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Santa Anita Renames Stakes To Honor 100-Year-Old Retired Paddock Captain John Shear

On Oct. 1, the day Santa Anita unveiled a plaque commemorating six decades of dedicated service to its recently retired 100-year-old Paddock Captain John Shear, the Arcadia, Calif., track also announced it will further honor him by renaming the Santana Mile the “John Shear Mile.”

For older horses, the $75,000 John Shear Mile will be run on Sunday, April 10.

Employed by Santa Anita since 1961, Shear, who retired this past June, gained national recognition when on March 12, 2011, he sustained life threatening injuries as he threw himself between an on-rushing loose horse and a 5-year-old girl just outside Santa Anita's Seabiscuit Walking Ring.

“John Shear is a legend among all of us here at Santa Anita, – fans, jockeys, horsemen and employees,” said Chris Merz, Santa Anita's Director of Racing and Racing Secretary. “We are proud to rename this race in his honor and to help share his legacy of kindness, compassion and dedication to the well being of our sport with many generations of future racegoers.”

Orphaned at a young age in his native England, Shear aspired to be a jockey as a young man but emigrated to Canada as an exercise rider who later worked as an assistant trainer. Asked in the fall of 1954 if he'd like to accompany a group of horses from Vancouver, B.C., to Santa Anita, Shear leapt at the chance and the rest as could be said, is history.

“I was exercising horses for a guy in Vancouver and he asked me if I'd like to go with him to Santa Anita that fall,” said Shear in an interview prior to his 99th birthday in January 2020. “I said 'Sure,' and as soon as I stepped off that van in the Stable Area here, I said 'Lord, this is where I want to be.' The place was so incredibly beautiful and I've never gotten tired of it.”

A diminutive five feet, four inches, Shear checks in at about 115 pounds. “I'm gonna get to 120,” he quipped in the Paddock ceremony in which posed with many fellow employees, fans and Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella.

With birthday number 101 looming on Jan. 17, Shear, who still participates in a daily exercise regimen that includes push-ups, will certainly hope to be on hand to present the John Shear Mile trophy on April 10.

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Santana Mile to be Renamed for Recently Retired Paddock Captain John Shear

On the day Santa Anita unveiled a plaque commemorating six decades of dedicated service to its recently retired 100-year-old Paddock Captain John Shear, it was announced that the Santana Mile S. has been renamed in his honor as the John Shear Mile S.

For older horses, the $75,000 John Shear Mile will be held Sunday, Apr. 10.

Employed by Santa Anita since 1961, Shear, who retired this past June, gained national recognition when on Mar. 12, 2011, he sustained life threatening injuries as he threw himself between an on-rushing loose horse and a 5-year-old girl just outside Santa Anita's Seabiscuit Walking Ring.

“John Shear is a legend among all of us here at Santa Anita, fans, jockeys, horsemen and employees,” said Chris Merz, Santa Anita's Director of Racing and Racing Secretary. “We are proud to rename this race in his honor and to help share his legacy of kindness, compassion and dedication to the well being of our sport with many generations of future racegoers.”

The post Santana Mile to be Renamed for Recently Retired Paddock Captain John Shear appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Ax Man Wires Field Under Maldonado In Santana Mile At Santa Anita

A surprise to no one, Ax Man, ridden for the first time by Edwin Maldonado, sped to the front out of the gate and never looked back as he drilled five rivals, including his well-fancied stablemate Mastering, by 4 ½ lengths in Sunday's $75,000 Santana Mile at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Trained by Bob Baffert and owned and bred by longtime clients Hal and Patti Earnhardt, Ax Man got the distance in 1:36.56.

Breaking like a shot from his number five post position, Ax Man obviously relished his front-running trip and with a three-length advantage over Major Cabbie three sixteenths from home, the Santana Mile was never in question thereafter.

“I was very confident turning for home,” said Maldonado, who is regarded as one of the best “speed” riders on this circuit. “I gave him a couple reminders, but he knows what he's doing…Bob told me to put him on the lead and it's not like I don't like to be on the lead, right? The rest of it was very simple, put him on the lead and he did the rest.”

Fourth in the Grade 3 Palos Verdes Stakes going six furlongs on Jan. 23, Ax Man, who was unbeaten in two starts at a flat mile, was off as the third choice in the wagering at 3-1 and paid $8.80, $5.80 and $4.00.

“I'm happy for Hal Earnhardt and Patti, they have been with me since day one, since 1983, and it's been real quiet for them (lately),” said Baffert, who also notched his third win on the day and his 10th stakes victory of the meet, giving him 26 and 10 respectively, good for a dead heat in both categories with Phil D'Amato. “This was a perfect spot for him and I told Edwin, 'When this horse makes the lead, he gets really brave on the lead,' and that's what he did today.

“We'll give him a little time. He ran pretty hard today but we'll freshen him and pick our spots with him. He's been a lot of fun at the barn, he deserved one of these wins because he was hooking some monsters (in his earlier races).”

A 6-year-old gelding by Baffert's 2011 Santana Mile winner Misremembered, Ax Man is out of the Flying Chevron mare Shameful. A winner of a restricted stakes at Pimlico at age 3, Ax Man now has two stakes wins and an overall mark of 16-7-0-3. With the winner's share of $47,880, he increased his earnings to $357,797.

A multiple stakes winner but the longest shot in the field at 9-1, owner/trainer Val Brinkerhoff's Restrainedvengence was last early and made a good late run to finish second, 1 ½ lengths in front of Fashionably Fast. Ridden by Tyler Baze, Restrainedvengence paid $8.60 and $5.00.

Quick from the gate but no match early for the winner, California-bred Fashionably Fast was third throughout while never threatening the winner. The second choice at 3-1 with Tiago Pereira up, he paid $3.20 to show while finishing 1 ¼ lengths in front of Mastering.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Mastering, the 9-5 favorite, saved ground throughout and was fourth, about 2 ½ off the winner at the quarter pole but did not fire in a disappointing effort.

Fractions on the race were 23.11, 46.83, 1:11.65 and 1:23.95.

Racing will resume with an eight-race card on Friday, first post time is at 1 p.m. Beginning Friday, the General Public will be admitted, but fans must obtain reserved seating beginning Monday at 10 a.m. by visiting santaanita.com/open.

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