Galicado stays home for Santana Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. – Galicado is not supposed to be running in Sunday’s $75,000 Santana Mile at Santa Anita.

A few weeks ago, Galicado was an intended starter for Saturday’s $2 million United Arab Emirates Derby at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. Those plans were canceled when Galicado spiked a temperature of 102 on March 17, the day he was to be shipped.

“The strange part is that it lasted one day, but there was only one plane,” trainer Ron McAnally said on Friday. “With a 19-hour flight, it’s a cinch it would have gone up. It might have been a 104 instead of a 102.”

McAnally said he has no regrets about canceling the trip to Dubai.

“If I had to do it over again, I would do the same thing,” he said. “Luckily, there is this race on Sunday.”

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The prize money in the Santana is a fraction of what was offered in Dubai but may fit a plan to have Galicado ready for the major stakes of the summer in Southern California. That was not part of McAnally’s mind-set Friday.

“I don’t go that far,” he said. “One at a time.”

The Santana Mile drew a field of 10 but only one runner from the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap on March 7. You Know I Know was seventh in the Big Cap and looks to end a nine-race losing streak.

Santana Mile, race 8

KEY CONTENDERS

Galicado (No Beyers)

◗ Galicado is unbeaten in three starts, all in Argentina last year. The streak includes consecutive wins in Grade 1 races – the Montevideo Stakes at about 7 1/2 furlongs on a wet-fast track last May and the Estrellas Juvenile at about a mile last June. Galicado is a 4-year-old by North American qualifications but will not have his actual fourth birthday until Aug. 1.

◗ The UAE Derby is 1 3/16 miles, so the shorter distance of the Santana Mile should work for Galicado, who is by Asiatic Boy.

“This race is a mile, and he should be fit,” McAnally said.

Secretsatmidnight (Last 3 Beyers: 86-82-98)

◗ Secretsatmidnight won an optional claimer at a mile on Polytrack at Del Mar on Nov. 22, leading throughout. This will be Secretsatmidnight’s first start of 2015 and his second in a stakes. He was fifth in a field of six in the Grade 3 Precisionist here last May.

◗ Secretsatmidnight drew the rail and is expected to race near the front along with Storm Fighter, who won the Tiznow Stakes for California-breds at a mile here last April, and Appealing Tale, who was second in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Jan. 10.

Majestic City (Last 3 Beyers: 85-99-93)

◗ A 6-year-old, Majestic City is winless in seven starts since the minor Big Bear Stakes at a mile here in October 2013. His best finish in 2014 was a second in the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park. In the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes on March 7, Majestic City returned from a layoff of more than eight months to finish fifth, five lengths behind race winner Wild Dude.