by Mike Curry

The $100,000 Morvich Handicap (G3) on Wednesday will highlight opening day of the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita Park, which this year will host the Breeders’ Cup World Championships on October 24-25.

The Morvich winner earns an automatic starting spot in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series.

Contested on the 6 1/2-furlong downhill turf course, the Morvich drew a deep field that includes five graded stakes winners.

Get Funky won the Morvich last year for owner Keith Abrahams and trainer John Sadler and will attempt to post a repeat victory. Get Funky has won two of three starts this year. He enters the Morvich off consecutive victories and was assigned high weight of 121 pounds.

The five-year-old Straight Man horse won the Robert K. Kerlan Memorial Handicap on July 6 at Hollywood Park and enters off a one-length win in the Green Flash Handicap on August 13 at Del Mar.

Hickory Tree Stable’s Rebellion (GB), who finished eighth in the NetJets Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) last year, has made each of his four starts this season on synthetic surfaces for trainer Graham Motion. The five-year-old Mozart (Ire) horse won the Commonwealth Stakes (G2) at Keeneland Race Course on April 12 and the Ack Ack Stakes (G3) on June 7 at Hollywood Park.

A stakes winner on turf in 2007, Rebellion enters the Morvich off a runner-up finish in the Pat O’Brien Handicap (G2) on August 24 at Del Mar. Rebellion will carry 120 pounds in the Morvich.

Grade 1 winner Siren Lure will attempt to halt a losing skid that spans ten starts since he won the 2006 Pat O’Brien Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G2).

Multiple graded stakes winner Desert Code has won three of four starts on the downhill turf course at Santa Anita, including the 2007 Baldwin Stakes (G3) and the Joe Hernandez Stakes on March 22. The E Dubai colt enters off a fifth-place finish in the Triple Bend Invitational Handicap (G1) on July 5 at Hollywood Park.

Ten Meropa also has a victory on the unique course as the Johannesburg colt won the Baldwin Stakes (G3) on March 2.

The Morvich also drew multiple graded stakes-placed winners Tropic Storm and Soul City Slew and stakes winner One Union.

Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor

The field, in post-position order, with (sire), jockey, weight, and trainer:

  1. Rebellion [GB] (Mozart [IRE]), Rafael Bejarano, 120, H. Graham Motion;

  2. Siren Lure (Joyeux Danseur), Alex O. Solis, 117, Art Sherman;

  3. Soul City Slew (Slew City Slew), Martin Garcia, 115, Doug F. O'Neill;

  4. Get Funky (Straight Man), Jose Valdivia, Jr., 121, John W. Sadler;

  5. Ten Meropa (Johannesburg), Tyler Baze, 114, Jeff Mullins;
 
  6. Easy On The Eye [AUS] (Easy Rocking [AUS]), Corey S. Nakatani, 113, Steve Knapp;

  7. Five Star Thief (Cat Thief), Joel Rosario, 114, Mike R. Mitchell;

  8. One Union (Dixie Union), Victor Espinoza, 117, Richard E. Mandella;

  9. California Flag (Avenue of Flags), Joseph Talamo, 114, Brian J. Koriner;

10. Tropic Storm (Stormy Atlantic), Aaron T. Gryder, 117, Craig Dollase;

11. Matto Mondo [CHI] (Sir Cat), Mike E. Smith, 116, Richard E. Mandella; and

12. Desert Code (E Dubai), Garrett K. Gomez, 117, David E. Hofmans.