RACING : Pleasant Tap Set to Go After 2nd Victory in the Strub Series

Pleasant Tap, winner of the Malibu Stakes on the opening day of the meeting, goes after the second charm on Santa Anita’s Strub Series chain, the $200,000-added San Fernando Stakes, on Saturday.

The added distance, 1 1/8 miles in the San Fernando compared to seven furlongs in the Malibu, should benefit Pleasant Tap, but the competition in the field of nine 4-year-olds will be considerably tougher. It includes four Grade I stakes winners, including Belmont Stakes victor Go And Go, plus two horses at the top of their form, Warcraft and In Excess.

With nine runners, the San Fernando’s gross purse will be $227,400 and the winner will earn $137,400.

Warcraft won his third race in four starts, but his first stakes of his career, in the Native Diver Handicap at Hollywood Park early last month, edging Pleasant Tap by a nose and Go And Go by a neck.

In Excess interfered with Warcraft’s string by beating him in the Volante Handicap in October. The Irish-bred colt also has wins in the Temperence Hill Handicap at Louisiana Downs and the San Gabriel Handicap at Santa Anita among his last four efforts, but he will be racing on dirt for the first time in his career on Saturday.

The full field, in post position order, includes Silver Ending, Defensive Play, Go And Go, My Boy Adam, Restless Con, Bedeviled, Pleasant Tap, In Excess, and Warcraft.