Free's review: State racing fans enjoying California Chrome's success

Preakness Day

California is enjoying the California Chrome streak. Fans arrived at Santa Anita Park in droves Saturday to wager on an 11-race card and watch California Chrome extend his win streak to six races by winning the Preakness Stakes.

On-track attendance Saturday was 21,011, and Santa Anita erupted when California Chrome took the lead in the Preakness and won by 1 1/2 lengths. Now it is on to Belmont Park, where attendance Saturday was 6,938.

Voided claims

The claiming game in Southern California is a “no-risk” venture for buyers. Horses that are claimed but pull up “off” are returned to their original connections. The claim is voided. There were three Saturday.

Pass the Pico was 5-2 in race 2, a restricted $12,500 claiming sprint. A story was going around he had an alibi for his recent misfire. According to the fairytale, Pass the Pico had a 102-degree temperature after his recent start. He was sick. Also, his 37.20 second workout this week was actually 35-and-change under a 140-pound exercise rider. Who makes this stuff up?

Pass the Pico finished seventh and was claimed by Javier Sierra from Julio Canani. But Pass the Pico was unsound after the race. The claim was voided, and the horse returns to Canani. Apparently, there is more to Pass the Pico than a supposed fever.

Jovita’s Tuffy won race 5, a $20,000 claiming sprint. It was his first start for Sierra. There were four claims submitted, and trainer Ron Ellis won the shake. Ellis previously trained Jovita’s Tuffy. But the claim was voided when Jovita’s Tuffy returned unsound. He goes back to Sierra.

Fifteen Black finished fourth as the 9-5 favorite in race 7, a $20,000 maiden claiming sprint. He was claimed by Peter Miller from Jeff Bonde. Another claim voided.

Hot miler

The comeback win by Obviously was accomplished the hard way. Odds-on to win the Grade 3 American Stakes, he was expected to be loose on the lead. But an unexpected pace rival materialized.

Gary Stevens rode Silentio and “sent” him to hound the favorite Obviously every step though a 44.78 first half. Stevens rode as if it were a match race. He rode to win. No easy leads in this one-mile grass race.

It backfired for Silentio, who was empty at the head of the lane and finished a tired third. Obviously, despite intense pace pressure, opened up and won under a hold. It was his first start since the Breeders’ Cup Mile. He earned a 107 Beyer Speed Figure for his 1:33.39 win.

It was a huge effort by Obviously, who will return June 14 in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile. Expected rivals include Winning Prize, scratched from the American, and Tom’s Tribute, who ran a mile in 1:31.78 early this meet.

Nakatani, Bejarano, Dorf

No jockey won more Santa Anita races for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer since the start of the winter meet than Rafael Bejarano. They were 25 for 88 since Dec. 26 before Bejarano was injured in a spill.

With his first-call rider on the sidelines, Hollendorfer will shift to Corey Nakatani. Nakatani picked up Parranda for the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes on May 26 and Fury Kapcori for the Grade 2 Californian Stakes on May 31. Nakatani also rode Delta Flower on Saturday in the $75,000 Angel’s Flight Stakes, a seven-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies previously called the Railbird Stakes.

Delta Flower, an Arkansas-bred whose first three starts were at Oaklawn Park, was making her first start for Hollendorfer. She caught a soft field and set/pressed her way to a neck victory. The runner-up D’ya Knowwhatimean finished 4 1/2 lengths clear of third. The final time was 1:23.48. Delta Flower earned an 84 Beyer.

Empress of Midway, wheeled back two weeks after being scratched at the gate of the Kentucky Oaks, finished a disappointing seventh as the curious 5-2 favorite. Trained by Doug O’Neill, she was overbet. Of course, it also looked like O’Neill-trained L T Reckless, a suspicious dropper, was overbet in race 1. She won under a hold at $2.80.

Second-time geldings

If gelding a horse is important enough information to be announced publicly, it should be important enough to record properly. Gelding information currently is not included in past performances.

Knowledge of when a horse was gelded assists handicappers in analyzing form. Two winners Saturday both made their second start as a gelding.

Lovmeister had not raced since Dec. 28. That was his first start since being gelded. He returned from a layoff of more than four months in race 2 as a second-time gelding and popped at $35. Public Interest had not raced since Jan. 23. He returned from a layoff of more than three months in race 8 as a second-time gelding and popped at $11.

Horses to Watch

I EARNED IT BABY
Trainer: Carla Gaines
Last race: May 17, 6th
Finish: 5th by 4 1/2
Beyer: 81

A mid-pack finish in a first-level statebred allowance was a useful prep for this 3-year-old colt by Hard Spun. He broke last, trailed, and raced evenly late. Expect improvement next out on any surface.

TANGELO
Trainer: Ben Cecil
Last race: May 17, 10th
Finish: 3rd by 1 1/2
Beyer: 72

A first-time starter in a turf sprint for California-bred maiden fillies and mares, this Square Eddie filly raced evenly, as though 6 1/2 furlongs was too short. Tab for improvement with a race under her belt and a longer distance next time out.