Crimson Giant set to take shot in Big Cap

The field that will oppose Shared Belief in the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap on March 7 is expected to range from a Grade 1 winner last fall to a 6-year-old gelding with one win in 66 starts.

Shared Belief, the champion 2-year-old male of 2013, will be favored in the Big Cap on the basis of his wins in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at seven furlongs Dec. 26 and the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at 1 1/8 miles Feb. 7. One of his rivals may be Crimson Giant, who is winless in 57 starts since a victory in a $40,000 claimer for maidens at Santa Anita in November 2011.

Earlier this week, Bryan Carney, who owns Crimson Giant, said he was encouraged to try the Big Cap by the gelding’s second-place finish by a nose in an optional claimer at a mile Feb. 20. Carney is banking on a massive break in the weights to justify starting Crimson Giant, who is trained by Charles Stutts.

“I believe I’ll get a 17-pound weight break,” Carney said. “We’ll go to the front and try to do what Martial Law did.”

Martial Law won the 1989 Santa Anita Handicap as a 50-1 shot, racing near the lead throughout.

Carney said apprentice jockey Brandon Boulanger will ride Crimson Giant. Boulanger will not be able to claim a five-pound weight break in the Big Cap. Weights for the Big Cap are scheduled to be published this weekend.

Carney realizes he will face criticism for running an outsider such as Crimson Giant in the richest race of the year for older horses at Santa Anita.

“Once in your lifetime, you have a chance to do something like this,” he said.

The Big Cap has a probable field of 10, including Bronzo, Catch a Flight, Cool Samurai, Hard Aces, Hoppertunity, Imperative, Patrioticandproud, and Sr. Quisqueyano. Hoppertunity won the Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs last November and was third behind Shared Belief and 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome in the San Antonio.

Shared Belief worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 on Tuesday at Golden Gate Fields, the fastest of 14 recorded works at the distance. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Shared Belief will have an additional workout next Tuesday at Golden Gate Fields before being shipped March 4 to Santa Anita. Shared Belief has been based with Hollendorfer at Golden Gate Fields in the last year between starts in Southern California.