Lanier gives trainer Santangelo first stakes win in Hanshin Cup
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The 7-year-old Lanier and 26-year-old trainer Brett Santangelo won their first stakes race on Saturday at Arlington.
Lanier was much the best in the Grade 3, $100,000 Hanshin Cup, a race Santangelo had targeted since Lanier finished second March 9 in the Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway Park. That race was a two-turn route over Polytrack, the Hanshin a one-turn mile that figured to suit Lanier perfectly.
“This has been the plan for a while,” said Santangelo, who trains Lanier for Oakview Racing Stable. “We sat on him for six weeks. I got a patient owner. It worked out.”
Declan Cannon gave Lanier a perfect trip as he stalked the surprisingly modest pace (a quarter in 23.99 seconds, a half in 47.56) set by Richiesinthehouse, with Goneghost hot on his heels. Lanier and Cannon, breaking from post 10, waited in third, poised to strike, with Cannon asking his mount at about the five-sixteenths pole. Lanier reached Richiesinthehouse after straightening for home and widened his lead to win by four lengths, stopping the timer in 1:35.84 for the one-turn Polytrack mile.
What’s Up Dude, a 48-1 shot, rallied mildly to nip 2-1 favorite Nun the Less for second, with 7-2 third choice Sir Anthony another three-quarters back in fourth.
Lanier ($13.20), a gelding by Lewis Michael and out of Saint Jamie, by Arch, notched his first stakes victory in his 32nd career start.
“He really just took me there the whole way,” said Cannon.
Santangelo grew up a racing fan 15 minutes from Penn National in central Pennsylvania and went to the University of Kentucky to study equine science. He worked summers in California with trainer Jerry Hollendorfer while training a couple of horses concurrent with his university studies.
“Three and a half years ago, I went out in my own,” said Santangelo, who is based this spring and summer at Presque Isle Downs. “One thing led to another, and now I got a barnful of 20 horses, got a couple good owners, and I’m trying to make it happen.”
The Presque Isle Mile in late summer is a long-term goal for Lanier, whom Santangelo and Oakview claimed for $40,000 last November at Churchill Downs.
The short-term goal would be for Santangelo to relish his first stakes win.
