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A blockbuster Memorial Day card at Santa Anita Park highlights the graded stakes schedule this weekend. There are 11 races on the Monday card at The Great Race Place, including the G1 Shoemaker Mile on turf and the G1 Gamely Stakes for fillies and mares on turf.
Between the two Grade 1's is the G2 Hollywood Gold Cup, featuring East Coast shipper Skippylongstocking chasing a third win of 2025.
Also on the holiday Monday are the G3 Winning Colors Stakes at Churchill Downs, Mr. Prospector Stakes at Monmouth, and the G3 Steve Sexton Mile card at Lone Star Park.
Monday
7:00 p.m. – G1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita
Eight fillies and mares from across the country will converge to seek their first-ever Grade 1 wins. Leading the local hopes in the Gamely are Liguria, Public Assembly and Lady Claypoole, who all exit graded-stakes victories at Santa Anita.
The lineup also includes eastern-based shippers Be Your Best, who comes in from Florida for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.; No Show Sammy Jo, who is based at Fair Hill in Maryland with trainer Graham Motion; and Kentucky-based Expensive Queen for trainer Brendan Walsh.
7:30 p.m. – G2 Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita
Skippylongstocking, an eight-time graded stakes winner and earner of more than $3.5 million, comes west for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. where he’ll look to add to his distinguished resume going 1 1/4 miles in Southern California. The 6-year-old horse by Exaggerator, most recently finished third in the G2 Oaklawn Handicap going 1 1/8 miles on April 19. In two previous starts this year, Skippylongstocking won the G3 Challenger Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Tampa Bay Downs in March and was third in the G1 Pegasus World Cup at 1 1/8 miles, in January at Gulfstream Park.
Extensive, trained by Michael McCarthy, will be making his stakes debut after posting a 99 Beyer Speed Figure when winning a first-level allowance going 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on April 6. The emerging 4-year-old colt by City of Light is 4: 2-1-1 with $95,800 in earnings for owner Cheyenne Stable. Extensive will have the services of top jockey Flavien Prat.
Midnight Mammoth most recently romped by 5 ½ lengths in a high-level allowance going 1 1/16 miles on April 26 at Santa Anita. Trained by Craig Dollase, Midnight Mammoth in March finished fourth in the G1 Santa Anita Handicap, also at 1 ¼ miles. The 6-year-old gelding by Midnight Lute, owned by Jeffrey Sengara, has a record of 35: 8-4-8 with $377,280 in earnings. He’ll have regular rider Armando Ayuso aboard.
8:00 p.m. – G1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita
Formidable Man will look to make it back-to-back Grade 1 wins for trainer Michael McCarthy when he takes on eight rivals in this spot. Formidable Man most recently won the G1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile on March 1 at Santa Anita, which was his second top-level victory. Both the runner-up in the Kilroe, Zio Jo, and third-place finisher Cabo Spirit also return in the Shoemaker.
Other top contenders include Atitlan and King of Gosford.
Atitlan will be cutting back in distance for trainer John Shirreffs following consecutive graded stakes wins in the G2 Charles Whittingham at 1 ¼ miles on May 3 and the G3 San Luis Rey at 1 ½ miles in March, both at Santa Anita. In addition to shortening up in distance, Atitlan will also have a new jockey. As previous rider Hector Berrios is set to ride Mi Hermano Ramon, Antonio Fresu will take over on Atitlan.
King of Gosford finished second to Cabo Spirit in the American. Last year, the now 4-year-old colt by Zoustar bagged four stakes wins for trainer Phil D’Amato including the G2 Mathis Mile in December at Santa Anita. Additionally, he was second in the Hollywood Derby beaten just three-quarters of a length by Formidable Man. Flavien Prat, last year’s Eclipse Award winner as the nation’s outstanding jockey, will ride King of Gosford.