Race Previews Wishing Well Stakes 2024 | Santa Anita Park Picks February 24, 2024 School Dance (Benoit Photo) Race Previews Wishing Well Stakes 2024 | Santa Anita Park Picks February 24, 2024 By: Press Release email Share: share on facebook share on twitter share on linkedin email this article Idle since mid-August, Phil D’Amato’s Grade I stakes placed School Dance gets the services of Frankie Dettori and heads a robust field of 11 older fillies and mares going about 6 ½ furlongs down the Santa Anita Park hillside turf course in Sunday’s $100,000 Wishing Well Stakes.First post time for a 10-card on Sunday is at 12:30 p.m. with admission gates opening at 10:30 a.m. 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 A classy 5-year-old mare by Animal Kingdom, School Dance was a close second in the Grade I American Oaks at a mile and one quarter on turf six starts back on Dec. 26, 2022 and proved very competitive in three consecutive one mile turf stakes later that winter, including the Grade II Royal Heroine, a race in which she placed second, beaten 1 ½ lengths.A well beaten seventh however in her two most recent starts, the Grade II Yellow Ribbon on Aug. 12 at Del Mar and the Grade I Gamely on May 29, she has a steady work tab at both Los Alamitos and at Santa Anita for her return to the races.Owned by Agave Racing Stable and Rockin Robin Racing Stables, it’s very notable that she’ll be ridden for the first time by Frankie Dettori, as he takes off of a pair of impressive last-out winners to ride School Dance.Originally based in Florida with trainer Joe Orseno, School Dance, who has earnings of $235,940, has raced exclusively on turf for D’Amato, winning two of her eight starts, all routes. She’ll be trying the Santa Anita downhill turf course for the first time on Sunday as she looks for her first stakes win in career start number 16.With one win from three hillside tries, the Dan Blacker-trained Lunar Impact, a 4-year-old English-bred filly, appears to be a solid fit, but she loses the services of Dettori, who guided her to a 2 ¼ length score in a downhill allowance on Jan. 6, a race in which she won in virtual gate to wire fashion. With Dettori opting for School Dance, a red-hot Antonio Fresu, who last rode Lunar Dance four starts back, taking a one mile turf maiden race here on Oct. 1, will get a leg-up as she tries stakes competition for the first time. Owned by D K Racing, LLC, Qatar Racing, LLC, Gold, et al, Lunar Impact, who has two wins and a third place finish from seven starts, has proven effective on the lead or stalking the early pace. Idle since April 22 of last year, Doug O’Neill’s One Silk Stocking, a close fourth at one mile on turf in the Grade III Megahertz Stakes three starts back on Feb. 4, 2023, rallied from off the pace to just miss, finishing fifth, beaten three quarters of a length in a hillside turf allowance on April 22 and thus rates a huge look from off the bench with Tiago Pereira riding her back.A 5-year-old mare by top sprinter Lord Nelson out of the Street Cry mare Keep Right, One Silk Stocking will be trying stakes competition for the second time. Owned by Roadrunner Racing, Neil Haymes, William Strauss, et al, One Silk Stocking has three wins and two seconds from 11 career starts.O’Neill, who will saddle a total of three horses in the Wishing Well, would appear to have big chance with Phenom, who was claimed for $25,000 out of a 2 ¼ allowance score going five furlongs on turf at Del Mar two starts back on Nov. 26. Subsequently a smashing 7 ¼ length winner going gate to wire out of Santa Anita’s turf chute at six furlongs on Jan. 19, look for Phenom to blast off and try not to look back on Sunday. Ridden by Dettori on Jan. 19, Phenom, a 5-year-old mare by Midnight Lute, posted a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure and will be ridden for the first time by Edwin Maldonado.Owned by Michael Bello, LLC, Sheila Bambauer and Doug O’Neill, Phenom, who is 14-4-1-2 overall, will be trying stakes company for the first time.THE $100,000 WISHING WELL AT SANTA ANITA WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDERRace 9 of 10 | Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PTLunar Impact – Antonio Fresu – 120 Gracelund Gray – Kazushi Kimura – 124 Phenom – Edwin Maldonado – 120 Ag Bullet – Umberto Rispoli – 124 Miss Lizzy – Hector Berrios – 120 Violent Runner – Jeremy Laprida – 122 Ice Dancing – Mike Smith – 124 Carmen Miranda – Geovanni Franco – 122 One Silk Stocking – Tiago Pereira – 120 School Dance – Lanfranco Dettori – 120 Warrens Candy Girl – Drayden Van Dyke – 124 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
College Football Week 11 and NFL Week 10 Picks | Dudes Who Bet Sports 214 Aaron & Papa Dude give their College Football picks for… Read More
Official Breeders’ Cup 2024 Picks | Blinkers Off 692 The Racing Dudes preview and give picks for the 41st… Read More
Jon White Breeders’ Cup 2024 Interview and Picks | Blinkers Off 691 The Racing Dudes interview Jon White, former Santa Anita, Del… Read More
Breeders’ Cup Classic and Football Picks | Dudes Who Bet Sports 213 Aaron & Papa Dude give their College Football picks for… Read More
Breeders’ Cup 2024 Pre-Entries Analysis | Blinkers Off 690 The Racing Dudes dive into the 2024 Breeders’ Cup pre-entries… Read More
Breeders’ Cup 2024 Top 5 Performances Aaron gives his Top 5 Breeders’ Cup performances from the… Read More
Who is the 2024 3-Year-Old Male of the Year? Aaron gives his thoughts on who should be the 2024… Read More
College Football Week 11 and NFL Week 10 Picks | Dudes Who Bet Sports 214 Aaron & Papa Dude give their College Football picks for… Read More