Final Boss leads gate to wire in Cinema Stakes

By winning Sunday’s $100,000 Cinema Stakes at Santa Anita, Final Boss is no longer eligible for the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes at a mile on turf at Del Mar on July 20.

The Oceanside is restricted to non-winners of a first-place purse of $60,000 in races at a mile or over this year. The winner’s share of the Cinema Stakes was $60,000 for owners Michael Talla and the West Point Thoroughbreds partnership.

This is not a crisis situation. Final Boss is likely to be pointed for the $100,000 La Jolla Handicap for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Del Mar on Aug. 4, a prep race for the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 1.

The $300,000 Del Mar Derby is run at 1 1/8 miles on turf, the same distance as the Cinema.

Final Boss led throughout the Cinema and could be a tough runner to catch at Del Mar this summer.

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Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Final Boss ($4) set a solid pace of 23.27 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.38 for a half-mile, leading by as many as 2 1/2 lengths on Sunday. The lead was down to a length with a furlong remaining, but Final Boss remained clear, winning by 1 3/4 lengths over 4-1 Blue Eyed George.

“The plan was to go to the lead,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez said Final Boss was eager on the backstretch and running “with a lot of power. It was a firm track today and he loved it.

“He didn’t want to stop.” Hernandez said.

Final Boss was timed in 1:46.62 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 85.

British Isles, the 2-1 second choice, finished third, followed by Sea Singer and Gold Foot in the small field.

Final Boss, a colt by American Pharoah who is trained by John Sadler, has won 3 of 7 starts and earned $151,500. The Cinema Stakes was the second consecutive win for Final Boss, who led throughout an allowance race at 1 1/8 miles on turf on May 12 in his first start at the distance.

“He’s still improving,” Sadler said. “I’m beginning to think the track is very firm. He’s getting better.”

The turf course produced quick times on Sunday. In the day’s first race, Man O Rose ran six furlongs on the flat turf course in 1:06.88, slightly slower than Lane Way’s 2021 track record of 1:06.60.

Sadler is highly likely to have a presence in the Oceanside, run on the opening day of the Del Mar summer meeting. In the winner’s circle on Sunday, he mentioned Island Cruiser, an allowance race winner at six furlongs on turf on May 4, and Scatify, second in the Affirmed Stakes on dirt on June 9, as potential starters.

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