The 69th running of the $250,000 San Juan Capistrano Invitational (gr. II) takes place on Sunday at Santa Anita, closing day for the winter/spring meet. A field of eight will contest the 1 3/4 mile route, one of the longest stakes races run in North America.

Defending champion On the Acorn (GB) returns and breaks from the rail. Following his score in this race last year, he won the Jim Murray Memorial at Hollywood last May and then was off until February of this year. He ran third in the San Luis Obispo Handicap (gr. II) in his comeback, then was 6th in the hotly contested San Luis Rey Handicap.

Shamdinan (FR) is the number one threat in this race. The four-year-old son of Dr. Fong is a Grade 1 winner for trainer Doug O'Neill, who received the colt from Europe last summer and ran him "off the plane" in the Secretariat Stakes (gr. I), which he won. Following a respectable fifth against older hoses in the Man o' War (gr. I), Shamdinan was turned over to Angel Penna, Jr., who guided the colt to a second place finish in the Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. I) behind English Channel. Following a shocking performance in the Gulfstream Park Turf (gr. I), where he finished 9th, Shamdinan returned to California and to O'Neill. This will be his first start back.

Victorian Prince (IRE) is worth a look, despite having the fewest starts in the field. Two for six lifetime, the colt is coming in off a neck victory over this same rare distance on April 5th. Patrick Gallagher trains and Joe Talamo will ride.

Porfido (Chi) is eight for twenty seven and has over $400,000 in earnings. He was second in the San Luis Rey Handicap (Gr. II) under David Flores, who will ride today for trainer Bobby Frankel. The pair won a 1 1/8 mile allowance in January on the Santa Anita turf.

Warning Zone is a son of Chester House for trainer John Sadler whose three lifetime wins have all been on the turf. He won the War Chant Stakes at Hollywood Park in November and last out was third in the San Luis Rey.

Big Booster, a seven-year-old gelding who does most of his running on synthetic surfaces; Plug Me In, who last won Septemer 23rd at Fairplex Park; and the eight-year-old Fitz Flag (ARG), who hasn't won since December of 2006, round out the field.