ARCADIA, Calif. – If making it to the top is half the battle, staying on top is twice as difficult. That is the challenge facing a pair of turf division leaders Saturday at Santa Anita. Motorious, a veteran gelding who is California’s top turf sprinter, and Will Then, a lightly raced 2-year-old filly fresh off a decisive victory in a Grade 3, will try to maintain leadership in separate stakes races Saturday. Both face worthy adversaries. Motorious, runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, tops the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez on the Santa Anita hill. His rivals include comeback course specialist Air Force Red and improving allowance winner Central Dispatch. Nine entered the Hernandez, race 6. Will Then, winner of the Jimmy Durante at Del Mar, starts in the $100,000 Blue Norther for juvenile fillies at a mile on turf. She faces two unlucky rivals – Resolve, third in the Durante after a bad trip, and Durante gate scratch Supa Speed. Nine entered the Blue Norther, race 8. The $200,000 Hernandez was moved from spring to winter in 2017, and has been run at varying configurations since – twice on the hill, once at 5 1/2 furlongs on the flat, twice at 6 1/2 furlongs on the flat, back to the hill, and last year back to the flat. This year’s Hernandez is on the hill, which suits horse-for-course Motorious. :: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports Phil D’Amato trains Motorious, 2 for 4 on the hillside, including the Grade 3 San Simeon in 2023. Beaten a neck in the BC Turf Sprint last out, a historical quirk suggests bettors tread lightly. BC Turf Sprint runners-up have underachieved running back in 60 days. Only one of seven won; four lost as the favorite. The glitch does not preclude Motorious from victory under Antonio Fresu, it merely cautions possible underlay odds. Motorious is the 5-2 program favorite against Air Force Red and Central Dispatch. Neither ran in the BC Turf Sprint. Air Force Red, who won the 2022 Hernandez, finished second in the Grade 2 Eddie D on the Santa Anita hill in late September, and was pre-entered in the BC Turf Sprint by trainer Leonard Powell. “We did consider the Breeders’ Cup, but then when we looked at the pre-entries, we said let’s freshen him up and have a big [2025].” Powell noted the five-furlong BC Turf Sprint was too short anyway. Juan Hernandez rides Air Force Red, whose seven hillside starts have produced three wins and two seconds. Flavien Prat replaces Hernandez on Central Dispatch, a lightly raced 4-year-old who is 2 for 2 since moving to turf. Central Dispatch got chewed up in a pace duel in his September comeback, after which trainer John Sadler switched surfaces. Arrogate progeny prefer dirt, but Sadler said, “He moved like a turf horse and I thought I’d try him.” Good move. Central Dispatch wired an entry-level hillside allowance, followed by a second-level Del Mar allowance that was better yet. A front-runner, Central Dispatch got pinballed and lost position at the break. His hopes were dashed. However, Central Dispatch would have none of that. He rallied wide, was up by a head, and has trained super since. “He looks like he’s really stepping up, he went beautiful [Sept. 21],” Sadler said, referring to a five-furlong work on synthetic. The field also includes Code Duello, Sumter, Irideo, Unconquerable Keen, Gaslight Dancer, and Sorrento Sky. Blue Norther In the Blue Norther, Will Then will try to replicate her recent Grade 3 win. Jonathan Thomas trains Will Then, whose rider is Vincent Cheminaud. When she won the Jimmy Durante, Will Then benefited by misfortune that affected of Resolve and Supa Speed. Resolve got stalled in traffic into and through the far turn, was shuffled back, then re-rallied to finish third by three lengths. Resolve is trained by Powell, who said, “I don’t know if we would’ve beaten the winner, but we would’ve been second for sure.” Frankie Dettori is the new rider for Resolve, who can turn the tables on Will Then. As for Supa Speed, she merely wants to compete. A debut winner and stakes runner-up, Supa Speed had an impossible trip in her third start, and was among the Jimmy Durante favorites at post time. Supa Speed reared in the gate, was taken out, and threw another fit. When her hind end touched the ground, she was automatically scratched. Her trainer, Sadler, went back to the drawing board and gate-schooled her repeatedly. “It wasn’t like we had to fix a major problem. I think it was a one-off,” Sadler said. The field for the Blue Norther also includes Schilflied, Tigerish, Don’t Tell Tammo, Sea Runner, Ce La Vi Charlie, and Casalu. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.