Triple Bend Stakes 2014 Contenders & Odds

Dave Bond | OTB Writer

Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 1 Triple Bend Stakes will be contested this Saturday, June 28 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A group of horses three years old and upward will take to Santa Anita's main track and dash seven furlongs in search of the winner's portion of the $300,000 purse.

A field of seven older entries will line up in the Triple Bend - race 6 on Santa Anita's Saturday schedule. Post time is 3:30 PM. Let's take a peek into the past performances of all seven combatants for this Grade 1 stakes.

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2014 Triple Bend Stakes Race Favorite Entries

Sahara Sky - Jerry Hollendorfer trained Sahara Sky raced in graded stakes company for the first time last January and recorded an impressive win - the 2013 Palos Verdes by one length January 19 at 21-1 odds. He followed that with another terrific win in the 2013 San Carlos February 23 and went on to the second place finish behind Swagger Jack in the 2013 Carter Handicap. He ended last year's campaign back in May with a win in the Grade 1 Met Handicap with a 110 Beyer Speed Figure at Belmont Park and returned to the winner's circle in the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at Santa Anita March 8 - after a disappointing last of five in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes February 2 and six months away. Last time out Sahara Sky was an ugly seventh as 5-2 favorite in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Stakes May 3 after an OK second in the 2014 Grade 1 Carter Handicap. He won four of his previous seven starts before the Churchill Downs Stakes debacle and will be looking to prove that result was the exception, not the norm. Joe Talamo gets the nod from post 4.

Cyclometer - defending sixth place finisher in this race is coming off a terrific win in the Grade 3 Los Angeles Stakes May 25 after an OK third in the Grade 3 Potrero Grande Stakes and a ninth in the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes in March. This after a fifth in the Donald Valpredo California Cup Sprint here January 25 and two wins and two seconds in his previous four starts - including the minor Midnight Lute Stakes on this track January 4. Cyclometer has six wins, five seconds and four third place finishes in 21 career starts and has is trending upward ahead of this weekend. He is winless in three tries at seven furlongs but figures to bring the speed and the confidence. Edwin Maldonado has the mount from post 6.

Drill - Bob Baffert trainee has four wins in 24 career starts but those wins are spaced out - no real consistently good results have come from this colt. He won the 2011 Del Mar Futurity and then took six more months before winning the Grade 2 San Vicente in February 2012 and then the Lazaro Barrera in May. He failed to place in his first six starts of last year however - five fourth place finishes including four starts in a row (the Grade 2 San Carlos, the Grade 3 San Simeon, the Grade 2 American Handicap and the Grade 1 Triple Bend) before finishing third in his next two starts - the minor Big Bear Stakes at Santa Anita October 31 and the minor Governor's Cup Handicap in September. He hasn't been great in 2014 - a fifth last time out in an Allowance Optional Claiming followed a sixth in the minor Clocker's Corner Stakes in January and an OK third to start his year in the Grade 2 San Pasqual here January 11. As mentioned, Drill has been very inconsistent. He looks for his first win since May, 2012 with Mike Smith in the saddle from gate 2.

Triple Bend Stakes 2014 | Remaining Contenders

Wine Police - finished eighth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint for new trainer Peter Miller and followed that with a respectable second in the listed Bill Thomas Memorial Stakes at Sunland Park March 23. Last time out was another decent second - behind Cyclometer in the Grade 3 Los Angeles Stakes here May 26 after a fifth in the Grade 2 Potrero Grande Stakes also on this track in April. Prior to the Breeders' Cup he won the listed Remington Park Sprint Cup, had a fourth in the Grade 2 Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar in August and had an Allowance Optional Claiming score also in August. Wine Police has five wins, three seconds and two third place finishes in 15 career starts and leaves from the outside post with Victor Espinoza aboard looking for a little revenge on Cyclometer.

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Declassify - Bob Baffert trained colt makes his stakes debut Saturday off just four career start that yielded two wins and a second place finish. He won his first two career starts including a maiden score by 11 1/2 lengths and an Allowance at Hollywood Park a year ago. He has just two starts since - a fourth in an Allowance in October and a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming on this track May 19. Declassify could surprise when he starts from the rail with Martin Garcia aboard.

Gladding - has 26 career starts with four wins, six seconds and three third place finishes. He looks for his first win since July, 2012 Saturday and his second graded stakes score - the last coming in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes in February, 2011. Gladding has just one start in 2014 - a second in a Claiming here May 22 after failing to place in his last two starts of 2013 - fifth place finishes in an Allowance Optional Claiming and the Grade 3 Longacres Mile. Fernando Hernandez Perez gets the call from post 3 as Gladding aboard an entry that looks to be in over his head.

Indexical - has two wins in six career starts including last time out - an Allowance Optional Claiming here May 17. Before that he failed to place in three starts including a seventh in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity in September. He looks to break through in graded stakes company for the first time Saturday with Mario Gutierrez guiding him from post 5.

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