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Sophomore Doppleganger Tops Field Of Five For Saturday’s San Vicente

Winning from the rail like a seasoned pro in his first start, Doppelganger retains the services of Flavien Prat as he heads a field of five sophomores going seven furlongs in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita. One of three Bob Baffert trainees, Doppelganger, a bay colt by Into Mischief, appears headed to the Kentucky Derby Trail in what will be the 80th running of the San Vicente.

Baffert's Pinehurst, a winner of the G1 Del Mar Futurity in his second start, will no doubt vie for favoritism with Doppelganger as he cuts back in distance following a fifth place finish in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Baffert will also send out McLaren Vale, who broke his maiden at first asking with John Velazquez and will be ridden by Abel Cedillo on Saturday.

Richard Mandella's Forbidden Kingdom, second to highly regarded Messier in a G3 stakes Nov. 14, has plenty of early speed and rates a big chance with Juan Hernandez back aboard.

A $570,000 purchase as a yearling, Doppelganger, who is out of the Quiet American mare Twice the Lady, was shuffled well back in his debut Dec. 11 at Los Alamitos, but was in-hand with Prat as he cruised into contention and responded with an impressive stretch kick when called upon to win off by 3 ½ lengths going six furlongs. Owned by SF Racing, LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, LLC, et al, Doppelganger earned an 80 Beyer Speed Figure and appears to have any kind of future.

A first-out maiden winner going five furlongs on Aug. 1 as the 8-5 favorite, Pinehurst was off at 4-1 in the Del Mar Futurity and won with consummate ease by 4 ½ lengths. With regular rider Mike Smith committed to ride eventual winner Corniche in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, John Velazquez took over and although Pinehurst was attentive to the pace, he tired through the lane to be beaten 8 ½ lengths at a mile and one sixteenth.

A $385,000 Keeneland September Yearling, Pinehurst, who is owned by SF Racing, LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, LLC, et al, is easily the leading money earner in the field with $272,000 and will be reunited with Smith for what will be his fourth start.

An impressive first-out maiden winner going 5 ½ furlongs on Aug. 21 at Del Mar, Forbidden Kingdom, a $300,000 yearling purchase who is by 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, transitioned to five furlongs on turf in the ungraded Speakeasy Stakes here on Oct. 1 and was third, beaten 3 ¼ lengths as the 9-5 favorite.

Subsequently second, beaten 3 ½ lengths on dirt going seven furlongs by Baffert's Messier in the Grade III Bob Hope Stakes Nov. 14, Forbidden Kingdom will also be making his fourth start on Saturday. Owned by MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm, LLC, Forbidden Kingdom is out of the Five Star Day mare Just Louise.

THE GRADE 2 SAN VICENTE WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 4 of 9 Approximate post time 2 p.m. PT

Forbidden Kingdom—Juan Hernandez—120
Pinehurst—Mike Smith—124
McLaren Vale—Abel Cedillo–120
Doppelganger—Flavien Prat—120
What in Blazes—Tyler Baze–120

The San Vicente, an important prep for the Grade 1, $750,000 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, is one of three graded stakes on Saturday. First post time for a nine-race card is at 12:30 p.m., with admission gates opening at 10:30 p.m.

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Upstart Rose Dawson Flies Late To Capture California Cup Oaks

With but one race to her credit, Nick Alexander's homebred Rose Dawson adapted to a change in conditions like a seasoned veteran as she flew late to take Saturday's $200,000 Leigh Ann Howard California Cup Oaks by one length at Santa Anita Park. Trained by Phil D'Amato and ridden by Flavien Prat, both of whom registered stakes doubles on the afternoon, Rose Dawson, a 3-year-old grey daughter of Alexander's Grazen, who was trying grass and two turns for the first time, got a flat mile in 1:36.07.

Next to last, about nine lengths off dueling leaders Professors' Pride and Eleuthera with three furlongs to run, Rose Dawson hugged the rail to the top of the lane, swung five-deep and went on to win with her ears pricked at the wire in a dramatic finish to a 10-race California Cup Day program.

“I'm very proud of her because I kinda thought I might be throwing a lot at her, going long and first time grass with winners,” said D'Amato, who won the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint two races earlier with Leggs Galore. “She just stepped up to the plate and it was a beautiful ride by Flavien. That was the cherry on top for the day.

“With the big field (12 sophomore fillies), she got a great setup and a great trip. She saved every inch of ground and he was able to tip-out at the top of the lane and it was beautiful to watch.”

A fourth length first-out maiden winner versus statebreds going 5 ½ furlongs at Los Alamitos Dec. 5, Rose Dawson, who is out of the Bertrando mare Sudden Sunday, was off at 9-2 and paid $11.40, $5.80 and $4.20. With her winnings of $110,000, she boosted her earnings to $141,200.

“We were drawn outside and Phil told me to get her to relax, so I dropped myself in and she relaxed well,” said Prat, who also won Saturday's sixth race, the $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic aboard Aligato. “She gave me a good kick down the lane. There was some early pace. Phil told me she can be a little rank sometimes, so I was really trying to focus on her more than the race. She is impressive.”

Ridden by John Velazquez, Big Novel, who broke from the rail, was a joint third, about three lengths off the lead mid-way on the far turn, made the lead a sixteenth out, but couldn't hold off the winner while finishing 1 ½ lengths in front of favored Vivacious Vanessa. Off at 5-1, Big Novel paid $5.80 and $4.40.

