The much-anticipated return of one-time Kentucky Derby future book favorite Omaha Beach (8/5) takes place Saturday in the $300,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship. Favoritism, however, lies just to his outside stall from which runaway Amsterdam (G2) winner Shancelot (4/5) breaks from post three in a six-horse field. The Sprint Title serves as the final home-track prep for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, to which the winner will receive an automatic berth.
Saturday’s strong card also features the $200,000 City of Hope Mile, the local prep for the Breeders’ Cup Mile, which has drawn a respectable field of 11. The $100,000 LA Woman Stakes is also on the bill, serving as a natural springboard to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. The 10-race card features alternating dirt and turf races, and has attracted 94 pre-scratch entries for an average field size of 9.4.
Field sizes in the turf races are a robust 14, 14, 7, 11 and 10. First post at Santa Anita is 12:30pm.
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