Gift Box looking good ahead of Santa Anita Handicap

ARCADIA, Calif. – Gift Box has not raced since winning his California debut in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Dec. 26. A seven-furlong workout in 1:25 on Saturday has left trainer John Sadler confident Gift Box will be ready for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 9.

“He looked fantastic,” Sadler said. “That’s a good work on this track right now.”

Sadler timed Gift Box in a slightly quicker 1:24.80, with a one-mile gallop-out time of 1:38.

Gift Box, who races for Pete and Kosta Hronis, was acquired in a private deal last year. A 6-year-old, Gift Box won his first stakes in the San Antonio. He figures to be a leading contender for the $600,000 Big Cap, along with McKinzie, who won the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at seven furlongs for 3-year-olds on Dec. 26 and was second against older horses in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on Feb. 2.

Catapult, second in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3, may start in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf March 9, Sadler said.

Catapult was fourth in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 26. In the days after that race, Sadler said Catapult would not start again until the spring. A 6-year-old, Catapult has worked quickly in the second half of February, giving Sadler a reason to consider the $400,000 Kilroe Mile.

On Saturday, Catapult worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds on dirt.

“He’s doing good and worked well,” Sadler said. “We have one more work and [training] next week. We considering it, for sure.”

• Trainers Joe Herrick and Jorge Periban were fined $500 earlier this month for medication violations found in their starters in December.

Periban was cited when We Will Re Joyce, the winner of the fifth race at Los Alamitos on Dec. 16, tested in excess of the permitted level of flunixin, an anti-inflammatory. We Will Re Joyce won a $12,500 claimer at 5 1/2 furlongs by two lengths as the 6-5 favorite on Dec. 16.

Herrick was cited after Lovely Finish, who finished second in the second race for maidens at Del Mar on Dec. 1, tested in excess of the permitted level of the muscle relaxant 5-Hydroxydantrolene.