Kaigun eyes Santa Anita stakes in 2015

DEL MAR, Calif. - Kaigun, the winner of Friday’s Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar, will be pointed to two big one-mile races on turf at Santa Anita in early 2015, trainer Mark Casse said Saturday.

“We’ll give him a tad of a break, and he’ll stay at Santa Anita,” Casse said.

Kaigun will be pointed for the $200,000 Arcadia Stakes on Jan. 31 and the $400,000 Frank Kilroe Mile on March 7.

In the $250,750 Seabiscuit, Kaigun ($9) closed from last of eight in the final quarter-mile to win the race over 1 1/16 miles on turf by three-quarters of a length over Za Approval. Tom’s Tribute, the 3-2 favorite, finished third, beaten 1 1/2 lengths.

Kaigun was 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita on Nov. 1. In August, Kaigun won the Grade 2 Play the King Stakes over seven furlongs on turf at Woodbine. The Seabiscuit Handicap was Kaigun’s first stakes win in the United States. By Northern Afleet, Kaigun was second in two Grade 1 turf races earlier this year – the Manhattan Stakes over 1 1/4 miles at Belmont Park in June and the Woodbine Mile in September.

“He’s pretty versatile from a mile to a mile and a quarter,” Casse said.

A 4-year-old gelding owned by the partnership of Gary Barber, Quintessential Racing Florida, and Horse’n Around Racing Stable, Kaigun has won 5 of 18 starts and earned $964,220.

• Following Sunday’s final day at Del Mar, the next live racing in Southern California will be Thursday’s opening day of the Los Alamitos December meeting.

The meeting’s first major race is the $200,000 Bayakoa Stakes over 1 1/16 miles for fillies and mares next Saturday. The race may include the 2014 stakes winners Awesome Baby, Jojo Warrior, Legacy, Valiant Emilia, and Yahilwa.

Yahilwa won the $200,000 Treasure Chest Stakes at Delta Downs on Nov. 22. Valiant Emilia, a stakes winner in Peru this year, was eighth in the BC Distaff at Santa Anita on Oct. 31.

• Clubhouse Ride, the winner of the Grade 2 Californian Stakes at Santa Anita in May, worked three furlongs in 38.20 seconds at Santa Anita on Saturday, his first workout since returning to training following a back injury.

Clubhouse Ride was turned out following a seventh-place finish in the Los Alamitos Mile on Sept. 6. Trained by Craig Lewis, the 6-year-old Clubhouse Ride has won 5 of 40 starts and $1,320,632 for owners Six-S Racing Stable and Nikolas Petralia.

Clubhouse Ride was second in the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita in June.