Irish-Bred Balnikhov tops Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes
At 0h03, on December 30, 2023 • By Santa Anita
Phil D’Amato’s classy Irish-bred Balnikhov cuts back in distance and heads a field of 12 three-year-olds an up going about 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita’s one of a kind hillside turf course in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes.
A fast finishing third, beaten one length going a mile and one sixteenth over the Del Mar lawn in the Grade II Seabiscuit Handicap Nov. 25, Balnikhov, a two-time graded stakes winner on grass, will be trying the hillside course for the first time on Saturday and will be ridden by Antonio Fresu, who guided him to a narrow second place finish four starts back in the Grade II Eddie Read Stakes on July 30.
A 4-year-old gelding owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stables, LLC and Old Bones Racing Stable, LLC, Balnikhov’s last win came six starts back in the Grade III San Francisco Mile on April 29. Although winless since then, he has competed well in a series of graded turf stakes at distances of 6 ½ furlongs to a mile and one eighth.
A winner of three stakes from 14 stateside stakes starts with D’Amato, Balnikhov is 22-6-5-3 overall with earnings of $664,343.
