Palos Verdes features short but stout field of five

What it lacks in quantity is made up for by quality. Sunday's Grade 2,

$200,00

Palos Verdes at Santa Anita drew only five runners, but it promises to be

exciting due to the presence of Sahara Sky, Secret Circle and Majestic Stride.

Sahara Sky, unraced since an outstanding victory in the Metropolitan H. in May, will make a title defense for Jerry Hollendorfer. A lightly-raced son of

Pleasant Tap, the six-year-old horse posted his first stakes win while making

his graded debut in the six-furlong Palos Verdes last year, scoring by a length over

eventual Grade 1 hero Private Zone. Corey Nakatani picks up the mount.

Secret Circle, an Eclipse finalist for champion sprinter last year along with

Sahara Sky, will make his first appearance since capturing the Breeders' Cup

Sprint as the favorite in early November. The five-year-old horse won both

starts last season for Bob Baffert and has never finished worse than second in

nine career outings, winning seven times. Martin Garcia retains the mount on the

son of Eddington.

Majestic Stride enters on the upswing for Jeff Bonde. A close fourth as a

30-1 outsider in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, the five-year-old exits a 2

1/4-length romp as the 3-5 choice in the Grade 3 Vernon O. Underwood. The Trippi

gelding has captured four of seven career attempts and will keep Edwin Maldonado

in the irons.

Hollendorfer is also responsible for Wild Dude, an improving four-year-old

who will make his stakes debut Sunday. The Wildcat Heir colt possesses a

two-race win streak, netting a 100 BRIS Speed rating for a comfortable allowance

score at Santa Anita on January 3. Rafael Bejarano has the assignment.

Moonshine Bay, a third entrant from the Hollendorfer stable, rounds out the

field. A close second in the Midnight Lute on January 4, the six-year-old

gelding will be ridden by Gary Stevens.

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