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Bolo (right) won the 2019 Shoemaker Mile Stakes at Santa Anita Park. The Shoemaker, which will be held this year on May 29, is a “Win and You’re In” prep qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Mile. (Eclipse Sportswire)
The Road to the 2023 Breeders’ Cup World Championships kicks off Monday, May 29, with the $500,000, Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile Stakes at Santa Anita Park. While several “Win and You’re In” races for the 40th Breeders’ Cup have already been held overseas, the Shoemaker Mile on Memorial Day is the first domestic qualifier, and it offers the race winner an automatic berth to the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by PDJF Nov. 4, back at Santa Anita Park for a record 11th time. (View the entire Challenge Series schedule here.)
The Shoemaker Mile, first run in 1938, was called either the Premiere Handicap or Hollywood Premier Handicap until 1990, when it was re-named to honor Hall of Fame jockey and 20th-century sports icon Bill Shoemaker. It transferred from the now-razed Hollywood Park to Santa Anita Park in 2014.
Notable winners over the past 40 years include Steinlen (1988, won the Breeders’ Cup Mile in 1989), Silic (1999 and 2000, won the ’99 Breeders’ Cup Mile), Aragorn (2006, second in the ’06 Breeders’ Cup Mile), and Obviously (2013 and 2014, first in the ’16 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint).
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The Shoemaker Mile drew 11 entrants and has a scheduled post time of 7:13 p.m. ET and will be televised on FanDuel TV. Let’s meet this year’s Shoemaker Mile field:
1. Gold Phoenix
Jockey: Kazushi Kimura
Trainer: Phil D’Amato
Owners: Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables, and Marsha Naify
Career record: 12 starts – 4 wins – 3 seconds – 3 thirds
Career earnings: $687,257
Earnings per start: $57,271
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 117
Pedigree: Belardo – Magnifica, by Mizzen Mast
Age: 5
Color: Chestnut
Running style: Closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: This gelding has bounced back solidly in 2023 after ending last year with a 10th-place finish against some of the best grass horses in the world in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf. He rallied late to edge Du Jour by a neck in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes in his season debut at Santa Anita and then extended out to a 1 ¼ miles and finished fourth in the Charles Whittingham Stakes Presented by FanDuel TV on the same course in April, a race in which he encountered some traffic trouble on the far turn. Gold Phoenix is one of the top win contenders in the Shoemaker Mile, although one drawback is that he usually competes in races at 1 1/8 miles or longer, the Kilroe Mile excepted. He’s one of three horses entered that could give trainer Phil D’Amato his fifth Shoemaker victory.
Bet Gold Phoenix in the Shoemaker Mile Stakes.
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Trainer: Phil D’Amato
Owners: Scott Anastasi, Jimmy Ukegawa, and Tony Valazza
Career record: 15 starts – 9 wins – 3 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $789,097
Earnings per start: $52,606
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 112
Pedigree: Es Que Love – Vital Body, by Gold Away
Age: 6
Color: Chestnut
Running style: Closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Like stablemates Balnikhov and Gold Phoenix, Hong Kong Harry has racked up several wins competing at the graded stakes level on turf in Southern California over the past couple of years. The Irish-bred gelding also earned a nice check shipping to Kentucky in his most recent start, when he finished second behind Up to the Mark in the $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes in May. He can usually be counted on to provide a strong closing kick in his races and, like other closers, needs some racing luck in order for a path to clear. Hong Kong Harry won four of seven starts in Europe before moving to the U.S., and overall, he’s one of the most consistent runners in this race. He’ll be in the mix when the field hits the top of the stretch with a chance to secure a fifth Shoemaker Mile win for trainer Phil D’Amato. Jockey Flavien Prat won the race in 2018 on Hunt.
Bet Hong Kong Harry in the Shoemaker Mile Stakes.
3. Du Jour
Jockey: Luis Saez
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Owners: Natalie Baffert and Debbie Lanni
Career record: 12 starts – 3 wins – 3 seconds – 2 thirds
Career earnings: $677,720
Earnings per start: $56,477
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 110
Pedigree: Temple City – Guiltless, by Bernardini
Age: 5
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker/closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: A rare Bob Baffert-trained turf runner, Du Jour has compiled a solid career record but is winless in seven starts dating to May 2021. That being said, he’s come very close in two out of three races so far this year, losing by a nose in the one-mile Thunder Road Stakes at Santa Anita in February and then coming up a neck short behind Gold Phoenix in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes in March. The gelding subsequently disappointed when fourth as the 7-5 favorite in the American Stakes at Santa Anita but is eligible to rebound, and as such he’s a logical horse to use in exacta and trifecta tickets in the Shoemaker Mile. Elite rider Luis Saez makes the trip from Kentucky to Southern California to ride Du Jour.
