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Secret Circle, who culminated an undefeated freshman season with a victory in the inaugural Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint at Churchill Downs, will have his classic potential put to the test when he breaks from post 4 in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Sham Stakes over one mile. The Bob Baffert-trained colt is one of six colts and geldings in the Sham, which kicks off Santa Anita's series of preps for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.

Though unraced beyond the Juvenile Sprint distance of six furlongs, at which he also won the Jack Goodman Stakes two back, Secret Circle is certainly bred to be effective going a route of ground. The bay is by Eddington, who won the Grade 1 Pimlico Special and Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap at 1 3/16 miles, who in turn was by the champion Unbridled, who notably captured both the Derby and Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic.

Secret Circle will undoubtedly be required to harness his speed in the Sham. A dominating winner of his first two starts by a combined margin of 12 1/2 lengths, Secret Circle pressed a blazing opening quarter of :20 4/5 in the Juvenile Sprint, led after a half-mile in :44 2/5, and finished a length in front at the wire in a time of 1:10 2/5. Perhaps a bit too keen that day while donning blinkers for the first time, the colt will race without them in the Sham.

Adding blinkers for the Sham will be Longview Drive, the Jerry Hollendorfer-trained son of Pulpit who was a multiple stakes winner on the Northern California fair circuit at two. In his juvenile finale, the chestnut rallied to finish third in the Grade 3 Delta Downs Jackpot after trailing the field early.

A pair of last-out maiden winners have the potential to make noise. Trainer Steve Asmussen will saddle Hierro, who ran off by 5 1/4 lengths in a seven-furlong maiden at Churchill Downs on November 9 in his third career start. Also entered off a recent graduation is the Darley homebred Out of Bounds, who prevailed by three parts of a length going seven furlongs on Hollywood Park's Cushion Track December 10.

The Sham field is completed by the Grade 3 Generous Stakes runner-up Handsome Mike, who makes his dirt debut Saturday after finishing a close seventh in the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity, and the stakes-placed Senor Rain, who was pulled up in the Generous in his most recent outing.

While the early part of Santa Anita's Saturday program showcases three-year-olds in the Sham, older horses will be in the spotlight later in the day when the Grade 2, $150,000 San Pasqual Stakes features prospects for the upcoming Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap.

Headlining the 1 1/16-mile San Pasqual is multiple Grade 2 veteran Tres Borrachos, third in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile two back and a close second in the Grade 3 Native Diver Handicap last time. He's joined by Tweebster, the Native Diver third who was multiple Grade 2-placed at last year's Santa Anita meet; the Native Diver fourth Massone; Grade 3 victor Uh Oh Bango; and the lightly-raced six-year-old Java Man, who upset a one-mile allowance over Santa Anita's main track in October.

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