Mike Mitchell hopes to break a string of seconditis with Camp Victory
in Monday’s Columbus Day holiday feature, the Grade III, $100,000
Morvich Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at about 6 ½ furlongs on Santa
Anita’s downhill turf course.
Camp Victory has been second in four straight graded stakes,
including the Grade I Triple Bend and the Grade I Pat O’Brien in his
last two.
“He’s doing great,” said Mitchell, who had five horses entered
on Sunday’s card, which offered a Pick Six carryover of $86,557.91.
“He’s run well down the hill before and I’m hoping he gets a favorable
trip and can use this as a prep for the Breeders’ Cup, but I haven’t
made up my mind yet on that.”
The versatile Camp Victory, claimed for $40,000 last February,
ran second by a nose in the Grade III San Simeon Handicap on the
downhill venue three weeks later. His last three starts have been on
synthetic surfaces, but the 4-year-old gelded son of Forest Camp has
four wins from nine career starts on grass.
The field for the Morvich, race eight of nine: Al Insante, Hector
Berrios, 12-1; Ain’t No Other, Garrett Gomez, 9-2; Excessive Passion,
Joel Rosario, 8-1; El Gato Malo, David Flores, 8-1; Leroy’s Dynameaux,
Rafael Bejarano, 5-1; California Flag, Patrick Valenzuela, 6-1; Camp
Victory, Joe Talamo, 6-5; and Posse Power, Leslie Mawing, 20-1.