NEWS

The Pamplemousse headlines Sham

Posted: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 5:34 PM

THE PAMPLEMOUSSE

Benoit & Associates photo

by Jeff Apel

The Pamplemousse will try to continue his rapid rise among North American classic hopefuls on Saturday in the $200,000 Sham Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park.

The Pamplemousse burst onto the classic scene following a two-length win over in the San Rafael Stakes (G3) on January 17 at Santa Anita in his most recent start. The win in the one-mile race helped the Kafwain colt secure the tenth spot in THOROUGHBRED TIMES’s latest poll of Triple Crown contenders.

Trained by Julio Canani, The Pamplemousse closed his juvenile campaign with a 2 3/4-length win against Mayor Marv in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race on December 14 at Hollywood Park. Mayor Marv won the Turf Paradise Derby on February 21.

Jockey Alex Solis has ridden The Pamplemousse in each of his two wins and has the return call on Saturday. Solis’s son, Alex Solis II, co-owns the gray or roan colt.

The Pamplemousse will make his first start at 1 1/8 miles in the Sham Stakes, which attracted 12 entrants, including Grade 3-placed winners Ventana and Bourbon Bay and allowance winners Smart Bid and Take the Points.

Bourbon Bay finished in a dead heat for third with Hype in the Generous Stakes (G3) on November 29 at Hollywood Park in his most recent start. Trained by Neil Drysdale for David and Jill Heerensperger, Bourbon Bay finished second in the Miller Lite Cradle Stakes in his stakes debut on September 1 at River Downs.

Bob Baffert trains Ventana, who finished in a dead heat for third with Arashi Cat in the Hollywood Prevue Stakes (G3) on November 23. The Toccet colt enters off a fourth-place finish in the San Vicente Stakes (G2) on February 16 at Santa Anita.

Smart Bid and Take the Points opened their three-year-old campaigns by winning allowance races.

Take the Points posted a two-length win in a one-mile allowance race at Gulfstream Park on January 31 for trainer Todd Pletcher. The Even the Score colt will make his first start on a synthetic surface in the Sham Stakes, which will be contested on Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride surface.

Pletcher said the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 4 is a possibility for Take the Points if the gray or roan colt can make a smooth adjustment from dirt surfaces to synthetics.

“He trains like he’ll handle it,” Pletcher said. “If he runs well, he can come back in the Santa Anita Derby.”

Smart Bid enters off a half-length win in his first start on turf in a one-mile allowance/optional claiming race on January 19 at Santa Anita.

Jeff Apel is an assistant editor of Thoroughbred Times TODAY

Sham S.