Compari, Ventana set new targets

Compari and Ventana, who won Grade 2 stakes on the Santa Anita Derby undercard, are bound for major stakes in May.

Compari, who extended his winning streak to six races in the $150,000 Arcadia Handicap, is being considered for the $250,000 Shoemaker Mile on May 31, a Grade 1 on turf, trainer Marty Jones said.

Compari won three stakes at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, beginning with the Sensational Star and Crystal Water handicaps for statebreds on turf in January and February. In between those starts, he missed the Sunshine Millions Classic in late January because of illness.

"Everything seems to have fallen into place," Jones said. "We had a hiccup with the Sunshine Millions, but the right races came along and everything has gone right. He was able to progress."

Owned by breeders John Harris, John Nicoletti, and Don Valpredo, Compari has won 6 of 7 starts and $422,640. The Arcadia was his graded stakes debut.

Ventana won his first graded stakes in the $150,000 Potrero Grande Handicap, leaving trainer Bob Baffert planning for a start in the $250,000 Churchill Downs Handicap, a Grade 2 over seven furlongs on the Kentucky Derby undercard.

Ventana was ridden by Gomez and won by a nose over Gato Go Win.

"Garrett was on his belly," Baffert said.

Ventana races for Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, the same owners as Lookin At Lucky.

Earthquake felt during Sunday race

An earthquake centered in Mexicali, Mexico, that measured 7.2 on the Richter scale was felt at Santa Anita at 3:40 p.m. Sunday, during the running of the seventh race.

The earthquake was strongly felt in the track's press box. The shaking began when the field was on the backstretch and lasted until the runners were galloping out.

The track sustained no major damage, but elevators were knocked out of use for the final two races. Mexicali is located southeast of San Diego on the Mexican-California border, about 175 miles from Santa Anita.

Track announcer Trevor Denman never wavered from his commentary during the earthquake.

"With this one, it seemed like it was just going on and on," he said in a statement issued by the track. "I definitely knew there was something amiss, but as they say, the show must go on."

The incident happened as Well Monied, winner of the Grade 2 Honeymoon Handicap last May, was closing from last in a field of seven to win her first start since August in an allowance race on turf.

"I thought it was just me shaking," winning trainer Howard Zucker said.

Zucker said Well Monied will be pointed to the $250,000 Gamely Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on turf at Hollywood Park on May 29.

* The first juvenile race of the meeting, for maiden statebred fillies over two furlongs, is Wednesday's second race. A full field of 10 is scheduled to start.

Jockeys will not carry whips, and the horses will not be fitted with blinkers. Two more 2-year-old races are scheduled for Thursday.