Major Cabbie to represent Miller stable in San Carlos

The longshot Major Cabbie will be trainer Peter Miller’s lone starter in Saturday’s Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at Santa Anita at a time when his stable has depth in the sprint division.

Major Cabbie has not started since a last-place finish in the Native Dancer Stakes at Laurel Park in December 2019, missing 2020 because of a splint bone injury, Miller said. Major Cabbie was in training briefly in early 2020 and resumed workouts in December.

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Miller said Major Cabbie could go from the San Carlos Stakes to the $75,000 Santana Mile here on March 28.

Miller is leaving two notable sprint runners in the stable: C Z Rocket and Shashashakemeup. C Z Rocket was second in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland in November, and Shashashakemeup was second in the Grade 3 Palos Verdes Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 23.

Miller said those runners could start in the $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes at six furlongs at Oaklawn Park on March 13, although he expressed concern about the long-range forecast of rain at the Arkansas track.

C Z Rocket, who won the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar last August and the Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship in September, is “ready to go” for his 2020 debut.

“I’m trying to keep guys separated,” Miller said of his group of sprinters.

The list of expected starters in the San Carlos lacks a nationally prominent sprinter. Candidates include Brickyard Ride, Extra Hope, Loud Mouth, Manhattan Up, Storm the Court, and Tigre di Slugo.

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Miller plans to start None Above the Law, the runner-up in the California Cup Derby for statebreds on Jan. 16, in what will be a very tough running of the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Saturday.

The $300,000 San Felipe is a leading prep for the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles on April 3. The probable field for the San Felipe includes the undefeated Life Is Good and Medina Spirt and Roman Centurian, the first two finishers of the Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Jan. 30.

Get Her Number, the winner of the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita last September, was nominated for the San Felipe, but is more likely to start in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes, a $1 million race at 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn Park on March 13.

Get Her Number was sidelined last October because of an issue with bone bruising, Miller said at the time.