By Alan Carasso
At this point last year, Roy H (More Than Ready) was a maiden winner from 11 trips to the post, with earnings just shy of $90,000. Twelve months later, the bay gelding owns a half-dozen victories, a bankroll in excess of $1.3 million, an Eclipse statuette and looks just this side of impossible to oppose in Saturday's GII Palos Verdes S. at Santa Anita.
Roy H tasted defeat just once last season and earned Beyer Speed Figures north of 106 in four of his six trips to the post, including powerful scores in Belmont's GII True North S. and in the GI Santa Anita Sprint Championship before besting Imperial Hint (Imperialism) by a length in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint Nov. 4.
Kaleem Shah's Americanize (Concord Point) is the only one of Roy H's four opponents to have posted a triple-digit speed figure on the dirt, his best number being the 102 Beyer he earned for a smooth victory in the Damascus S. on the Breeders' Cup Friday undercard at Del Mar Nov. 3. A respectable, albeit well-beaten fourth to Sharp Azteca (Freud) in the GI Cigar Mile H. Dec. 2, the homebred son of GSP American Story (Ghostzapper) was a close third in the GIII Midnight Lute S. here Dec. 30.
Mongolian Saturday (Any Given Saturday) is best known for his work in turf sprints, but has turned in some strong efforts to be multiple stakes placed on the main track as well. A latest 12th in search of a second win in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Nov. 4, he returns to the dirt for the first time since rounding out the exacta in a rained-off renewal of the GIII Woodford S. at Keeneland in 2015.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
