Hudson Ridge surprises with Cinema triumph

ARCADIA, Calif. - Hudson Ridge was the only maiden in a field of five in Sunday’s $98,500 Cinema Stakes at Santa Anita, a distinction trainer Bob Baffert did not think was a fair assessment of the colt’s status.

Hudson Ridge was a troubled second, by a head, in a maiden special weight race at a mile on turf on May 1, and was entered in the Cinema after Baffert considered the advice of Tom Knust, the agent for jockey Abel Cedillo.

Cedillo rode Hudson Ridge in the May 1 loss, and guided Hudson Ridge to an upset win in an eventful running of the Cinema.

Hudson Ridge won by 1 1/4 lengths over 9-5 favorite Sword Zorro, who was followed by Airman and Jimmy Irish in the small field of four finishers.

:: Enhance your handicapping with DRF’s Santa Anita Clocker Report

Five started. Hubris, the 8-5 favorite, was bumped and carried out at the start by Jimmy Irish and was pulled up on the backstretch by jockey Flavien Prat. Hubris was vanned to trainer Richard Baltas’s stable.

Baltas said Prat reported that Hubris “didn’t feel comfortable.”

Hudson Ridge ($13.60) ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.06, winning for the first time in his fifth start. Hudson Ridge earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 81.

“He should have won last time,” Baffert said in the winner’s circle.

Cedillo had Hudson Ridge in third for the opening quarter-mile and second on the backstretch, tracking Jimmy Irish through early fractions of 23.49 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 48.07 for a half-mile.

Hudson Ridge took the lead in early stretch. Sword Zorro closed from last of four to race within a half-length of Hudson Ridge with a furlong remaining, but lost ground on the winner in the final strides.

Hudson Ridge was forced out at the start because of the incident involving Jimmy Irish and Hubris.

“Abel did a great job,” Baffert said. “He didn’t panic.”

Hudson Ridge, owned by Baffert’s wife, Jill, and Double L Racing, has earned $75,140. The colt is by American Pharoah, the Baffert-trained winner of the 2015 Triple Crown.

Hudson Ridge gave Baffert his second stakes win of the weekend at Santa Anita, preceded by the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes for fillies and mares on Saturday.

Baffert won the Kentucky Derby with Medina Spirit at Churchill Downs on May 1. Medina Spirit was found to have an excessive level of betamethasone in a post-race test. The case is currently in the split-sample stage.

Baffert leads all trainers with 15 stakes wins at the current winter-spring Santa Anita meeting, one less than the single-season record of 16 set in the 1998-99 season.