Express Train prompted by stablemate in five-furlong Big Cap drill
ARCADIA, Calif. – Express Train, the winner of two Grade 2 races at Santa Anita this winter, worked five furlongs in 59.20 seconds on Monday in advance of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 5.
Trainer John Shirreffs took a different approach to Express Train’s workout under jockey Victor Espinoza. Express Train began alone and was joined at the end of the backstretch by stablemate Union Train, who accompanied Express Train for three furlongs.
“He wanted to relax a bit, and the other horse hooked him and he dug in,” Shirreffs said.
Union Train, a 3-year-old maiden, was given a time of 35.60 seconds for three furlongs.
Express Train and Union Train are owned by Lee and Susan Searing’s CRK Stable.
The $650,000 Big Cap at 1 1/4 miles is the track’s leading race for older horses.
Express Train was second by a half-length to Idol in the 2021 Big Cap. He led by two lengths with a furlong remaining but unable to sustain his advantage.
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A 5-year-old horse, Express Train ran arguably the best race of his career when he won the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on Feb. 5 by 3 1/4 lengths. Express Train won the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Dec. 26.
Monday was a busy day of workouts for leading runners.
Spielberg, a candidate for the Big Cap who was fourth in the San Pasqual, worked five furlongs in 59.40 seconds for trainer Bob Baffert.
Cezanne, also trained by Baffert, worked the same distance in 59.20 seconds. Cezanne was third at 7-10 to stablemate Essential Wager in the Grade 3 Palos Verdes Stakes at six furlongs on Jan. 29 in his first start since April.
Cezanne, who could run in the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs on March 5, has had a high profile since he was purchased for $3.65 million at a 2-year-olds in-training sale in 2019.
Beyond Brilliant to Kilroe
Shirreffs has two other candidates for major stakes on March 5 – Beyond Brilliant for the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf, and Lambeau for the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs on the main track.
Beyond Brilliant, owned by the Searings, has not raced since a second in the Grade 2 Mathis Mile for 3-year-olds on Dec. 26. The Mathis Mile was scheduled for turf but transferred to dirt because of wet conditions.
Beyond Brilliant won the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Del Mar on Nov. 27 for his first stakes win.
The Kilroe Mile may be shorter than Beyond Brilliant will prefer, but is the most suitable option in the near future, Shirreffs said. The Grade 2 San Simeon Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course that was run on Sunday was considered too short.
“He runs fresh very well,” Shirreffs said. “Maybe, it’s not his distance. We didn’t want to run in the San Simeon. He’s got that big stride. In a mile, you can get sprinters in there, too.”
Lambeau, who worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 on Monday, was third in the restricted Lure Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita in October, but last of seven in the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Del Mar on Nov. 27 in his most recent start.
The Kilroe Mile field will probably include Flavius, who recently joined trainer Richard Baltas’s stable. Baltas is the third trainer for Flavius in the last four months. For Chad Brown, Flavius won the Tourist Mile at Kentucky Downs in 2020 and the restricted Lure Stakes at Saratoga last August. In a single start for Mike Maker earlier this year, Flavius was last of 12, but beaten only 6 1/2 lengths, in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 29.
Flavius worked a half-mile on the Santa Anita training track in 49.60 seconds last Friday.
Cedillo suspended
Jockey Abel Cedillo has been suspended three days by Santa Anita stewards for causing interference in the second race on Friday.
Cedillo was cited for his ride on Dream Robber, who was deemed to have altered course without clearance after the start of a six-furlong race for $25,000 claimers. The stewards conducted an inquiry and ruled that Dream Robber made contact with eventual fourth-place finisher Alexander’s Dream, but that the incident did not warrant a disqualification.
Cedillo will serve the suspension on Saturday and Sunday and March 4. Through Sunday, Cedillo was fourth in the standings with 18 wins, well behind leader Flavien Prat with 56.