D’AMATO’S EASTER LOOMS STANDOUT IN TUESDAY’S GRADE II, $200,000 SAN GABRIEL STAKES AT 1 1/8 MILES ON TURF

RACE IS ONE OF SIX GRADED STAKES ON 11-RACE OPENING DAY CARD, 1ST POST TIME AT 11 A.M.

ARCADIA, CA (Dec. 22, 2023)—French-bred Easter, fresh off one of the most impressive turf performances of the year in Southern California, looms a standout versus five rivals at a mile and one eighth on turf in Tuesday’s Grade II, $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes, one of six graded events on an 11-race opening day card at Santa Anita.

Turning for home in the Grade II Seabiscuit Handicap at a mile and one sixteenth over the Del Mar turf Nov. 25, it appeared that D’Amato’s top turf runner Hong Kong Harry had the race in-hand, but his stablemate Easter pinned his ears under Antonio Fresu and powered to a half length victory while earning a lofty 99 Beyer Speed Figure.

With Fresu set to ride him back, Easter, a 5-year-old gelding who had won three of his nine stateside starts with Maryland-based Graham Motion prior to the Seabiscuit, will be seeking his third consecutive stakes victory on Tuesday.

Owned by Madaket Stables, LLC, Easter was a half length winner of the restricted Lure Stakes at one mile on turf two starts back here on Oct. 28. With two wins from eight starts in France at ages two and three, Easter is 18-6-3-3 overall with earnings of $447,910.

Racing on the lead, D’Amato’s Tio Magico went on to a gutty neck win in a second condition allowance going 1 1/8 miles on turf here Nov. 2 and could very well be a part of the exacta with Flavien Prat taking over from Fresu, who sticks with Easter.

Originally headquartered at Woodbine Racecourse in Toronto, Tio Magico, a 5-year-old Ontario, Canadian-bred gelding by Uncle Mo, will be making his tenth start for D’Amato on Tuesday and his first in a stakes since joining the stable in the summer of 2022.

Bred by Sam-Son Farm and owned by Sam-Son Farm and Agave Racing Stable, Tio Magico, who earned a career-high 94 Beyer in his most recent start, has won two of his last three starts and is 18-4-2-3 overall with earnings of $287,919.

THE GRADE II SAN GABRIEL WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 3 of 11 Approximate post time 12 p.m. PT

1. Eastern Ocean—Lanfranco Dettori—121
2. Easter—Antonio Fresu—125
3. War At Sea—Mike Smith—123
4. Missed the Cut—Irad Ortiz, Jr.—123
5. Tio Magico—Flavien Prat—121
6. Astronaut—Juan Hernandez—121

First post time for an 11-race card on Santa Anita’s Classic Meet opening day Tuesday is at 11 a.m. with admission gates opening at 9 a.m.