Cabo Spirit surges to Eddie Logan Stakes triumph
ARCADIA, Calif. - A massive late win bet on Cabo Spirit at Santa Anita on Sunday resulted in the colt’s odds plunging from 7-1 to 5-2 as the field was being loaded at the start of the $102,000 Eddie Logan Stakes.
Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Cabo Spirit closed from sixth in a field of nine 3-year-olds to win the one-mile turf race by 1 1/4 lengths over 2-1 favorite Maglev, who closed from last with an inside rally in the final quarter-mile.
Cabo Spirit ($7.60) was timed in 1:36.38 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 78.
The Logan Stakes was the fourth consecutive race in which Espinoza has ridden Cabo Spirit, who is owned by Rustin Kretz and trained by George Papaprodromou.
Espinoza rode Cabo Spirit to a second in a maiden special weight race at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 24 and a win in a similar race at Del Mar on Nov. 7. In those races, Cabo Spirit set the pace.
In his stakes debut in the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes at a mile on turf at Del Mar on Nov. 28, Cabo Spirit closed from fourth in a field of 10 and led in the stretch before finishing third by a half-length.
Espinoza wanted to try the same stalking trip in the Logan.
“I wanted to take him back,” Espinoza said. “It seemed he might like that style.”
Espinoza had Cabo Spirit in sixth for the first six furlongs of the Logan, trailing pacesetter Bally’s Charm by slightly more than 2 1/2 lengths. With a wide rally, Cabo Spirit was third with a furlong remaining, and took the lead in the final furlong.
“He opened up two lengths in no time,” Espinoza said.
Maglev, who had his American debut in the Logan, closed well on the inside to finish a neck in front of 5-1 Handy Dandy. Maglev was seventh with a quarter-mile remaining.
Bally’s Charm held fourth, followed by Barsabas, Derecho Dandy, Boise, C’Mon Man and Street Art.
Cabo Spirit, a colt by Pioneerof the Nile who was purchased for $575,000 as a 2-year-old in-training last April, has won 2 of 7 starts and has earned $137,220.