Gift Box takes aim at Santa Anita Handicap

ARCADIA, Calif. – Gift Box will have a winter campaign at Santa Anita after his impressive California-debut win in Wednesday’s Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes.

Trainer John Sadler said Gift Box is likely to run in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on Feb. 2 as a prep for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap at 1 1/4 miles on March 9.

“Our intent would be to leave him here,” Sadler said.

The $600,000 Big Cap is the richest race for older horses at the track’s winter-spring meeting, which began Wednesday.

Owned by Pete and Kosta Hronis, Gift Box was purchased privately earlier this year. While trained by Chad Brown, Gift Box was second in the Curlin Stakes at Saratoga in July 2016 and fourth behind Arrogate in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes a month later.

By Twirling Candy, Gift Box has won 4 of 14 starts and earned $524,160. In the $301,380 San Antonio Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, Gift Box (6-1) closed from fourth in a field of nine to win by a half-length over 3-2 favorite Battle of Midway.

Gift Box joins a deep team of older horses owned by Hronis Racing and trained by Sadler. They plan to start Accelerate, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3, in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 26 in his final start before going to stud in Kentucky in early 2019.

The multiple graded stakes winner Catalina Cruiser is set to rejoin the stable in coming days after finishing sixth in the BC Dirt Mile, his first loss in his fifth start.

Spiced Perfection on way up

Early 2019 race plans have not been determined for Spiced Perfection, who recorded a career-defining win in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs Wednesday.

Trainer Brian Koriner said Spiced Perfection’s victory in the $301,035 La Brea Stakes has changed thinking on what the filly can accomplish as a 4-year-old next year. The BC Filly and Mare Sprint here in November is a possibility.

“Hopefully, she develops enough to be part of that,” he said. “The next step we need is to run against older mares. It will get tougher yet.”

The next graded stakes for older female sprinters at Santa Anita is the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes, a $200,000 race at seven furlongs on Feb. 16.

In the La Brea, Spiced Perfection closed from fifth to win the La Brea by 1 1/4 lengths. Owned by Dare to Dream Stable, Spiced Perfection has won 6 of 14 starts and earned $622,405. She won three stakes for California-breds in 2017 and earlier this year.