 8Entries: Triple Bend S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 The Last Straw (KY) Mike E. Smith 122 Richard E. Mandella - 2 Bartholdy (KY) Tyler Baze 122 Steve R. Knapp - 3 The Goat (CHI) Emisael Jaramillo 126 John W. Sadler - 4 Simple Song (KY) Kazushi Kimura 122 Mark Glatt - 5 Stronghold (KY) Antonio Fresu 126 Philip D'Amato -
