Captain Scotty holds on in Palos Verdes Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – In the hours before Saturday’s Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes at Santa Anita, jockey Abel Cedillo had to reassess his strategy on Captain Scotty. The morning scratches of Ax Man and St. Joe Bay left Captain Scotty as the lone speed.

Instead of a possible stalking trip, Cedillo put an eager Captain Scotty on the lead at the start of the $200,000 Palos Verdes Stakes. The tactics worked. Captain Scotty set the pace and held off a sustained threat from Flagstaff to win by a neck.

“I wanted to try to go slow the first part,” Cedillo said. “He was trying to run off.”

Captain Scotty set early fractions of 22.39 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.22 for a half-mile, a relatively slow pace for a Southern California sprint. Captain Scotty led by at least a length until the final furlong.

“I didn’t want to fight with him,” Cedillo said. “He relaxed pretty good.”

Flagstaff, the 9-10 favorite who was second for the first half-mile, closed ground on Captain Scotty in the final furlong, but could reach the leader.

“The favorite was coming,” Cedillo said.

Captain Scotty ran six furlongs in 1:09.46 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 97.

The Palos Verdes was part of a big day for Cedillo, his third of four wins on the nine-race program.

Flagstaff, the winner of the Damascus Stakes at seven furlongs here on Nov. 2, finished six lengths in front of 6-5 Speed Pass, who was having his stakes debut after winning a maiden race and an optional claimer. Grinning Tiger was last of four in the small field.

Captain Scotty, a 6-year-old gelding by Quality Road, has won 4 of 13 starts and earned $321,095 for owners Gary Barber and Adam Wachtel and trainer Peter Miller.

Captain Scotty was fifth in the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf on Jan. 1, finishing 1 3/4 lengths behind Texas Wedge, also trained by Miller. Texas Wedge won Saturday’s $150,000 World of Trouble Turf Sprint at Gulfstream Park.