Santa Anita Park Picks | San Simeon Stakes 2024

Fresh off a win in the Clockers’ Corner Stakes on the hillside turf course Jan. 28, veteran gelding Irideo will try and make it two straight in Saturday’s GIII, $100,000 San Simeon Stakes on the same grass setup at Santa Anita Park.

With nine races, three of them graded stakes, first post time will be 12:30 p.m. Admission gates will open at 10:30 a.m.

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Trained by Marcelo Polanco, Irideo rallied to win the restricted Clockers’ Corner by a nose over Mucho Del Oro, who also returns in the San Simeon. The win was Irideo’s first since the one-mile Wickerr Stakes on turf in July 2022.

Bred in Argentina, Irideo is an 8-year-old gelding by the Storm Cat stallion Easing Along. He is campaigned by Pozo de Luna Inc.

Irideo was entered in Sunday’s GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile, but was scratched in favor of this spot. Jockey Jeremy Laprida, who rode Irideo for the first time in the Clockers’ Corner, will again be aboard Saturday.

Irideo enters with a record of 6-5-0 in 23 starts with $394,344 in earnings.

Dancing Buck made his first 18 starts in New York for trainer Michelle Nevin before joining Richard Dutrow Jr’s Santa Anita string this winter. In his local unveiling Dec. 30, Dancing Buck was beaten just a half length by Forbidden Kingdom in the GII Joe Hernandez. The 6-year-old War Dancer gelding’s only previous stakes win came in 2022 in the GIII Belmont Turf Sprint.

Owned by J and N Stables LLC or Diamond M Stables, Dancing Buck has a record of 6-4-1 in 19 starts with $490,420 in earnings. Jockey Edwin Maldonado, who was aboard in the Joe Hernandez, retains the mount.

Mucho Del Oro’s narrow loss to Irideo in the Clockers’ Corner came following a nearly seven-month layoff for trainer Doug O’Neill.

A 6-year-gelding by Mucho Macho Man, Mucho Del Oro has won half of his 16 lifetime starts and banked $295,100. Prior to the layoff, he was claimed by O’Neill and owner Purple Rein Racing for $50,000 last June at Santa Anita.

Juan Hernandez, who rode Mucho Del Oro in the Clockers’ Corner, will again be in the irons on Saturday.

A new face in the field is European import Ottoman Prince for trainer Phil D’Amato.

Ottoman Prince won three of six starts in England for trainer Mark Prescott before coming stateside. Owned by Anthony Fanticola, the 4-year-old Zoffany gelding has lured the services of Flavien Prat for his U.S. unveiling.