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Month: June 2021
Acclimate Makes It Look Easy, Takes Marathon San Juan Capistrano For Second Time
As Yogi Berra once famously noted, “It's déjà vu all over again.” Such was the case in the 81st running of the Grade 3, $100,000 San Juan Capistrano Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., as 7-year-old California-bred gelding Acclimate skipped to a 3 ¾-length victory, replicating his gate-to-wire score in the 2019 San Juan. Trained by Phil D'Amato, who collected his third consecutive win in Santa Anita's signature turf marathon, Acclimate was ridden by Ricky Gonzalez, who coaxed 1 3/4 miles out of the son of Acclamation in 2:49.74.
With a traditional hillside start, Acclimate went right to the front and had his ears up as he made the dirt crossing at the top of the lane. With a two-length advantage around the clubhouse turn, Acclimate was running easily while pursued by Ward 'n Jerry and Pillar Mountain in the run up the backside.
With three furlongs to run, Gonzalez stepped on the gas, but eventual runner-up Astronaut was about to make an eye-catching run of his own around the far turn. Although he loomed into contention a quarter mile out, Astronaut was unable to sustain his bid and Acclimate made it look easy as he widened his margin late.
“Just get him in front, nice and comfortable is where he likes to be,” said Gonzalez, who had ridden him to a close second place finish going a mile and one quarter on turf in the G2 Charles Whittingham Stakes on May 29. “Just keep the other horses away from him and he's as happy as he could be. I was really happy.
“We barely got beat last time. It was just the head bob, but after the wire he was in front again, so in knew the distance wasn't going to be a problem for him. Today, I'm just relieved that he got it done so easy.”
Off as the 2-1 favorite in a field of six 3-year-olds and up, Acclimate paid $6.00, $3.80 and $2.60.
Bred by Old English Rancho and Sal and Patsy Berumen, Acclimate is out of the Boundary mare Knows No Bounds. He is owned by the Ellwood Johnston Family Trust, Timmy Time Racing, LLC and Ken Tevelde and had been winless since winning the G2 Del Mar Handicap nine starts back on Aug. 17, 2019. With his third graded stakes win in-hand, Acclimate is now 25-7-4-4 and with the winner's share of $60,000, increased his earnings to $557,872.
“This horse, he's been through the highs and lows and he's bounced back,” said an emotional D'Amato, Santa Anita's leading trainer with 50 wins, 15 of them stakes, second to Bob Baffert's 17 stakes victories. “He's just an old warrior and he gave it his all today. It's just a beautiful thing to watch. … Ricky did a masterful job of maintaining the distance and setting those comfortable fractions to have enough horse left. It's a credit to him and the horse. To dial those fractions in the way he did, Ricky rode like a seasoned veteran at this distance.
“The San Juan Capistrano was my favorite race growing up. When I was a kid coming to the races, this is the race I always came to see. I thought this was an “A” performance for him today and this is a horse I would target for the Del Mar Handicap. He has been lightly raced. We gave him a short break and he has come back better than ever.”
Off at 8-1 with Victor Espinoza up, Astronaut finished 1 ¼ lengths in front of 2020 San Juan winner Red King and paid $8.20 and $4.20 while off at 8-1.
Trained by D'Amato and ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Red King was the second choice at 2-1 and paid $2.40 to show while finishing three lengths in front of Ward 'n Jerry.
Fractions on the race were 48.19, 1:11.56, 1:35.48 and 2:00.30.
With four stakes on tap, first post time for an 11-race card on closing day Sunday is at 1 p.m. PT. There will be mandatory payouts in all exotic wagers, including the 20 cent Rainbow Pick Six, which has a Jackpot carryover of $188,751 heading into tomorrow.
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Fi Fi Pharoah Makes Last-To-First Move En Route To Melair Victory
Unexpectedly last early, Terry Lovingier's homebred Fi Fi Pharoah battled through the lane with Eddie's New Dream to win by a half length in Saturday's $150,000 Melair Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Trained by Walther Solis and ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Fi Fi Pharoah, a 3-year-old daughter of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, got 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.41.
Breaking from the number three post position, Fi Fi Pharoah, who had pressed the pace en route to a one-length maiden score going a flat mile on May 15, found herself last in a field of eight, about 10 lengths off of dueling leaders Mucha Woman and Omg It's Jessica around the clubhouse turn.