Bet Du Jour in the Shoemaker Mile Stakes.
4. Flavius
Jockey: Mike Smith
Trainer: George Papaprodromou
Owners: Abbondanza Racing, Donald Durando, Julia Iavarone, and Michael Iavarone
Career record: 17 starts – 4 wins – 3 seconds – 2 thirds
Career earnings: $743,151
Earnings per start: $43,715
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 117
Pedigree: War Front – Starformer, by Dynaformer
Age: 8
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker/closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: This War Front ridgling has been inconsistent throughout his 17-race career and overall will need to recapture the form he showed in 2020-’21 if he’s going to pull the upset in the Shoemaker Mile. He has not won since capturing a 1 1/16-mile stakes race at Saratoga back in August 2021, but he did show some signs of improvement in his only start so far this year when he took a brief lead at the top of the stretch in the San Francisco Mile Stakes in late April before tiring to finish fifth. Flavius has kept very good company throughout his career, running against the likes of Colonel Liam, Ivar, and last year’s Shoemaker Mile winner Count Again in prior races. A repeat of his 2023 debut in the San Francisco Mile won’t be enough to win this race, and overall collecting a minor award appears to be his ceiling. Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith won the Shoemaker Mile in 2009 with Thorn Song and in 2017 aboard Bal a Bali.
Bet Flavius in the Shoemaker Mile Stakes.
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5. Il Bellator
Jockey: Alejandro Gomez
Trainer: Jose Bautista
Owners: Edward and Theresa DeNike
Career record: 10 starts – 3 wins – 2 seconds – 2 thirds
Career earnings: $166,500
Earnings per start: $16,650
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 107
Pedigree: Shackleford – Kaili, by Grand Slam
Age: 4
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker
Notable achievements and interesting facts: This gelding will be one of the longshots in the 2023 Shoemaker Mile, and he enters coming off of arguably a career-best effort in the San Francisco Mile Stakes April 29 at Golden Gate Fields. Il Bellator almost pulled off a 56.60-1 shocker in that turf race at Golden Gate Fields, leading late before settling for third behind Balnikhov and runner-up Rio King. Coming back off of a nearly eight-month layoff, he was only defeated by a half-length in the San Francisco Mile and earned a 107 Equibase Speed Figure, easily his career best. Overall, Il Bellator has competed mainly on Golden Gate’s synthetic Tapeta main track, posting a stakes win going 1 1/16 miles in April 2022. He figures to be among the top three or four runners through the first half-mile or so in the Shoemaker Mile and will need a career-best effort to hit the board for his Bay Area connections.
Bet Il Bellator in the Shoemaker Mile Stakes.
6. Exaulted
Jockey: Juan Hernandez
Trainer: Peter Eurton
Owner: C R K Stable
Career record: 14 starts – 4 wins – 3 seconds – 4 thirds
Career earnings: $303,660
Earnings per start: $21,690
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 106
Pedigree: Twirling Candy – Gilded Miracle, by Gilded Time
Age: 6
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Exaulted enters the Shoemaker Mile on a three-race winning streak, all of them coming in one-mile races on Santa Anita’s turf course, with the last of those a breakthrough graded stakes score in the American Stakes April 2. He’s made an impressive transformation after trainer Peter Eurton decided to try him on grass after 11 prior starts on dirt, winning all three races by 1 ½ lengths or more and earning the only three 100-plus Equibase Speed Figures in his career. The son of Twirling Candy will be making another class leap to compete in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile but should not be discounted. He’s a legit contender in this race who should be sitting just off the early pace and could get the jump on several of his primary competitors that are deep closers.
Bet Exaulted in the Shoemaker Mile Stakes.
7. Balnikhov
Jockey: Umberto Rispoli
Trainer: Phil D’Amato
Owners: Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stables and Old Bones Racing Stable
Career record: 17 starts – 6 wins – 4 seconds – 2 thirds
Career earnings: $588,843
Earnings per start: $34,638
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 111
Pedigree: Adaay – Leeward, by First Defence
Age: 4
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: This Irish-bred gelding has been one of the top performers on the California turf circuit over the past two years and will be one of the top contenders in the Shoemaker Mile. He’s done his best running at this distance and enters off of a rallying nose win in the San Francisco Mile Stakes in late April, which was a bounce-back effort following a rare dull performance in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes at Santa Anita in early March. If he shows the same kick on Monday, Balnikhov has a solid chance to pick up his first Grade 1 win and punch his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup in the fall. Trainer Phil D’Amato has won this race four times, including last year with Count Again. Jockey Umberto Rispoli won the Shoemaker Mile in 2021 aboard Smooth Like Strait.
Bet Balnikhov in the Shoemaker Mile Stakes.
