Badge of Silver wires San Gabriel Handicap

ARCADIA, Calif. - Badge of Silver may have ended his career as a winner on Sunday at Santa Anita.

Making his turf debut, Badge of Silver won the $150,000 at Santa Anita by 2 1/2 lengths, scoring his fourth career stakes win.

According to the Ramsey Farm website, Badge of Silver is set to enter stud at Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey's Kentucky farm in 2006.

Badge of Silver ($10.60) led throughout the San Gabriel, finishing 1 1/8 miles on a good course in 1:50.02. Ridden by Patrick Valenzuela, Badge of Silver set early fractions of 23.57 and 49.45 seconds. He led by 1 1/2 lengths on the backstretch and lengthened his advantage to two lengths in early stretch, pulling away to win by 2 1/2 lengths.

Atlando, who won the Knickerbocker Handicap at Belmont Park in October, finished second, a length in front of Toasted in a field of nine.

The race was reduced by one after the scratch of Whilly, who was expected to set the pace.

"When I saw that Whilly was scratched, I knew he'd make the lead," trainer Bobby Frankel said of Badge of Silver.

Frankel is hopeful that Badge of Silver will remain in training for another start.

Badge of Silver has won 7 of 14 starts and $770,892. The win in the Grade 2 San Gabriel Handicap ended a three-race losing streak, dating back to a frontrunning victory in the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap at Fair Grounds last March.

*Make Mine Minnie won the $79,400 Blue Norther Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, which was transferred from turf to dirt.

Ridden by Garrett Gomez, who had his 34th birthday on Sunday, Make Mine Minnie ($8.20) stalked the pace to early stretch before launching a wide rally that carried her to the front. She won by 1 3/4 lengths over Zoemeg. Cross finished third in the field of seven.

Make Mine Minnie finished a mile on a wet-fast track in 1:35.94. Owned by Gayle Fogelson and trained by Jeff Mullins, Make Mine Minnie has won 2 of 7 starts and $104,995.