Although a close third in his most recent graded stakes assignment in Kentucky, trainer Jeff Mullins’ Itsinthepost appears well positioned to reassert his dominance over the Southern California turf division as heads a field of eight 3-year-olds and up in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Charles Whittingham Stakes, to be contested at a mile and a quarter over the Santa Anita turf.  A winner of three consecutive graded turf stakes earlier this year, French-bred Itsinthpost was beaten three quarters of a length as the 2-1 favorite going a mile and a half in a Grade II Stakes at Keeneland April 21.

California-bred What a View broke a three-game skid with a gate to wire score going a mile on turf in the Grade III American Stakes April 21 and he’ll try to stretch his speed an extra quarter mile in the Whittingham.

Third to What a View in the American, Kenjisstorm makes his third start for trainer Richard Baltas on Saturday, while Phil D’Amato’s Irish-bred Syntax returns from Northern California in search of a hot pace.

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