Race Previews 2023 Triple Bend Stakes Preview & FREE Picks | Spirit Of Makena Up Against 5 Tough Stakes Winners May 26, 2023 Spirit of Makena (Lindsay Affleck) Race Previews 2023 Triple Bend Stakes Preview & FREE Picks | Spirit Of Makena Up Against 5 Tough Stakes Winners May 26, 2023 By: Curtis "Magic" Kalleward twitteremail Share: share on facebook share on twitter share on linkedin email this article Dr. Miranda previews the 2023 Triple Bend Stakes (G2) from Santa Anita Park, then gives her top picks & long shots. After winning the San Carlos Stakes (G3) last time out in his debut at the stakes level, Spirit of Makena is up against 5 other tough stakes winners in a deep field that includes C Z Rocket and Forbidden Kingdom. Who comes out on top? Tell us YOUR thoughts in the Comments section! SMASH the *Thumbs Up* ~ HIT *Subscribe* ~ RING the *Notification* bell The press release: George Papaprodromou’s lightly-raced 5-year-old Spirit of Makena, a head shy of being unbeaten in four starts, heads a field of seven older horses going seven furlongs in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita. Santa Anita Full Card Plays Available Now There’s a reason we’re the #1 trusted source for premium racing picks & info. Find Out Why Unbeaten in two starts here this year, a six furlong allowance on Feb. 11 and most recently, the Grade III San Carlos Stakes at seven panels on March 11, Spirit of Makena, a full horse by Ghostzapper, will be ridden for the third consecutive time by Joe Bravo. Owned by his breeder, Bruce Chandler, Spirit of Makena is out of the Gilded Time mare Win for M’lou. Unraced at two and three, he was a first-out maiden winner going 6 ½ furlongs on Aug. 5 at Del Mar and was then second, beaten a head in a first condition allowance going one mile Sept. 11. Thus unbeaten sprinting, Spirit of Makena has banked $227,600. A troubled second to world class sprinter Dr. Schivel in a six furlong classified allowance here on May 13, Peter Miller’s 9-year-old gelding C Z Rocket returns on two weeks notice and with a star-studded resume that includes three graded stakes wins and earnings of $2,008,441, he has to be considered the class of the field. A Florida-bred by City Zip, C Z Rocket is owned by Altamira Racing Stable, Madaket Stables, LLC, Gary Barber and Tom Kagele. With five career stakes wins, his overall record stands at 38-12-8-5 and he’ll be ridden back by Ramon Vazquez. A colt who showed tremendous promise as a newly turned 3-year-old, bagging victories in Santa Anita’s Grade II San Vicente Stakes Jan. 29 and San Felipe Stakes on March 5, 2022, Richard Mandella’s Forbidden Kingdom has been winless in five subsequent starts, with his lone out this year coming in the Grade III San Carlos, a race in which he finished second by 1 ½ lengths to Spirit of Makena. With top jock Juan Hernandez again engaged, Forbidden Kingdom could be poised for a breakout performance. A 4-year-old colt by 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah out of the Five Star Day mare Just Louise, Forbidden Kingdom is owned by My Racehorse and Spendthrift Farm, LLC. With an overall mark of 10-3-3-2, he has earnings of $547,500. Belmont Full Card Plays Available Now There’s a reason we’re the #1 trusted source for premium racing picks & info. Find Out Why THE GRADE II TRIPLE BEND WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT Midnight Mammoth—Kyle Frey—120 Desmond Doss—Umberto Rispoli—120 Positivity—Tiago Pereira—120 Forbidden Kingdom—Juan Hernandez—120 Howbeit—Mike Smith—122 Spirit of Makena—Joe Bravo—122 C Z Rocket—Ramon Vazquez–120 First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. with admission gates opening at 11 a.m. Join the Inner Circle Sign up for exclusive 10% discount on orders, plus be the first to access our daily free and premium horse racing picks, articles, podcasts, and more! Sign Up
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