In Summation Heads Three Grade 1 Winners in El Conejo

In Summation with Nicholas Bachalard, assistant trainer to Cristophe Clemente, in the Santa Anita paddock 12/30/08.

Edited Santa Anita press release.
In Summation, fourth in October’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint, will be among three Grade I stakes winners in a field of five set to contest Santa Anita’s 28th running of the Grade III, $100,000 El Conejo Handicap at 5-1/2 furlongs on Thursday, New Year’s Day.

A newly-turned 6-year-old trained by Christophe Clemente for Waterford Stable, In Summation is the defending champion after setting a stakes record of 1:01.27 when victorious one year ago.

Rafael Bejarano will be aboard the Florida-bred who was assigned 120 pounds and will break from the outside post. In Summation has earned $1,115,066. His record of 10-6-1 in 26 starts includes a victory in Del Mar’s Grade I Bing Crosby Handicap in 2007.

Black Seventeen, seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint after taking the Grade I Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park, was assigned high weight of 121 pounds. Clinton Potts rides the 5-year-old trained by Brian Koriner. Black Seventeen has posted a 4-2-1 record in 11 races for earnings of $536,077.

Garrett Gomez is scheduled to ride Johnny Eves after riding the 5-year-old gelding to victory in the Nov. 22 Vernon O. Underwood Stakes, a Grade III event at Hollywood Park. Johnny Eves, victorious in Santa Anita’s Grade I Malibu Stakes in 2007, will carry 119 pounds. The California-bred, trained by Jay Robbins, shows a record of 6-4-0 in 18 starts with earnings of $485,120 for Mooncoin LLC.

The complete field for the El Conejo Handicap, with jockeys and weights in post position order: Machismo, Mike Smith, 115; Its in God’s Hands, Martin Garcia, 109; Johnny Eves, Garrett Gomez, 119; Black Seventeen, Clinton Potts, 121, and In Summation, Rafael Bejarano, 120.