The tepid choice at 3-1, Vivacious Vanessa finished well under Juan Hernandez and paid $3.00 to show.

Fractions on the race were 23.11, 46.96, 1:11.40 and 1:23.98.

Racing resumes with first post time for a nine-race card on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.

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Brickyard Ride Returns A Winner In Don Valpredo California Cup Sprint

Perhaps the fastest horse on the grounds, the Alfred Pais-homebred Brickyard Ride blasted off from his number three post position and never looked back as he marched to a 1 ¾ length score in Saturday's $150,000 Don Valpredo California Cup Sprint at Santa Anita. Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Brickyard Ride, idle since well beaten going seven furlongs in the Grade 2 Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 28, got six furlongs in 1:09.54 while successfully defending his Cal Cup Sprint title.

Although a well-meant Letsgetlucky applied serious pressure into and around the far turn, Brickyard Ride got the separation he needed leaving the quarter pole and he enjoyed a three length advantage a furlong from home in a dominant performance.

“Craig told me to just let him run,” said Hernandez, who picked up his second win on the day. “He broke really sharp and he was ready today. I could tell he came to run because at the (break) he was trying to get the lead. Once I was on the lead that was it, I just let him run. I felt the pace was a little fast, but that is fine for a horse like him.”

The defending champ in the Cal Cup Sprint, Brickyard Ride, a 5-year-old chestnut horse by Clubhouse Ride, notched his fourth stakes victory and ninth overall from 19 starts. Off as the 8-5 favorite in a field of eight older horses bred or sired in California, Brickyard Ride paid $5.40, $3.80 and $2.60.

“I thought he ran great off the layoff,” said Lewis. “He's an extremely talented horse. He's very fast and I'm very happy with the result. We hope we're on to bigger and better things…Clubhouse Ride is really making a name for himself as a stud in California and we just hope there's some more coming. We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of some Clubhouse Ride 2-year-olds. This may be a lot to ask for, but we hope there's another Brickyard Ride in there.”

Out of the Southern Image mare Brickyard Helen, Brickyard Ride banked $90,000 on the day, increasing his earnings to $560,977.

Mid-pack early, Positivity finished well to be second, 1 ¾ lengths better than Letsgetlucky. Off at 4-1 with Flavien Prat, Positivity paid $4.40 and $3.00.

The second choice at 5-2 with Drayden Van Dyke, Letsgetlucky, in a big effort, finished third by three quarters of length over Principe Carlo and paid $2.80 to show.

Fractions on the race were 21.71, 44.15 and 56.58.

The Don Valpredo Cal Cup Sprint was carded as race nine and was the fourth of five stakes for California-bred of sired horses on a 10-race Cal Cup day program.

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Aligato Steps Up For Glatt In Unusual Heat Turf Classic

In his first stakes assignment and first time around two turns, the Mark Glatt-conditioned Aligato wheeled four deep turning for home and unleashed an impressive turn of foot to take Saturday's $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic Presented by City National Bank at Santa Anita to win going away by 1 ¾ lengths. Ridden by Flavien Prat, the 5-year-old gelding by Kitten's Joy got a mile and one eighth on turf in 1:48.29.

Unhurried while fifth, about six lengths off dueling leaders Whooping Jay and Ferrariano in a field of seven leaving the half mile pole, Aligato began to close in three furlongs from home and had the leaders measured mid-way around the far turn.

“We always thought he would improve when we had a chance to go further with him,” said Glatt. “It wasn't the most ideal circumstances today, but I think that just shows you how good of a horse he is. He's just a very good horse, particularly for a Cal-bred. He's a natural two-turn horse, which helps when you're stretching one out.

“We kind of trained him up to it. We had a different plan getting here to the Unusual Heat Turf Classic, but unfortunately, the rain kind of dismissed that plan, so I called Double L (owners) and told them that we had to kind of train up to it or run him two weeks ago six furlongs. So, I said, 'Well at least it will be a good workout.' I'm very happy for the owners, they've given me a nice to train and we'll see that happens next time.”

Owned by Double L Racing and bred in California by Bob Liewald and Joe Mishak, Aligato, who is out of the Rock Hard Ten mare Pretty Hard, closed much ground to be second, beaten a nose in a six furlong turf allowance on Jan. 1 and was off as the second choice at 3-1, returning $8.40, $4.80 and $3.40.

“He broke okay, but I was expecting him to show a bit more speed early on which he didn't,” said Prat, who was aboard for the first time today. “Later on I was travelling well and when I got him to the outside, he kicked home well. I thought it was an impressive race because it is always hard to go from six furlongs to a mile and one eighth. It was a great race.”

Never worse than third in four prior turf sprints, Aligato improved his overall mark to 5-2-1-2 and with the winner's share of $110,000, he increased his earnings to $177,440.

Attentive to the early pace while third at the rail heading into the first turn, Golden Gate Fields-based Camino Del Paraiso rallied gamely for second money, finishing a nose in front of Ferrariano. Off at 8-1 with Ricky Gonzalez, Camino Del Paraiso paid $6.80 and $4.40.

Ridden by Abel Cedillo, Ferrariano was also off at 8-1 and paid $5.00 to show while finishing 2 ¼ lengths better than Luvluv.

Whooping Jay, the 2-1 favorite with Joe Bravo, tired through the drive to finish last by 5 ¼ lengths.

Fractions on the race were 23.81, 48.05, 1:12.32 and 1:36.64.

The Turf Classic, carded as race six, was the second of five stakes for California-bred or sired horses on a 10-race Cal Cup day program.

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