JOE HERNANDEZ STAKES IS SUPPOSED TO HIGHLIGHT MARCH 7 CARD

(Edited Santa Anita Park report)

ARCADIA, Calif. – As a contingency plan should weather on Saturday lead to a second cancellation of the $150,000 Sham Stakes at 1 1/8 miles, the Grade III event for 3-year-olds would become an additional race, the 10th, on Sunday’s Santa Anita program.

The nine-race card is due to be highlighted by its seventh race, the $55,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes at 6½ furlongs on turf. The Sham will be carded provisionally on Sunday and will only be run in the event of a possible rain out Saturday.  The Sham, originally scheduled for Feb. 27, is a major prep for the Grade I Santa Anita Derby on April 3.

The field of 10 Santa Anita Derby aspirants would remain the same as drawn for Saturday should stormy weather intervene. Rain is in the forecast for Saturday with a lesser chance expected on Sunday.

The third running of the Joe Hernandez attracted a contentious field of eight with five of the entrants owning victories over Santa Anita’s downhill turf course and another having scored in a stakes race at one mile on grass.

Mr Gruff, who will be ridden by Joel Rosario, has won 3 of 4 starts over the layout including last year’s Grade III San Simeon Stakes, his last start on April 18. Gary Broad’s lightly-raced 6-year-old Mr. Greeley gelding has been training forwardly for Ron Ellis in preparation for his return.

Stonerside took the 2008 San Simeon for trainer Julio Canani. Victor’s Cry is coming off a sharp victory in an allowance event down the hill for Eoin Harty. Get Funky has posted two victories over the course and ran second to 2009 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint champion California Flag in the last two runnings of Oak Tree’s Grade III Morvich Handicap. Dance With Gable has won both his starts down the hill including Oak Tree’s California Sky Stakes last October for Mike Machowsky. Gallant Son, conditioned by Frank Lucarelli, captured the Pasadena Stakes at one mile over the Santa Anita turf in March of last year.

One of two entrants trained by John Sadler along with Machismo, Keith Abrahams’ Get Funky is the most accomplished of the competitors. Bred by Larry Stewart in Florida, the 7-year-old son of Straight Man has earned $677,165 from a 7-4-2 record in 27 starts. Tyler Baze has the mount.

The legendary Joe Hernandez was the original “Voice of Santa Anita,” who called races from the track’s opening day on Christmas of 1934 until his death in 1972. It is expected that his son, Father Frank Hernandez, will attend. 

The complete field for the Joe Hernandez Stakes, with jockeys and weights in post position order: Victor’s Cry, Garrett Gomez, 118; Mr Gruff, Joel Rosario, 116; Machismo, Joe Talamo, 120; Gallant Son, Mike Smith 116; Get Funky, Tyler Baze, 116; Sangaree, Martin Garcia, 116; Dance With Gable, Rafael Bejarano, 120; and Stoneside, Martin Pedroza, 116.

First post time on Sunday is 12:30 p.m.