Robert J. Frankel Stakes Top Contenders

by Bodog Racebook | Dec 27 2010

Kick off the New Year with the $150,000 Gr. 2 Robert J. Frankel Stakes – formerly the San Gorgonio Stakes – on Saturday, Jan. 1 at Santa Anita Park. The 1 1/8 mile turf race will feature fillies and mares 3 years old and up, and Harmonious, Éclair de Lune and Spring Style are among the nominated.

Harmonious will look to add to trainer John Shirreff's accolades at Santa Anita Park with a rebound performance after a disappointing Breeders' Cup. The 3-year-old (turning 4 on Jan. 1) has had an otherwise exceptional 2010 campaign with four of six wins on grass. After breaking her maiden on second asking on May 16 at Hollywood Park, this daughter of Dynaformer continued her winning ways with an allowance race victory on June 12 and her first graded stakes victory, the Gr. 1 American Oaks, on July 3 with a strong three-wide move. Her first graded stakes loss was in the Gr. 1 Del Mar Oaks at Del Mar in August, where she was runner-up to Evening Jewel after a hard-fought stretch run; she bounced back to claim her second grade 1 title in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland in October. She stretched out from her best distance at 1 1/8 miles to 1 3/8 miles for a shot at Breeders' Cup glory – but in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, she had a bumpy trip and faded from contention, finishing 10th. Back at 1 1/8 miles for the Robert J. Frankel Stakes, Harmonious will be among the favorites to add to her $502,420 in career earnings.

Also looking to bounce back from a tough Breeders' Cup is nominee Éclair de Lune.  This daughter of Marchand de Sable, who will turn 5 on Jan. 1, put together a solid 4-year-old campaign. After racing as a 3-year-old in France, Éclair de Lune needed an allowance race as well as two graded stakes races under her belt – the Gr. 2 Santa Barbara Stakes at Santa Anita Park in April and the Gr. 3 Modesty Stakes at Arlington Park in July – before breaking through in the Gr. 1 Beverly D. Stakes for her first graded stakes win. The Ron McAnally trainee then had a layoff of two-and-a-half months before her Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf effort, in which she finished sixth. The German-bred mare finished 2010 with a record of 5-1-1-0 and $478,320.

Ben Cecil's 5-year-old mare Spring Style, who will turn 6 on Jan. 1, is another nominated horse to watch. This daughter of Pivotal bookended her 2010 campaign with allowance race victories but could not break into the top three in her five stakes races starts in between, which included a meeting with Zenyatta in the Gr. 1 Clement L. Hirsch Handicap that ended in a fourth-place finish. She posted a 5 furlong breeze in 1:02.40 at Hollywood Park on Dec. 12 and will look to add to her career earnings of $155,477.

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