ARCADIA, CA – Richard Mandella’s Kanderel, on the strength of a solid recent allowance score, heads a field of seven 3-year-olds and up in Saturday’s $75,000 Siren Lure Stakes at Santa Anita which will be contested at 6 1/2 furlongs on turf.
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A horse who showed ample promise early in his career that was bred in Kentucky by longtime Mandella clients Wertheimer and Frere, Kanderel rallied from far back to take a 6 1/2-furlong allowance by 3/4 of a length at odds of 14/1 on May 9. With Juan Hernandez back aboard on Saturday, Kanderel would certainly be flattered by a fast early pace as he seeks back-to-back wins for the first time in his career.
A 4-year-old Candy Ride gelding out of the Storm Cat mare Stormica, Kanderel is 12-3-1-0 with earnings of $147,622.
Peter Miller’s French-bred Commander, who will be ridden by the recently arrived “Jersey Joe” Bravo, comes off a big effort over the course and would appear to rate a huge chance in his second consecutive stakes assignment.
Claimed 9 starts back for $50,000, Commander, a 4-year-old gelding who was 2 for 3 in France prior to making his U.S. debut with Phil D’Amato in 2019, made his first stakes appearance on May 29. He finished third, beaten 1 1/4 lengths in the Daytona Stakes (G3) at 6 1/2 furlongs on turf.
With Hernandez opting to stick with Kanderel, Miller looks to Bravo to orchestrate the right trip on Saturday. Owned by the Sinnott Family Trust, Commander is 15-4-3-2 overall with earnings of $141,635.
THE $75,000 SIREN LURE WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
- Kanderel—Juan Hernandez—126
- Tatters to Riches—126
- Commander—Joe Bravo—122
- Texas Wedge—Umberto Rispoli—126
- Wound Tight—Kent Desormeaux—126
- Tilted Towers—Abel Cedillo—122
- Chasin Munny—Flavien Prat—124
