Idle since winning the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 8, trainer Tim Yakteen's Practical Move returned to action in a big way on Friday at Santa Anita, as he waltzed to a four-length victory in a one mile classified allowance, getting the trip under Ramon Vazquez in 1:35.14.
In a race reduced by three scratches to a field of four 3-year-olds and up, Practical Move sat a perfect trip, just off of dueling leaders Newgrange and Tripoli into and around the Club House turn. As the field turned up the backside, it was Newgrange at the rail and Tripoli to his outside, with Practical Move about 1 ½ lengths off the lead a half mile from home.
Around the far turn, Practical Move glided into contention while well within himself and made the lead in the four-path leaving the quarter pole in-hand under Vazquez, who would go on to register his third win of the afternoon.
As for any speculation as to where Practical Move would run next, including the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic or the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, both at Santa Anita on Nov. 4, Yakteen declined to speculate.
“We were hoping for this,” he said. “Very happy with the way he ran, he'd been training very well but you never know until you run 'em…Things set up well for us today and he replicated what he's been doing in the morning.
“We're going to take a day or two, think about where we'll go next and we'll figure it out. I'll get together with Peter and Leslie (Amestoy, part owners along with Roger Beasley) and then we'll take it from there.”
The 2-5 favorite, Practical Move returned $2.80 and $2.20 with no show wagering.
By the Into Mischief stallion Practical Joke out of the Afleet Alex mare Ack Naughty, Practical Move, who was bred in Kentucky by Chad Brown and Head of Plains Partners, now has five wins from eight starts. With today's winner's share of $39,000 from total purse money of $65,000, Practical Move now has earnings of $923,200.
Tripoli, a 6-year-old full horse trained by John Sadler and a winner of the G1 Pacific Classic in 2021, was sent aggressively from his outside post and prevailed by three quarters of a length over 5-2 second choice Newgrange.
Off at 6-1, Tripoli paid $4.00 to place.
Fractions on the race were 21.79, 44.92, 1:09.47 and 1:22.18.
Racing resumes with first post time for a 10-race card on Saturday at 1 p.m. Admission gates open at 11 a.m.
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