More than two years after his Santa Anita Derby triumph, Stronghold made it back to the Santa Anita winner’s circle by outsprinting four opponents in the Grade III Triple Bend Stakes on Sunday.
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Phil D’Amato-trained Stronghold (who paid $3) and jockey Antonio Fresu tracked early lead Simple Song and then took over in the stretch. The Goat finished third in the U.S. debut for the Chilean Grade I winner.
“I’m glad he’s back in good form,” owner Rick Waller said of 5-year-old Stronghold, who was 0 for 6 at the stakes level at six tracks since the April 2024 Santa Anita Derby. “We’re looking forward to using this win to catapult him into a wonderful summer.”
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Waller said the Grade II San Diego Handicap on July 18 at Del Mar is a possible next race.
Fresu has a big week ahead. He’s scheduled to ride Vitruvian Man for trainer Doug O’Neill in the Belmont Stakes next Saturday at Saratoga. Vitruvian Man, third in the Santa Anita Derby, is the only California-based horse expected to be entered in the Belmont before post positions and morning-line odds are set Monday.