By Bloodhorse.com
ARCADIA, Calif. (May 14, 2020) — A return to racing at Santa Anita Park on May 16 brings with it two stakes opportunities for California-breds in the $150,000 Echo Eddie Stakes and $150,000 Evening Jewel Stakes—both over six furlongs.
Kicking off the afternoon races in the Echo Eddie is a field of nine 3-year-olds—six colts, two geldings, and one filly. Making his 2020 debut from the far outside post is Phantom Boss. The son of Shackleford impressed early last year at 2, winning the Bashford Manor Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs at the Echo Eddie distance. The Jorge Periban trainee closed his freshman season with an off-the-board finish in the Aug. 30 I’m Smokin Stakes at Del Mar.
Owned by Tom Beckerle, Dena Bengson, Rick Bengson, Terry Lovinger, and Amanda Navarro, Phantom Boss most recently worked May 10 when he was clocked in 1:14 2/5 for six furlongs. Drayden Van Dyke will have the call.
The lone lady in the field is Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal’s Big Sweep, a daughter of Mr. Big who enters off a March 14 debut win. Trained by Mark Glatt, Big Sweep has not raced since Santa Anita Park was shuttered in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the interim, the filly trained steadily and posted five timed works on the Santa Anita dirt, her most recent a May 9 four-furlong move clocked in :50.
Big Sweep will break from post 8 under Flavien Prat.
Another stakes winner looking to add to his tally is Club Aspen, who has just missed out on the winner’s circle in two starts this year. Trained by Craig Anthony Lewis and owned by Lawrence Lewis, the son of Clubhouse Ride took third last out in the Feb. 28 Pasadena Stakes at Santa Anita. He finished fifth in his first effort of the year, the Jan. 18 California Cup Derby, also at Santa Anita.
Club Aspen’s lone stakes win came at 2 when he took the King Glorious Stakes over one mile at Los Alamitos Race Course. He will break from post 5 under Jorge Velez.
Rounding out the top competitors is Bettor Trip Nick, a gelded son of Boat Trip trained by William Delia. Owned in partnership by his trainer, Gary Oetman, and Ray Pagano, the bay has built a strong stakes record in his short career, earning wins in the Golden Nugget Stakes and Gold Rush Stakes at 2. He most recently finished third in the Jan. 18 California Cup Derby, his only start of 2020.
Bettor Trip Nick will leave from post 7 with Umberto Rispoli in the irons.
Evening Jewel Draws Strong Field of Fillies
The Evening Jewel Stakes has drawn a full field of 10 fillies headlined by Bulletproof One, who has won her past two starts in allowance company for trainer Peter Miller.
Owned by Gary Barber, Cecil Barber, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Wachtel Stable, the Idiot Proof filly won her first three starts last year, including the Everett Nevin and California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association stakes.
Bulletproof One hit the board in her sophomore debut in January, running second in the California Cup Oaks at Santa Anita. She finished fourth next out in the Baffle Stakes before pulling in back-to-back allowance optional claiming wins in March at Golden Gate Fields.
Abel Cedillo will have the call from post 5.
Another strong stakes performer in the field is KMN Racing homebred Been Studying Her, who has not raced since January. Trained by Art Sherman, the Fast Anna filly picked up two stakes wins last year in California, the Generous Portion Stakes at Del Mar and the Golden State Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Santa Anita. Between her frontrunning efforts, she finished fourth in the Chandelier Stakes (G1) behind multiple grade 1 winner Bast.
Been Studying Her finished off the board in her only start this season, the Jan. 18 California Cup Oaks at Santa Anita. She will break from post 3 under Flavien Prat.
One of the winningest runners in the field is Warren’s Showtime, who is 2-for-2 in stakes company this year. Owned by Benjamin Warren and trained by Craig Anthony Lewis, the Clubhouse Ride filly took the California Cup Oaks and added another victory in March in the China Doll Stakes.
Warren’s Showtime has hit the board in six of her seven starts and earned $301,251. Her first stakes win came in October at 2 when she won the Surfer Girl Stakes by three-quarters of a length.
Warren’s Showtime will leave from post 9 under Jorge Velez.