Short, but Solid Cast in Palos Verdes

Brown, Klein and Lebherz’s Disinctiv Passion (With Distinction) gets the slight morning line nod at 2-1 in a compact, but intriguing renewal of Santa Anita’s GII Palos Verdes S. The fleet-footed Jeff Bonde trainee raced just three times last season, finishing second in Los Alamitos Racecourse’s Katella S. Sept. 20 before annexing a grassy five-furlong optional claimer Nov. 14. Let go at 6-1 for this strip’s GIII Midnight Lute S. Dec. 27, the dark bay ran his foes off their feet to score by 1 3/4 lengths. 

Somewhat inexplicably fourth that day was Pegram, Watson and Weitman’s “TDN Rising Star”  Secret Circle (Eddington). The 2013 GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner was beaten a neck by Wild Dude (Wildcat Heir) on seasonal debut in this race last season, and was third in the GI Santa Anita Sprint Championship Oct. 4 and second in the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint Nov. 1. He was a distant second after a bad start behind Private Zone (Macho Uno) in the GI Cigar Mile H. Nov. 29, and will be outfitted with blinkers by Bob Baffert for the second time in his career.

Big Macher (Beau Genius), winner of the GII Potrero Grande S. over Wild Dude and the GI Bing Crosby S. last season, finished far back in subsequent tries in the GII Pat O’Brien S. and Breeders’ Cup Sprint. He bounced back with a victory in Del Mar’s Cary Grant S. Nov. 23, and skipped last week’s California Cup Sprint for this after drawing the rail. Conquest Stable’s $420,000 OBSAPR buy of 2013 earned his second-career win down the hill in October, and nearly upended Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}) when beaten just a neck by that superstar in the seven-furlong GI Malibu S. here Dec. 26.