Kanderel Leads Siren Lure

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.

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

1. Kanderel—Juan Hernandez—126
2. Tatters to Riches—126
3. Commander—Joe Bravo—122
4. Texas Wedge—Umberto Rispoli—126
5. Wound Tight—Kent Desormeaux—126
6. Tilted Towers—Abel Cedillo—122
7. Chasin Munny—Flavien Prat—124