Shoemaker Mile Stakes 2014 Contenders & Odds

Dave Bond | OTB Writer

Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile Stakes comes our way from Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California this Saturday, June 14. Some of the best milers three years old and upward will take to Santa Anita's turf track and go one mile searching for the winner's portion of the $400,000 purse.

Seven world class milers will line up in the Shoemaker- race 7 on Santa Anita' Saturday card. Post time is 4:00 PM. Let's take a peek into the past performances of all seven combatants for this Grade 1 stakes - a "Win & You're In" event with a guaranteed starting berth in the 2014 Breeders' Cup Mile.

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2014 Shoemaker Mile Stakes Race Favorite Entries

Obviously - Irish bred gelding and defending champion in this race has won 10 of 19 starts with four seconds and two third place finishes. His 3 1/2 length win in the 2013 Shoemaker Mile was in the middle of three straight wins including the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile and the 2013 American Handicap. He is coming off a bounce back win in the 2014 Grade 3 one mile American Handicap after his worst career stretch - a fifth in the Breeders' Cup Mile and a fourth in the Grade 2 City of Hope Stakes in October. He has won seven of his last 11 starts but just one of his last three overall - that coming last time out. Joe Talamo gets the call from the rail Saturday

Winning Prize - multiple Grade 1 winner and Argentinean bred colt had eight starts at home with five wins and a second place finish including two straight wins (the Grade 1 Joaquin S. de Anchorena in December being the last). He has just five starts since - an Allowance Optional Claiming score in his North American debut at Del Mar August 22 after a nine month layoff, an OK fourth in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile October 5 at Keeneland, a decent third in the Grade 2 Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park November 29, a terrific win over Tom's Tribute and Suggestive Boy in the Grade 2 Arcadia Stakes here February 1 and a great score in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile in March on this track. Winning Prize has won two straight races on this track and three of five starts in North America. He will likely be out front early and will have Corey Nakatani aboard the 124 pound high weight from post 4.

Shoemaker Mile Stakes 2014 | Remaining Contenders

Tom's Tribute - has 10 career starts for trainer James Cassidy with four wins and three seconds and is coming off a win - after trailing by 11 lengths in the minor Thunder Road Stakes - in course record time here April 6. This after an ugly seventh in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile here in March and a second in the Grade 2 Arcadia Stakes in February. He had a two race win streak toward the end of 2013 - in the overnight Uniformity Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths on the hillside turf track here October 20 which followed an Allowance Optional Claiming score also here September 29. Tom's Tribute had a disappointing sixth in his final 2013 start - the Grade 2 Sir Beaufort. Kent Desormeaux will be in the saddle from post 3.

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Jack Milton - Todd Pletcher trained colt enters on a two race win streak - the Grade 3 Poker Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths last time out at Belmont Park and an Allowance Optional Claiming May 1. Before that was a sixth in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in December and four straight third place finishes including the Grade 1 Jamaica Handicap in October, the Grade 1 Secretariat in August and the Grade 2 Virginia Derby in July. He has placed in nine of 10 career starts (four wins, a second and four third place finishes), has two wins on turf and enters in terrific form. Javier Castellano rides from gate 2.

Summer Front - Seven time stakes winner and Christophe Clement trainee is coming off a decent second in the Grade 3 Fort Marcy Stakes at Belmont Park May 3 after a very disappointing seventh in the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Turf February 9, a terrific win over Tetradrachm and Nikki's Sandcastle in the Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes January 11 and a good second to Silentio in the Grade 2 Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park November 29. But he had a disappointing seventh before that in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile October 5 after two terrific graded stakes wins - in the Grade 3 Matchmaker at Monmouth Park August 25 and in the Grade 3 Miami Mile at Calder in April. Summer Front has three wins and two seconds in his last seven graded stakes starts with two sevenths sandwiched in there but is expected to be competitive Saturday. He has won eight of 15 career turf tries and will get Joe Bravo to ride from post 5.

Silentio - made his stakes debut with a terrific win in the Grade 2 Sir Beaufort Stakes at Santa Anita December 26, 2012 and followed that with an OK third in the Grade 2 Arcadia Stakes at Santa Anita February 2, a nice second in the 2013 Frank E. Kilroe Mile March 3 and a disappointing fifth in the Grade 1 Maker's 46 Mile April 12. He went on to a pair of decent thirds - behind Obviously in the Breeders' Cup Mile at 31-1 odds and in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile August 25 and ended his 2013 campaign with a terrific win over both Summer Front and Winning Prize in the Grade 2 Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park in November. He has been just OK in two starts in 2014 - a third last time out in the Grade 3 American Stakes followed a fifth in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile here in March. Silentio will have Victor Espinoza aboard from post 7 Saturday having placed in four of his last five starts.

Pulpit's Express - John Sadler trained gelding races in graded stakes company for the first time Saturday off an Allowance Optional Claiming score on this track May 26. He has a win, a second and a third in five starts this year and has four wins, two seconds and fourth thirds in 20 career starts. Drayden Van Dyck gets the call from gate 6.