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Express Train Breaks Through With San Pasqual Triumph At Santa Anita

C R K Stable's Express Train sat a perfect trip and rallied through the stretch to take Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes by 3 ¼ lengths, with his next stop scheduled to be the G1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 6. Trained by John Shirreffs and ridden by Juan Hernandez, Express Train got 1 1/8 miles over a Santa Anita main track listed as “good” in 1:52.13.

A close fourth, about two lengths off of Tizamagician around the clubhouse turn, Express Train saved ground at the rail, angled out a quarter mile from home and rallied three-deep through the lane while finding his best stride late in a very impressive effort.

“The difference was the distance (of) a mile and an eighth and different horses,” said Hernandez, who had ridden Express Train to a second place finish behind top rated Charlatan going seven furlongs in the G1 Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26. “He loves going short and going long, so you can do whatever you want with him, he's a really nice horse.

“…There were three horses that tried to go to the lead and my horse relaxed pretty well behind them. … I was just waiting to (get into) the stretch to let him run, that's what (he) did. Around the turn before the stretch, I checked, I went outside and I was clear and he started running again.”

The second choice at 5-2 in a field of five, Express Train paid $7.20, $3.60 and $2.20.

“We knew there was plenty of speed in the race and it worked out fine,” said Shirreffs. “Juan fits this horse very well, show me a horse that he doesn't fit. When you speak to him, he exudes confidence. He's a rider. We'll stay home and run in the Big 'Cap (1 ¼ miles on March 6).”

A 4-year-old colt by Union Rags, out of the Mineshaft mare I'm a Flake, Express Train notched his first stakes win in his eighth career start. With the winner's share of $120,000, he increased his earnings to $293,300 from an overall mark of 8-3-3-0.

Tizamagician, ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, proved extra game, holding off even money favorite Idol by a neck for the place. Off at 5-1, Tizamagician paid $5.00 and $2.60.

Idol, unhurried early while an attentive last to the far turn, never threatened for the win, finishing 1 ¼ lengths in front of longshot Zestful. Ridden by eastern-based Gabriel Saez, Idol paid $2.10 to show.

Although Saturday turned out to be a spectacularly sunny day with the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains serving as a backdrop, the track took on 2.4 inches of rain through noon Friday, resulting in slower times throughout the afternoon.

Fractions on the San Pasqual were 23.84, 48.74, 1:13.70 and 1:39.26.

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Will’s Secret, Court Upset Coach To Earn Kentucky Oaks Points In Martha Washington

Rallying wide into the stretch under veteran Jon Court, Will Horton Racing LLC's homebred Will's Secret won Saturday's $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes on a muddy track at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark. Coach, the 4-5 favorite from the Brad Cox barn, finished 5 1/4 lengths back in second, with Joy's Rocket third and Sylvia Q fourth in the field of six 3-year-olds competing for 17 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points (10-4-2-1 to the top four finishers).

A 3-year-old Kentucky-bred by Will Take Charge, who won an Eclipse Award for Horton as champion 3-year-old male in 2013, Will's Secret is trained by Dallas Stewart. He covered one mile on a muddy track in 1:38.7 and paid $18 to win.

Court allowed Will's Secret to sit in the pocket just behind pacesetter Joy's Rocket, who was engaged by Lady Lilly and Sylvia Q through much of the Martha Washington. Fractions were :23.1, :47.35 and 1:12.37 for the first six furlongs.

Court Will's Secret to the outside on the far turn, rallying around the three frontrunners and was four wide into the stretch. Lady Lilly was the first to yield, with Sylvia Q then dropping back. That left Joy's Rocket on the lead, and Will's Secret quickly put her away and drew off for the win. Coach was up late to get the runner-up spot under Florent Geroux by a half length over Joy's Rocket.

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Drain The Clock Overcomes Recent Colic, Dominates Swale Stakes At Gulfstream

Drain the Clock kept on ticking in Saturday's $100,000 Claiborne Farm Swale (G3) at Gulfstream Park, running his South Florida record to 4-for-4 with a dominating 6 ¼-length triumph.

The Swale, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds, was featured on a 12-race program with five graded stakes, headlined by the $200,000 Holy Bull (G3).

Drain the Clock, whose only loss in five career starts came at Delta Downs when his rider was unseated after a rein broke, was particularly impressive Saturday when it was revealed that the son of Maclean's Music was treated for a case of colic less than two weeks earlier.

“He made it easy today, but 12 days ago he colicked really bad and went to the clinic. Thank God, he got there, and he was good,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “To see him win like that today – he's a good horse. We had to make the call after he breezed on Tuesday. There was no pressure to run. He worked good Tuesday and didn't give us any reason to say, 'no.'”

Owned by Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Racing Stables LLC, Wonder Stables and Michael Nentwig, Drain the Clock was sent to post as the even-money favorite in a field of six on the strength of his 7 ½-length victory in the six-furlong Limehouse Stakes Jan. 2 at Gulfstream. The Kentucky-bred colt broke alertly from the starting gate to rate outside pacesetter Poppy's Pride, who set fractions of 22.48 and 45.27 seconds for the first half-mile. Drain the Clock moved effortless to the lead under Edgar Zayas on the turn into the stretch and continued on to score a comfortable victory.

