The Sky’s the Limit in Triple Bend

An interesting field of seven will line up Saturday afternoon for Santa Anita’s GI Triple Bend S. Matson Racing’s San Onofre (Surf Cat) will try to break through with a win here after two consecutive runner-up efforts when stepped up to graded stakes in the Apr. 11 GII Kona Gold S. and May 25 GIII Los Angeles S. The speedy Karen Headley trainee will have to deal with a host of other foes vying for the lead early, including Masochistic (Sought After), who was game taking the Kona Gold in his first graded try and first start for Ron Ellis, having been previously conditioned by A.C. Avila. Appealing Tale (Tale of the Cat) was third in the GIII Midnight Lute S. in December and second in the GII San Pasqual S. going long Jan. 10. He faded to fourth in a one-mile optional claimer Feb. 20 and weakened to seventh after battling on the front end in the Santana Mile S. Mar. 29. Runner-up in a turfy sprint May 10, the Peter Miller trainee returned to the dirt with an optional claiming victory May 31.

 The quick pace should set up nicely for Jerry Hollendorfer’s Sahara Sky (Pleasant Tap). The 2013 GI Metropolitan H. winner took the GII San Carlos S. last term, but wrapped up last season prematurely after finishing seven in the GII Churchill Downs S. in May and sixth in last year’s edition of this race. In his only start of the year, Sahara Sky completed the trifecta in the Kona Gold. Stablemate Wild Dude (Wildcat Heir), coming off a third-place effort in the GIII Los Angeles S., will also line up for this one. “It looks like there’s enough pace, but we’ll see how it sets up,” Hollendorfer said. “Both horses should run well.”