Eagles Flight returns

Led by the stakes debut of Raw Ability in the GIII Royal Heroine, and the return of Eagles Flight in a second-level allowance, trainer John Sadler has prominent entrants in four of the 11 races on Saturday’s program at Santa Anita.

Eagles Flight, half brother to 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline, is entered in the fourth race going 1 1/16 miles on dirt. He is installed as the 6-5 morning line favorite in what will be his third straight allowance effort. Most recently, Flightline earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure when airing by 4 ½ lengths in a first-level allowance at a mile on March 8.

Sadler said he considered shipping Eagles Flight to Churchill Downs to run in a restricted stakes next week but instead opted “to run one more at home.”

“If he runs well here, we’ll jump into the stakes program at Del Mar,” Sadler added. Eagles Flight has worked five times at Santa Anita since his allowance win. Two weeks ago, he fired a bullet when drilling five furlongs in 59.0 seconds. He came back last Saturday with another five-furlong work in 58.80 seconds. “He’s ready to go,” Sadler said.

Eagles Flight will be joined in the lineup by stablemate For All Mankind (4-1). He will have regular rider Umberto Rispoli aboard. The other key principle in the field is Mirahmadi (9-5), who handed Eagles Flight his only loss in three starts on Jan. 4 at Santa Anita in a one-mile allowance. Mirahmadi, trained by Bob Baffert, returned to finish last in the GI Santa Anita Handicap after setting the pace on March 1.

Post time for the fourth race is set for 5:36 p.m. The field in post position order: For All Mankind, Hector Berrios (4-1); Mirahmadi, Juan Hernandez (9-5), Eagles Flight, Umberto Rispoli (6-5); Midnight Mammoth, Armando Ayuso (8-1); Arrowthegreat, Reylu Guiterrez (6-1).