Santa Anita: Jeranimo's rally in San Gabriel soothes Bejarano's aches and pains

ARCADIA, Calif. - At 4 p.m. on Saturday, jockey Rafael Bejarano was being discharged from a local hospital, cleared of injury after a spill that day at Santa Anita.

Shortly after 4 p.m. on Sunday, Bejarano was in the winner’s circle at Santa Anita after guiding Jeranimo to a brilliant win in the $150,500 San Gabriel Stakes on turf.

“I feel better because of this horse,” Bejarano said.

Bejarano said that he “was a little bit sore in my body” after Saturday’s accident on the hillside turf course. Jeranimo was the last of Bejarano’s six mounts on Sunday, and his only winner of the day.

When the field reached the backstretch of the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes over 1 1/8 miles, Bejarano’s expectations soared.

“He was so comfortable in the post parade,” Bejarano said. “I let the speed go. At the half-mile pole, he had me in a good position. He showed me a big kick.”

Closing from last in a field of seven, Jeranimo was guided three-wide in the stretch. Jeranimo responded quickly. He was third with a furlong remaining and pulled clear late to win by 2 3/4 lengths over 20-1 Temple’s Door. Chosen Miracle, who set a quick pace of 22.75 and 46.75 seconds, held third, followed by an unlucky Juniper Pass, Tale of a Champion, Slim Shadey, and Fast Track.

Jeranimo was timed in 1:46.50 and paid $6 as the second betting choice.

Juniper Pass raced in traffic in the stretch and did not have a clear run until the final sixteenth.

Slim Shadey, the 3-2 favorite, was fourth with a furlong remaining but faded through the final furlong to finish seven lengths behind the winner. Jockey Garrett Gomez said after the race that Slim Shadey had “lost his footing,” according to trainer Simon Callaghan.

  “He seems fine,” Callaghan said. “He said he lost his footing and looked after him.”

As Callaghan said that, he watched Slim Shadey walk back to the barn area on the main track.

“It’s like he didn’t run a race,” Callaghan said.

Jeranimo races for B.J. Wright and trainer Mike Pender. A 7-year-old horse by Congaree, Jeranimo earned $90,000 on Sunday, and has won 9 of

32 starts and $1,197,400. Jeranimo won the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Betfair Hollywood Park last June, but lost his final three starts of 2012.

In November, Jeranimo was sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile here and fourth in the Grade 2 Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Jeranimo has been a fixture in the San Gabriel for the last three winter-spring meetings. He won the race in December 2010, and was second last year when the race was run in January.