Chips All In, who faltered against Grade II competition in the
$200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes, returns to more favorable conditions
Friday in Santa Anita’s $70,000 Pasadena Stakes for 3-year-olds at one
mile on turf.
With regular rider Alonso Quinonez aboard, the Kentucky-bred son
of North Light will attempt to replicate his 1 ¼-length victory in the
Eddie Logan Stakes, also at one mile on turf, when facing nine of his
contemporaries.
Trained by Jeff Mullins for a partnership, Chips All In proved
best in the Logan at odds of 11-1 to record his fourth win in five
starts for earnings of $149,800. He again will be confronted by Stoney
Fleece, third at 3-1 in the Logan while finishing 1 ¾ lengths behind the
winner after having to steady at the eighth pole.
Stoney Fleece, conditioned by John Sadler for Gary and Cecil
Barber, will be partnered by leading rider Joel Rosario, who was aboard
when the California-bred son of Decarchy took Hollywood Park’s Grade III
Generous Stakes at one mile on turf last November. Stoney Fleece is the
field’s most accomplished entrant with earnings of $189,860 from a
4-1-2 record in nine starts.
Another entrant who has bested Stoney Fleece at the meet is
trainer Doug O’Neill’s Tones, who finished a neck in front when
capturing the $81,000 Baffle Stakes over the hillside turf course on
Feb. 26. It was the second start in this country for the Irish-bred who
previously had raced six times in England. Tones has posted an overall
record of 3-2-2 in eight races while earning $65,968.
Midnight Crooner, Arnold Zetcher’s homebred son of War Chant,
will make his first start on grass after breaking his maiden by 7 ½
lengths over one mile on Golden Gate’s synthetic surface on Feb. 18.
Corey Nakatani, in the saddle for the race at Golden Gate, has the
return riding engagement for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.
The complete field for the 9th running of the Pasadena Stakes,
with jockeys and weights in post position order: Loukas, Joseph Talamo,
122; That’s Dangerous, Victor Espinoza, 122; Captain Obvious, Mario
Gutierrez, 117; Chips All In, Alonso Quinonez, 122; Tones, Eswan Flores,
117; Midnight Crooner, Corey Nakatani, 117; Vibrato Jazz, Mike Smith,
117; Unusual Heatwave, Kevin Krigger, 117; Buffalo Billy, Rafael
Bejarano, 117, and Stoney Fleece, Joel Rosario, 122.