2023 Zuma Beach Stakes Preview | Now At Santa Anita Park, Endlessly Goes For 3rd Straight Win

                With solid credentials in hand, Amerman Racing’s homebred Endlessly bids for his third consecutive win and heads Sunday’s Grade III, $200,000 Zuma Beach Stakes at Santa Anita as nine juveniles go one mile on turf.

                Attentive to the pace in his one mile turf debut July 30, Endlessly demonstrated an eye-catching turn of foot as he dispatched seven rival maidens by 2 ¼ lengths. 

                Off at 5-2 at the same trip in a field of eight in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Sept. 10, he again rallied impressively, winning by the same margin while earning a much-improved 72 Beyer Speed Figure.

                Trained by Michael McCarthy and bred in Kentucky by Mrs. Jerry Amerman, Endlessly is by the Kitten’s Joy stallion Oscar Performance and is out of the Langfuhr mare Dream Fuhrever. 

                With leading man Juan Hernandez back aboard, Endlessly is the horse to beat in the Zuma Beach.

                McCarthy is holding a strong two-card hand on Sunday as he’ll also saddle first-out one mile maiden turf winner Formidable Man, who made the lead versus nine rivals and never looked back at 9-2 with Flavien Prat up on Sept. 10.

                With Umberto Rispoli taking over in the Zuma Beach, Formidable Man could be just that in his second career start.

                By hot sire Bolt d’Oro, Richard Mandella’s Boltage, third as the even money favorite to Endlessly in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf, rates a solid chance with Ramon Vazquez riding back.

                A 5 ¼ length one mile maiden turf winner when pressing the pace two starts back on Aug. 24, Boltage will be going a mile on grass for the third consecutive time in what will be his fourth overall start.

                Perhaps the biggest question mark in the race is Phil D’Amato’s French-bred Pour Dompter, who will be making his U.S debut with Hector Berrios aloft. 

                With an all-turf French resume of 5-1-3-1, Pour Dompter, idle since a close second in a field of 10 going six furlongs on July 23, will stretch out to a route of ground for the first time but he’s well-seasoned, having faced 33 rivals in his five starts.

                Owned by J. Kelly, Pour Dompter has four recorded works with D’Amato—a three furlong move over Del Mar’s main track in 36.20 on Sept. 10 and three subsequent drills over Santa Anita’s inner training track: 

• A half mile on Sept. 18 in 49.80
• 5 furlongs on Sept. 25 in 1:02.20
• Another five eighths on Oct. 2 in 1:03.20

THE GRADE III ZUMA BEACH WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 6 of 10 | Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT

1. Mici’s Express – Tiago Pereira – 120
2. Ngannou – Antonio Fresu – 118
3. Endlessly – Juan Hernandez – 124
4. Pour Dompter – Hector Berrios – 120
5. Rothschild – Mike Smith – 120
6. Grand Mo the First – Emisael Jaramillo – 120
7. Ace of Clubs – Edwin Maldonado – 120
8. Formidable Man – Umberto Rispoli – 122
9. Boltage – Ramon Vazquez – 122

                First post time for a 10-race card on Sunday is at 1 p.m. with admission gates opening at 11 a.m.