(Edited Santa Anita Park report)

ARCADIA, Calif.  – When Bourbon Bay enters the gate in Saturday’s 59th running of the Grade II, $150,000 San Luis Rey Handicap, Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale’s 4-year-old gelding likely will be a solid favorite to complete a victorious double in Santa Anita’s twin mile-and-one-half turf marathons that began with a 4¼-length domination of the San Luis Obispo Handicap on Feb. 21.

If successful, David and Jill Heerensperger’s son of Sligo Bay would become the eighth marathoner in Santa Anita history to accomplish the back-to-back feat. He then would put himself in position to become the only stayer other than Astray in 1974 and turf champion Kotashaan in 1993 to add the track’s storied San Juan Capistrano Handicap at 1¾ miles on the meet’s closing day, April 18.

Saturday’s nine-race program, which gets underway at 12:30 p.m., includes the $100,000 Irish O’Brien Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares at 6½ furlongs on turf. Santa Anita also offers its popular $1 million St. Pat’s Pitch with selected fans attempting to emulate John Placzankis, the contestant who won the seven-figure prize two years ago by hitting a ringer in the horseshoe pitch competition. 

Bourbon Bay, who will be the high weight at 120 pounds among 10 entrants in the San Luis Rey, exhibited his quality in the Grade II San Luis Obispo when bursting away from his competition in midstretch under jockey Rafael Bejarano.

Until then, he had accomplished relatively little. But Bourbon Bay demonstrated his potential one race previous when victorious by 3½ lengths over allowance foes in his first start over 1 ½ miles on Jan. 6 at Santa Anita. It was his first win in eight races, but impressive enough to generate 7-2 odds in the San Luis Obispo.

Purchased privately as a 3-year-old after three unremarkable starts, Bourbon Bay took a while to find himself. “When we purchased this horse,” said Drysdale following the San Luis Obispo, “we purchased him with the idea that he’d be a mile-and-a-half horse. So he’s lived up to that. It looks like he’s improving. He had a lot of mucous and allergy problems as a 3-year-old, but he seems fine now.”

Bejarano will be back aboard on Saturday as Bourbon Bay attempts to go a perfect 3-for-3 at the distance that inspired his purchase. He comes into the San Luis Rey with earnings of $209,424 from an overall record of 3-2-2 in 11 career starts.

High Court Drama, a 5-year-old Irish-bred son of Theatrical, will be making his first start at the distance for trainer Doug O’Neill after running a strong second to Loup Breton in the Grade II San Marcos Handicap at 1¼ miles on turf on Jan. 24.

Owned by Chris McHale, High Court Drama has made three starts in the United States since being imported from Ireland where he raced primarily on Polytrack. He shows a win and a pair of seconds in his three races in this country. His overall record is 3-5-1 in 13 starts for earnings of $141,039. On turf, High Court Drama is 1-2-1 in six starts. Michael Baze, aboard in the San Marcos, has the mount.

Drysdale also will saddle the 7-year-old gelding Obrigado, who won the San Luis Obispo in 2007. Garrett Gomez, who was aboard that day, will be reunited with the Irish-bred who has won $705,604 from a 7-5-8 record in 36 career starts. Gary Seidler and Peter Vegso own Obrigado.

The complete field for the San Luis Rey Handicap, with jockeys and weights in post position order: Dynamic Range, David Flores, 119; High Court Drama, Michael Baze, 118; Bourbon Bay, Rafael Bejarano, 120; Obrigado, Garrett Gomez, 117; Sudden War, Alex Solis, 118; Lease of Life, Joel Rosario, 117; Unusual Suspect, Alonso Quinonez, 117; Romp, Chantal Sutherland, 115; Quasicobra, Joseph Talamo, 116; and Unusual Smoke, Martin Garcia, 117.

Gomez will be aboard Bootleg Annie, the probable favorite and 119-pound high weight among seven entrants in the downhill Irish O’Brien. Bootleg Annie, a 6-year-old daughter of Go for Gin, has proven exceptionally consistent throughout a circuitous career.

Her record of 15-5-6 in 33 races has produced earnings of $518,726, and, in two of the six races in which she missed “hitting the board,” Bootleg Annie finished fourth while within one length of the winner.

Owned by Al and Saundra Kirkwood for the past two years after being claimed for $50,000, she has been with trainer Kathy Walsh for the past year while winning 5 of 10 starts including the $100,000 California Cup Distaff Handicap last October, her only previous start over Santa Anita’s downhill turf course.

Walsh is the ninth trainer to condition Bootleg Annie, who broke her maiden by 9¼ lengths at Turf Paradise on Feb. 9, 2007. She was claimed out of that first winning race for $5,000.

Bootleg Annie will pose a class test for A Jealous Woman,  a 4-year-old filly who is riding a four-race winning streak for trainer Bill Spawr and Three Cent Stable after finishing second in her racing debut in July of last year.

Joe Talamo, who has been aboard for each of A Jealous Woman’s four victories, retains the mount as the daughter of Muqtarib tries stakes competition for the first time after earning $138,080.

The complete field for the Irish O’Brien Stakes, with jockeys and weights in post position order: Dotsy Jean, Rosario, 117; Unzip Me, Bejarano, 117; A Jealous Woman, Talamo, 117; Burna Dette, Victor Espinoza, 117; U R All That I Am, Garcia, 117; Lady Alex, Mike Smith, 117; and Bootleg Annie, Gomez, 119.

The San Luis Rey will be contested as the eight race with the Irish O’Brien going as the fourth.

First post time Saturday is 12:30 p.m.  One dollar beers and hot dogs will be offered throughout the afternoon.