Right at home at the marathon distance of about 1 3/4 miles on turf, trainer Richard Mandella's Brazilian-bred Planetario enjoyed a perfect ground-saving trip in Santa Anita's $100,000 San Juan Capistrano (G3) on Sunday, responding with an emphatic 4½-length win in course-record time.
Ridden by Hector Berrios, Planetario got the distance on the downhill turf in 2:48.08.
Well in hand out of the gate, Berrios had Planetario a relaxed fourth, about nine lengths off pacesetter Opry as the field crossed under the wire the first time around. Saving every inch of ground to the far turn, Planetario advanced toward both Opry and Birth of Cool and with those two tiring, Berrios tipped three deep turning for home and Planetario burst clear in the middle of the course en route to his first U.S. win.
“We were just trying to keep him fit and build his wind up,” said Mandella who notched his second win in Santa Anita's signature turf marathon, with his first coming in 1993 that season's eventual Horse of the Year Kotashaan.
“We also had the concern that he ran so well last time (second in the San Luis Rey Stakes [G3] on May 13), it raised the question of 'Did you leave something on the racetrack that day?' Obviously, he didn't, he gained from it.
“This is what racing should be about. Thoroughbred racing should be something like this, and to not push this race and not build it up is a mistake in my mind.”
Stretching out a quarter mile from the San Luis Rey, Planetario, a two-time Group I winner in Brazil who was making his third start for Mandella, was off 5-2 in a field of six 3-year-olds and up and paid $7.40 for the victory.
“My horse ran very comfortably,” said Berrios, fourth in the closing date jockey standings with 21 wins and second by stakes-with five added money tallies. “I was just waiting for the favorite (second-place finisher Offlee Naughty) to make his move and I think that was to our favor.
“I put him behind Joe Bravo's horse (Birth of Cool) and he relaxed a lot. Today, he was a way different horse than he was in his last race. He ran so strong, he left me surprised.”
Owned by his breeder, Red Rafa Stud Inc., Planetario, is a 5-year-old horse by Il Doge out of the Crimson Tide mare Aerospera. His career record stands at 6-1-0 from 11 starts, and with the winner's share of $60,000, he increased his lifetime earnings to $110,548.
The even-money favorite ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Offlee Naughty was last for most of the trip, loomed dangerously at the rail leaving the three-furlong pole but was outrun around the turn while getting shuffled back. Undeterred, he found his best stride late and rallied strongly for the place, finishing a nose in front of longshot Rimprotector.
Ridden by Kyle Frey, Rimprotector sat third for most of the trip and finished evenly as the longest shot in the field at 21-1 odds.
Irish-bred Duvet Day, the lone filly in the lineup, finished a length back in fourth with Juan Hernandez aboard.
Fractions on the San Juan Capistrano were :24.42, :48.80, 1:13.77, 1:40.71, and 2:07.40.
Sunday was Santa Anita's 28-day Hollywood Meet's closing day. Live racing will return to Arcadia, Calif. with opening day of the 2023 Autumn Meet on Friday, Sept. 29.
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