Next to last by a similar margin and on the move with three furlongs to run, Fi Fi Pharoah wheeled four-deep turning for home as a hot early pace took its toll on the front-runners.
With Eddie's New Dream and Mario Gutierrez taking the lead at the top of the lane, Fi Fi Pharoah joined the battled with a furlong to run and prevailed in a game effort.
“Last time, it worked for her with Rispoli,” said Solis in reference to the maiden score on May 15. “I didn't think we would get beat this time. She just ran from the three eighths, she knows when she has to speed up. When she got in front, she started waiting for everybody. She's a classy filly. I knew the filly was coming in 100 percent. I told Terry, 'We got the filly.'”
Off as the 2-1 favorite in a field of California-bred or sired three-year-old fillies, Fi Fi Pharoah paid $6.00, $3.60 and $2.60.
Co-owned by Lovingier, Tom Beckerle and Amanda Navarro, Fi Fi Pharoah, who is out of the Ghostzapper mare My Fiona, notched her first stakes winin the Melair and improved her overall mark to 5-2-1-1. With the winner's share of $90,000, she increased her earnings to $178,560.
“She's so lazy in the mornings, she won't give you anything until she reaches the quarter pole and takes off, so that's what I was expecting for the race,” said Rispoli. “I knew the pace was on, so I stayed inside because she doesn't mind staying back until I find a nice gap. I was following Mario (Gutierrez, aboard Eddie's New Dream) until I had a chance to go into the clear.”
Eddie's New Dream who finished 2 ½ lengths clear of I'm So Anna, was off at 7-2 and paid $4.00 and $2.80.
Ridden by Flavien Prat, I'm So Anna was the second choice at 5-2 and paid $2.40 while finishing 6 ¼ lengths in front of Pawnee.
Fractions on the race were 23.49, 47.47, 1:12.93 and 1:39.54.
The Melair is part of the lucrative Golden State Series. Sponsored by the CTBA, the Golden State Series is for eligible California-bred or sired horses.
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Desormeaux Springs 15-1 Snow Chief Upset Aboard Jimmy Blue Jeans
Attentive to the pace throughout, longshot Jimmy Blue Jeans was all heart late as he held off heavily favored None About the Law by a neck in Saturday's $150,000 Snow Chief Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Trained by Golden Gate Fields-based Andy Mathis and ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Jimmy Blue Jeans got 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.69.
Second, just off the hip of early pacesetter Found My Ball, Jimmy Blue Jeans seemed relaxed while into a rhythmic stride up the backside, took command a sixteenth of a mile from home and prevailed under the veteran Desormeaux, who notched his 147th career stakes win at Santa Anita.
“I only spoke to the assistant (trainer) and he told me to just try to get him home and he'll probably be forwardly placed and just try to enjoy the ride,” said Desormeaux, who was aboard for the first time today. “That's all he said. This ride started two or three days ago, I was a tour guide for the owners. I had to show them where to get licensed and everything, so this is a nice omen, I think is what it is.”
Well beaten by None Above the Law two starts back going one mile on synthetic Tapeta at Golden Gate April 25, Jimmy Blue Jeans came off a first condition allowance win at one mile on turf at Golden Gate on May 16 and was off at 15-1 in a field of nine California-bred or sired 3-year-olds and returned $33.40, $10.60, and $6.80 .
A 3-year-old gelding by James Street, out of the Marino Marini mare Blue Blizzard, Jimmy Blue Jeans is owned by his owner/breeders Perry Bruno and John Gezon. With his first stakes win, “Jimmy” bagged $90,000 on the day and increased his earnings to $143,646.
“This is the biggest race I've won yet,” said Bruno, who made the trip with an entourage from his home in Salt Lake City, Utah. “It's like surreal, it's so good, it's like a dream. I'm just a small guy who owns a couple of mares with my partner, John Gezon.”
Ridden by Flavien Prat, None Above the Law was mid-pack most of the trip, had to wait for room between horses turning for home and flew late to just miss. Off at even money, he paid $2.80 and $2.40.
Ferrariano, ridden by Abel Cedillo, finished a nose back in third and paid $5.20 to show while off at 12-1.
Fractions on the race were 23.06, 47.60, 1:11.86 and 1:36.69.
The Snow Chief is part of the lucrative Golden State Series. Sponsored by the CTBA, the Snow Chief is for eligible California-bred or sired horses.
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