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ARCADIA, Calif. - Richard Mandella's stable has already had a successful start to the month with older horses.
Setsuko, gelded last summer, won his first start in five months in an allowance race at Santa Anita last Saturday. Second in a roughly-run Santa Anita Handicap last March, Setsuko is being pointed for the Big Cap on March 3.
Setsuko’s win came in his first start since a ninth-place finish in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic last August. Setsuko pulled clear in the final furlong to win by 2 1/4 lengths, his second career win in 17 career starts. He has placed in five stakes.
“He couldn’t have run any better,” Mandella said. “He came out of the race in great shape.”
The Santa Anita Handicap will also include Ultimate Eagle, who won the Grade 2 Strub Stakes for 4-year-olds last Saturday by 7 1/4 lengths. Ultimate Eagle led throughout, and gained the respect of Mandella.
“He might keep going,” Mandella said. “But there should be some pace” in the Big Cap.
Best Bets
A 5-year-old maiden-claimer with a history of breaking slowly is the most probable winner on the Friday-night card. Yikes. However, THREE LITTLE BIRDS ran super in his comeback two weeks ago, and can win this maiden-20 with a better takeoff. Off slowly, he uncorked a big middle move, lost ground sweeping four-wide through the turn, challenged for the lead turning for home, and then flattened out to finish fourth. It was a big effort by a gelding that benefits from an additional half-furlong. With a clean break in his third career start, this is a race he should win.
