San Simeon J

AMERICAN GRADED STAKES

PREVIEWS

Saturday's $100,000 San Simeon H. (G3) attracted a field of 12 older horses

to go about 6 1/2 furlongs down the hillside turf course at Santa Anita, and

with no standout in the turf sprint ranks in Southern California over the

winter, we'll look beyond the potential favorites and hope CARRILERO (Arg)

(Royal Academy) will continue his forward progression, appreciating the return

to the turf following a pair of starts over Cushion Track.

A four-year-old with only six lifetime starts, Carrilero has already

demonstrated his ability over this course and distance and has displayed class

since his importation. A winner in his only start in Argentina, Carrilero made

his California debut last August at Del Mar where he faded to fifth after taking

a brief lead in the stretch going a mile. Shortened up to about 6 1/2 furlongs

on turf in his next start during the Oak Tree meet, Carrilero rallied from last

in a field of 11 to get his nose on the line in a first-level allowance. After a

fourth in the one-mile War Chant S. over the Hollywood turf, Carrilero made a

strong late rally to finish second at 42-1 in the seven-furlong Malibu S. (G1)

over Cushion Track.

Most recently a flat fourth in an allowance over Cushion Track, Carrilero

should revert to closing tactics in the San Simeon and easily has the most

upside of any horse in the field.

UNUSUAL SUSPECT (Unusual Heat), the 16-1 winner of the Hollywood Turf Express

H. (G3) last fall, has not started since a fifth-place effort in the Impressive

Luck H. on New Year's Eve. The three-time stakes winner is also a course and

distance specialist, but is unlikely to offer much value for a runner who may be in

need of a race.

EL MANUEL (Chi) (Hussonet) should be making his presence felt in the latter

stages of the San Simeon. The six-year-old was beaten less than a length in the

Hollywood Turf Express, and is a two-time winner down the hill at Santa Anita,

including his last start against third-level allowance company.

TENGA CAT (Storm Cat) presents a danger as one of the more likely

front runners, most recently holding second in the Joe Hernandez S. NIGHT

CHAPTER (GB) (Night Shift), third in the Hernandez, was a dual stakes winner

over the course and distance last year and must be considered in the exotics.

CHEROOT (Smokester) has become an all-or-nothing type of late, winning the

Daytona H. three back but finishing unplaced in two subsequent starts against

California-bred company.

STONESIDE (Ire) (Marchand de Sable) is a bit of an enigma. Three lengths

second in the Prix Jean Prat (Fr-G1) last summer, he has not reproduced his best

European form in four U.S. starts, most recently finishing 10th of 12 in the

Daytona. COUNCIL MEMBER (Seattle Slew), perhaps the last notable runner by his

late Triple Crown-winning sire, was twice Group 2-placed on turf in England as a

two-year-old, and was a good second to then stablemate Afrashad (Smoke Glacken) in

the James B. Moseley Sprint H. on dirt at Suffolk last fall.

SCAT THIEF (Cat Thief), SOUL CITY SLEW (Slew City Slew), DON'T YA LOVETT (NZ)

(Lord Ballina) and GIOVANNI (NZ) (Bertolini) all look suspect from a class

perspective.