Desert Stone delivers off layoff in San Gabriel Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Last May, after a series of subpar or unlucky efforts, trainer Richard Baltas decided it was time to give his stakes-class grass runner Desert Stone a break. There wasn’t anything significantly wrong, nothing that couldn’t be cured by spending a few months being freshened, so he turned the horse out.

The time off paid dividends on Saturday. In his first start in more than seven months, Desert Stone rallied from last to first to win the Grade 2, $201,000 San Gabriel Stakes for older grass runners at Santa Anita. It was his third win lifetime. All three have been earned at Santa Anita, all with Geovanni Franco, who was aboard Saturday.

“Geovanni Franco is the only guy who knows how to ride him,” Baltas said. “Geovanni lets him do his thing.”

Franco said Desert Stone is full of himself. Baltas said he “has a mind of his own.” Franco seems to have the magic touch with him. “He’s fun to be around,” Franco said. That rapport came in handy early. Desert Stone, starting from the rail, veered in toward the temporary rail at the start of the 1 1/8-mile grass race, but Franco got him to settle, then came with a strong late kick that was enough to catch favored Cleopatra’s Strike.

Desert Stone ($16.20) prevailed by a neck, with Cleopatra’s Strike 1 1/2 lengths in front of third-place Majestic Eagle. Chosen Vessel was fourth, then came North County Guy, Overdue, and Acker in the field of seven.

Desert Stone completed 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:47.63.

“It’s always gratifying to give a horse time off, do the right thing, and have them reward you,” Baltas said.

Desert Stone, 5, had not won since June 2018 and had lost eight straight races before Baltas turned him out. He had come close in several stakes – he was second by a neck in the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile in December 2018, and third in both the Grade 2 Twilight Derby in November 2018 and Grade 1 Kilroe Mile last March – but the San Gabriel marked his first stakes win.

“I gave him 90 days at Bobby Mitchell’s place,” Baltas said, referring to a Southern California layup facility run by a long-time, well-respected horseman. “His ankles were bugging him. No chips. Just had to give him a break.”

Desert Stone, 5, is a son of Fastnet Rock. Baltas said at one point he “was thinking of gelding” Desert Stone, “but the owners didn’t want any part of that.”

Desert Stone is owned by the Zayat Stables of Ahmed and Justin Zayat. He has now won three times in 16 starts, and the $120,000 he earned Saturday brought his career bankroll to $332,662.