‘Gimme’ Looks to Take Home the ‘Lute’

Pegram, Watson and Weitman’s Gimme Da Lute (Midnight Lute) attempts to keep his hot streak going in Saturday’s GI Santa Anita Sprint Championship and secure his spot in the gate for the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland at Oct. 31. The Bob Baffert pupil, who was scratched from the Sept. 19 GII Pennsylvania Derby, has proven to be extremely versatile with wins at distances ranging from 6 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/8 miles, including several black-type victories. Victor of this venue’s 1 1/16-mile GIII Affirmed S. June 7, the Cal-bred captured the nine-furlong GII Los Alamitos Derby next out July 4 over next out GIII La Jolla H. winner Prospect Park (Tapit) and graded stakes winning “TDN Rising Star” Kentuckian (Tiznow). The bay romped by 12 1/4 lengths in the state-bred Real Good Deal S. when cut back to seven furlongs at Del Mar next out Aug. 2 and scored in the one-mile El Cajon S. there last time Aug. 29.

Never worse than second since his failed debut in March of 2014, Fellow California-bred Masochistic (Sought After) boasts a record of 3-2-1-0 since Jay Em Ess Stable joined Los Pollos Hermanos Racing as part owners and transferred the bay to Ron Ellis. The gelding captured thie venue’s GII Kona Gold S. Apr. 11 in his debut for the Ellis barn and captured the GI Triple Bend S. next out June 27. He was last seen finishing second as the favorite behind Wild Dude (Wildcat Heir) in Del Mar’s GI Bing Crosby S. July 26.

Winner of the GII San Carlos S. earlier this term, Jerry Hollendorfer and Green Smith’s Wild Dude finished third behind Distinctiv Passion (With Distinction) and San Onofre (Surf Cat) in the track-and-trip GIII Los Angeles S. May 25. Completing the trifecta again in the Triple Bend, the bay came charging late to take the Bing Crosby at odds of 11-1 and was a close second last time in the GII Pat O’Brien S. Aug. 22. Edward Brown Jr., Alan Klein and Phillip Lebherz’s Distinctiv Passion followed his Los Angeles win with a fifth in the Triple Bend and second in Del Mar’s turfy Green Flash H. Aug. 19. Matson Racing’s San Onofre, who was second in the Kona Gold and Los Angeles, enters off a fourth in the Triple Bend.

C R K Stable’s Kobe’s Back (Flatter) is another runner who could make some noise here. Second in the San Carlos after being transferred from John Sadler to Peter Eurton, the gray made a strong late run to capture Keeneland’s GIII Commonwealth Apr. 4. Sixth behind “TDN Rising Stars” Honor Code (A.P. Indy) and Tonalist (Tapit) in the GI Metropolitan H. at Belmont June 6, the 4-year-old was third in the Bing Crosby and fourth last time in the Pat O’Brien. “He’s gotten off [to a] bad [start] practically his whole life, Eurton said. “It just depends on the pace and if he’s enjoying the race track. He doesn’t want to be too close too early, seemingly. Gary [Stevens]’s got his work cut out for him. He does a great job, but the horse has to comply, and he’s doing so well. The horse had a nice work [Sept. 21], [a five-furlong bullet in :58.40] and he did it easily, so if Kobe wants to do it, he’ll make his presence felt.”