Preakness Combo Reunite With Formidable Man in Shoemaker Mile

Wandering Eyes · May 25

After striking gold beyond the boundaries of the Golden State with Journalism (Curlin) in the GI Preakness Stakes a little more than a week ago, jockey Umberto Rispoli and trainer Michael McCarthy are liable to find themselves front and center on the special Memorial Day program at Santa Anita with Formidable Man (City of Light) in the GI Shoemaker Mile Stakes. And if statistics are anything to go by, they should prove tough to handle, as the duo has combined to win at something around 27% at the Great RIP over the course of the last 17 months.

The Italian reinsman has been in the saddle for the 4-year-old's last five visits to the races, of which Formidable Man has won four, including the GI Hollywood Derby ahead of a forgettable performance in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf, for which McCarthy gives his charge a pass, owing to the chaotic environment on Pegasus Day. The colt backed up that opinion with a half-length defeat of Zio Jo (Nyquist) and Cabo Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile) in the GI F.E. Kilroe Mile Stakes over Monday's course and trip Mar. 1.

Mi Hermano Ramon (Creative Cause) also shipped out for the Pegasus and struck traffic at a critical stage before finishing fourth, beaten just over two lengths behind recent GI Turf Classic hero Spirit of St Louis (Medaglia d'Oro). He charged home to be fifth in the Kilroe and would benefit from any sort of contested pace up front, a scenario which seems likely.

Rispoli and McCarthy also have a puncher's chance in the afternoon's other elite-level contest, the Gamely Stakes, with Liguria (War Front). Winner of the GIII Jimmy Durante Stakes on this circuit in 2022 when trained by Chad Brown, the 5-year-old returned from 15 1/2-month absence to be a very good third in the GIII Megahertz Stakes Feb. 1 before getting up on the line to take out the GII Buena Vista Stakes a month later.

Public Assembly (More Than Ready) also raced for Brown early in her career, winning her maiden from four starts, but she is perfect in two tries for the Phil d'Amato barn, including an 8-1 surprise in the GIII Royal Heroine Stakes Apr. 26.

Between the two turf contests is the storied GII Hollywood Gold Cup, in which East Coast raider Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) should prove a tough nut to crack. An admirable third to Cody's Wish (Curlin) in his only other visit to Santa Anita back in 2023, the veteran has since added four more graded stakes to his CV, including a successful defense of his title in the GIII Challenger Stakes at Tampa Mar. 8, but he was most recently a well-beaten third to First Mission (Street Sense) when looking for consecutive victories in the GII Oaklawn Handicap Apr. 19. His current career earnings of over $3.5 million is about double of what his six rivals have bankrolled combined.

The McCarthy-conditioned Extensive (City of Light) is the least-exposed runner in the field and arguably the one with the most upside as he makes his graded debut at career start number five. An easy maiden winner going a mile Mar. 16, Everett Dobson's homebred Beyered 99 when taking an 8 1/2-furlong allowance Apr. 6

In the two other holiday gradeds, 'TDN Rising Star' Two Sharp (Twirling Candy) squares off with GI Derby City Distaff runner-up Hope Road (Quality Road) in the GIII Winning Colors Stakes at Churchill Downs, while the outstanding Louisiana-bred Touchuponastar (Star Guitar), two-back winner of the GII New Orleans Classic, looks to add the GIII Steve Sexton Mile Stakes, a race in which he has completed the exacta in each of its last two runnings. He was defeated by a neck by Heroic Move (Quality Road) last year.