Drain the Clock ran seven furlongs in 1:23.29 after being taken under wraps approaching the finish.

“I'm very impressed. He's just improving every race. He's such an easy horse to ride. He breaks out of the gate like a rocket and positions himself in a perfect spot, and when it's time to run he kicks on. He's a really nice horse,” Zayas said. “I think he's maturing a lot. He's running way more straight and more focused into the race. Sometimes inside the gate he was a little nervous but today he was awesome. I think he's improving; hopefully he can stretch out his speed a little bit more.”

King's Ovation and Ultimate Badger, the longest and second-longest shots on the board, finishes second and third for trainer Dale Romans.

Drain the Clock won his Sept. 12 debut in a five-furlong off-the-turf race at Gulfstream by six lengths and came right back to win a first-level optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream Park West. Favored in the Nov. 30 Jean Lafitte Stakes at Delta Downs, Drain the Clock lost his rider after a rein broke during the race, but has rebounded nicely with back-to-back scores in the Limehouse and Swale.

The $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) Feb. 27 at Gulfstream Park will be taken into consideration for Drain the Clock's next start, Joseph said.

“Everything will be under consideration. We'll talk to the owners, obviously, but there's no pressure to push that route. If everything goes good, I'm sure we'll try it,” Joseph said. “He looks like he'll get further.”

The 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth is the major prep for the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby presented by Hill 'n Dale at Xalapa.

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American Power Gives Trainer Atras First Graded Win In Toboggan

American Power made his first stakes appearance in 16 months a winning one, dueling pacesetter Pete's Play Call in the stretch before taking command in the final sixteenth of a mile to win the 128th running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Toboggan for 4-year-olds and up by a half length on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Owned by Sanford Goldfarb, Irwin Goldfarb and the Estate of Ira Davis, American Power was making his first stakes start since running fourth in the Grade 1 Vosburgh in September 2019 at Belmont Park. The 6-year-old son of Power Broker broke well from the outermost post under jockey Kendrick Carmouche and stalked the pace of Pete's Play Call, who led the five-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 24.08 seconds and the half in 48.11 on the fast main track.

Pete's Play Call, under rider Jorge Vargas, Jr., maintained his slim lead out of the turn, staying near the rail as American Power sustained pressure to his outside when straightened for home. The duo continued to go stride-for-stride until American Power earned the advantage in deep stretch, completing the seven-furlong course in a final time of 1:24.28.

American Power, trained by Rob Atras, won his third consecutive race overall in taking the first graded stakes of 2021 on the New York Racing Association calendar. The effort built on his victory by a head against claimers on October 12 at a one-turn mile at Belmont followed by a 3 ¼-length score against optional claimers going seven furlongs on December 11 at the Big A.

“He had been training well going in,” Atras said. “When Kendrick rode him last time, he broke sharp and it seemed like he really got his confidence back. Kendrick had a game plan going in and it worked out great. The outside post definitely helped.”

Off at 4-1, American Power, bred in Kentucky by Gary and Mary West Stables, returned $9.20 on a $2 win wager. He improved his career earnings to $499,359 and also netted Atras his first career graded stakes victory.

“It feels great. I'm not sure if it's relief or what it is, but it's just a great feeling,” said Atras, who trained his first winner in 2009.

Carmouche, the Aqueduct winter meet's leading rider, registered his second Toboggan win, adding to his triumph in 2017 aboard Green Gratto.

“I had the best position looking at the whole screen,” Carmouche said. I thought Manny [Franco, aboard Share the Ride] would go a little bit with the other horse, but I had him in the position where he had to take back. I let the one horse go as easy as he can. When I got to the three-eighths pole I had so much horse I just made it a race home and make me or Vargas win the race. That's the way I looked at it and the horse ran good.

“Congratulations to Rob and his owners. That was Rob's first graded stakes win. It's a cold, brisk day but the winner's circle made us warmer,” he added.

American Power improved to 3-for-3 since Atras removed blinkers.

“These older horses know how to run,” Atras said. “When they're younger sometimes the blinkers helped because they need to focus up a bit. It came to the point where he didn't really need them. It's all about having confidence, ability and heart, and he has all three.”

Michael Dubb's Pete's Play Call, who won the Gravesend in his 8-year-old debut on January 2 at Aqueduct, finished 2 ¾-lengths clear of 6-5 favorite Share the Ride for runner-up status. The Rudy Rodriguez trainee has finished first or second in six of his last seven starts.

“He had no excuses,” Vargas, Jr. said “I would have liked to have been just behind [the pace], but we had the one hole, so we really had to go from the gate. He was just second best today.”

Drafted and Stan the Man completed the order of finish.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Aqueduct with a nine-race card, highlighted by the $100,000 Jimmy Winkfield for sophomores going seven furlongs in Race 8. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

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