8. Cabo Spirit
Jockey: Joe Bravo
Trainer: George Papaprodromou
Owner: Kretz Racing
Career record: 19 starts – 4 wins – 3 seconds – 4 thirds
Career earnings: $535,935
Earnings per start: $28,207
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 110
Pedigree: Pioneerof the Nile – Fancy Day, by Shamardal
Age: 4
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Stalker/closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Cabo Spirit has posted the two best Equibase Speed Figures of his 19-race career in his prior two starts, both coming against Grade 1 competition. He finished a solid third, losing by only a length, in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes at Santa Anita in early March and then shipped to Keeneland and ran fourth behind three top-class horses (Chez Pierre, Modern Games, and Up to the Mark) in the Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes in mid-April. He was a big longshot in both of those races and figures to be again on Monday, but this gelding has won three stakes on grass in his career and is a threat to boost payouts in trifecta or superfecta tickets if he gives his best effort.
Bet Cabo Spirit in the Shoemaker Mile Stakes.
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Jockey: Edwin Maldonado
Trainer: Librado Barocio
Owner: Melvin Simonovich
Career record: 25 starts – 11 wins – 3 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $233,750
Earnings per start: $9,350
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 106
Pedigree: Fed Biz - Bright Magic, by Prized
Age: 5
Color: Bay
Running style: Pacesetter
Notable achievements and interesting facts: With 25 starts, Lamplighter Jack is the most experienced runner in the Shoemaker Mile field. He spent the first three years of his career racing primarily on the East Coast with most of his starts coming in Florida — eight of his 10 races in 2022 came on the synthetic surface at Gulfstream Park and the other two were on turf. Transferred to California trainer Librado Barocio for his 5-year-old season, the Fed Biz gelding has produced the two best Equibase Speed Figures of his career with a front-running win in a starter-allowance race on March 25 at Santa Anita before setting the pace and fading to sixth in the San Francisco Mile Stakes April 29 at Golden Gate Fields. He projects to be the lone speed horse in the field and could be left alone on the lead as one of the biggest Shoemaker Mile longshots with an outside chance to hold on for a minor award at a huge price.
Bet Lamplighter Jack in the Shoemaker Mile Stakes.
10. Irideo
Jockey: Hector Berrios
Trainer: Marcelo Polanco
Owner: Pozo de Luna
Career record: 16 starts – 5 wins – 4 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $213,544
Earnings per start: $13,347
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 108
Pedigree: Easing Along – Infiltrada, by Footstepsinthesand
Age: 7
Color: Bay
Running style: Closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: A longshot Shoemaker Mile contender, Irideo enters off of a runner-up finish in the one-mile American Stakes in early April at Santa Anita, where he was fractious in the gate prior to starting but recovered well enough to run on and check in 1 ½ lengths behind Exaulted at odds of 13.50-1. Prior to that, he was sent off at odds within the 30-1 to 36-1 range in three consecutive turf graded stakes dating back to last fall and outran those odds in each race. Irideo was a champion miler and Group 1 winner in his native Argentina in 2020 but has not found the same level of success since moving to California in 2022 despite putting together a solid career. As such, anything more than a fourth-place finish in this year’s Shoemaker Mile would be a surprise.
Bet Irideo in the Shoemaker Mile Stakes.
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11. Salesman
Jockey: Ramon Vazquez
Trainer: Richard Mandella
Owners: Alain and Gerard Wertheimer
Career record: 22 starts – 3 wins – 6 seconds – 4 thirds
Career earnings: $169,550
Earnings per start: $7,707
Top Equibase Speed Figure: N/A
Pedigree: Dubawi – High Maintenance, by Highest Honor
Age: 6
Color: Chestnut
Running style: Closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Salesman is a wild card entrant as he makes his first North American starts and faces off against the best turf milers on the West Coast in the Shoemaker Mile. He ships over from France where he was trained by Andre Fabre for the Wertheimer brothers, known to racing fans on these shores as the owners of three-time Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Goldikova. Hall of Famer Richard Mandella assumes training duties for this gelding, and he’s been putting Salesman through regular workouts on Santa Anita’s dirt track over the past three months to get him fit for his first race since last June. Salesman has largely competed in the handicap ranks in France since beginning his career in 2019, and notably he was ridden by the same jockey – Maxime Guyon – in all 22 of his starts. Now, he’ll get Ramon Vazquez aboard for the first time and cut back to race the one-mile distance for only the third time in his career. There are a lot of obstacles facing Salesman as he takes a huge class leap in an entirely new setting – but it’s never wise to totally dismiss a horse conditioned by Mandella, who has won the Shoemaker Mile three times.
Bet Salesman in the Shoemaker Mile Stakes.
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