Although he looked beaten turning for home, Phil D'Amato's Newgrange surged when called upon and took Saturday's $200,000 San Pasqual (G2) at Santa Anita by one length over favored Hopper.
Ridden for the first time by Juan Hernandez, Newgrange got 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.97.
With Hopper and Parnelli battling on the front end, Newgrange went up to challenge Hopper as the field turned up the backside. Leaving the half-mile pole, Parnelli took up the chase and with a quarter mile to run, Newgrange found himself shuffled back and about two lengths off Hopper, but Hernandez sat chilly with an ace to play.
“I just left him alone when those horses got away from us a little bit, he kind of idled by himself,” said Hernandez, the meet's runaway leading rider who scored his third win on the day and his seventh added money victory. “I was hoping those horses would come back to me, but they weren't. I was riding really hard and this horse showed he's got a lot of heart.
“Turning for home, he was lugging in a little bit, but when he straightened up, he gave me another gear and got the job done.”
A two-time graded stakes winner early last year at age three, Newgrange was idle since finishing third in the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes Nov. 27 at Del Mar. Off at 4-1 in a field of nine older horses, Newgrange paid $10.40 for the win.
“I was confident at the three-eighths pole, I was definitely not confident at the quarter pole, but I just kind of saw Juan stay with him and re-engage,” said D'Amato. “This horse does this in some of his races, he likes to kind of disengage at the three-eighths pole and then come back on.
“He did that last time. I told Juan this horse is probably going to do that and don't give up, just stay with him. He did that and he got the job done.”
Originally trained by Bob Baffert but sold privately following his fourth start, a sixth-place finish in last year's Grade 2 Rebel Stakes on Feb. 26, Newgrange is owned by David Bernsen LLC, Little Red Feather Racing, and Rockingham Ranch.
In his fourth start for D'Amato, Newgrange, a 4-year-old colt by Violence out of the Empire Maker mare Bella Chianti, picked up his third graded stakes victory while improving his overall mark to 5-0-2 from eight starts. With the winner's share of $120,000, he increased his earnings to $747,334.
Trained by Baffert and ridden by Edwin Maldonado, Hopper, idle since winning the Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes here on June 11 of last year, was off at 7-5 and paid $3.20 and $2.80.
Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Parnelli pressed the pace issue throughout and finished just a head behind Hopper.
Fractions on the San Pasqual were :22.67, :47.36, 1:11.49, and 1:36.70.
(Hernandez would go on to again team with D'Amato and Little Red Feather Racing for victory in Saturday's ninth and final race, bagging his fourth win on the day and his 25th of the meet, 16 clear of Edwin Maldonado's nine wins).
SAN PASQUAL (G2) STAKES QUOTES
JOCKEY QUOTES
JUAN HERNANDEZ, NEWGRANGE, WINNER: “I think what made a difference is, he broke really good and I was able to get a nice position. I just left him alone and when those horses got away from us a little bit, he kind of idled by himself. I didn't take him back, I just wanted him to be comfortable. I was hoping those two horses would come back to me, but they weren't. I was riding really hard and this horse showed he's got a lot of heart. Turning for home, he was lugging in a little bit, but when he straightened up, he gave me another gear and got the job done.”
TRAINER QUOTES
PHIL D'AMATO, NEWGRANGE, WINNER: “He is a nice horse, I have to thank Gary Hartunian, Kim Llyod for finding him and Billy, Little Red Feather, Fenton and great job by my crew, Jessica Pyfer and a beautiful ride by Juan Hernandez.
“I was confident at the three-eighths pole, I was definitely not confident at the quarter pole but, I just kind of saw Juan stay with him and re-engage. This horse does this in some of his races, he likes to kind of disengage at the three-eighths pole and then come back on. He did that last time. I told Juan this horse is probably going to do that and don't give up, just stay with him, he did that, and he got the job done.”
OWNER QUOTES
BILLY KOCH, LITTLE RED FEATHER RACING, NEWGRANGE, WINNER: “Kudos to Phil D'Amato for having this horse ready today. To be honest, like Phil said, at the quarter pole, I thought we might run last, this horse just does the strangest things, and great job to J.J. for just sticking with him. Thank you to Gary Hartunian and his crew for allowing us to participate in this. It is just awesome for the partners, everyone is up in the Champagne Room, this is what it is all about.”
The post ‘He Gave Me Another Gear’: Newgrange Surges To Land San Pasqual appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
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