Acclimate

Acclimate, a California-bred Creative Cause gelding owned by The Ellwood Johnson Trust or Timmy Time Racing and trained by Phil D’Amato, began his racing career in 2018 and won his third start in a maiden claiming event at Los Alamitos that September. He continued to competing in claiming races, starter allowance races, and allowance optional claiming races through summer 2019, primarily at Santa Anita. On June 23, he made his stakes debut in the 1 3/4-mile Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes at Santa Anita and scored a gate-to-wire victory under Martin Garcia, his fifth win from 14 starts.

After a disappointing 11th-place finish in the California Dreamin' Stakes in which he was taken off the pace, Acclimate rebounded in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap Presented by The Japan Racing Association Aug. 17 at Del Mar. Jockey Florent Geroux sent Acclimate right to the front and the bay gelding shook clear to a three-length lead in early stretch on his way to a one-length win.