McAnally aims for fourth win in San Juan Capistrano
ARCADIA, Calif. – Experience should work in favor of Quick Casablanca in Sunday’s $200,000 San Juan Capistrano Stakes at Santa Anita.
Quick Casablanca has never raced over the San Juan distance of 1 3/4 miles on turf but has left trainer Ron McAnally confident that he can get the trip. Quick Casablanca won the Group 1 El Derby over about 1 1/2 miles on turf in Chile in 2012 before arriving in the United States in 2013.
“He should do it,” McAnally said. “He looks like a freight train. He’s long-legged, and he’s not too heavy.”
McAnally knows what it takes to win the Grade 2 San Juan Capistrano. He has won the turf marathon three times, including last year with Interaction.
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The San Juan Capistrano Stakes is the featured race on a 10-race program on the final day of the spring-summer meeting. Los Alamitos begins its summer Thoroughbred meeting Thursday.
The San Juan Capistrano drew a field of nine. Quick Casablanca, who won the Grade 3 Last Tycoon Stakes over 1 1/8 miles in April, and the South American import Lideris, who won a Group 1 over 1 1/4 miles on dirt in Peru in March, are the only 2014 stakes winners in the field.
Lideris was entered in Saturday’s $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita, but trainer Peter Miller said earlier in the week that he was leaning toward a start in the San Juan.
[San Juan Capistrano Stakes: Get PPs, watch Saturday's card live]
Quick Casablanca, 6, will be ridden by Joe Talamo, who was aboard for the horse’s last start, a third as the 8-5 favorite in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes over 1 1/4 miles on turf May 24. Quick Casablanca closed from last in a field of nine to finish a half-length behind Fire With Fire.
“He was flying the final part,” McAnally said. “That probably got him beat because he was so far back.”
Quick Casablanca has won 4 of 18 starts and earned $572,580. The San Juan Capistrano will be his longest race since a third in the John’s Call Stakes over 1 5/8 miles on turf at Saratoga last July, when trained by Christophe Clement.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 8 Quick Casablanca. Trainer Ron McAnally is 3 for 8 with a $5.85 over the past two years with horses making their third start off a layout in Santa Anita turf routes.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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The success on Sunday of Quick Casablanca will depend to some extent on how quick a rival such as Big Kick runs in the first mile of the race.
Trained by Mike Machowsky, Big Kick earned a spot in the San Juan Capistrano after winning an optional claimer over 1 1/4 miles on turf June 13. Big Kick was entered for a $50,000 claiming price in that race, leading throughout and winning by 3 1/4 lengths. In March, Big Kick won a $40,000 claimer over a mile on dirt using the same style.
The quick turnaround from the June 13 race led Machowsky to wait until entries were drawn Thursday before committing Big Kick to the San Juan.
“I waited until [Thursday] morning to make up my mind,” Machowsky said. “It’s a unique race. He’s the type of horse that is better when he has the lead.”