'Mojave' wins, SA carryover at $190,587

ARCADIA, Calif. - McCann's Mojave scored a $15.80 upset in the spill-marred at Santa Anita on Sunday, contributing to a string of upsets that generated a $190,587.33 pick six carryover into Wednesday.

Five horses left the gate in the Grade 2 Potrero Grande, but only three finished the six and a half-furlong race. Casas Caballo was in fourth place when he fractured his left front cannon bone at the five-sixteenths pole and fell. Watchem Smokey tripped over the fallen horse and also went down. Casas Caballo was euthanized; preliminary reports are that Watchem Smokey was not seriously hurt.

Martin Pedroza, the jockey of Casas Caballo, was taken to Arcadia Methodist Hospital for examination. Watchem Smokey's rider Victor Espinoza was not injured, according to initial reports.

McCann's Mojave and jockey Jose Valdivia set or pressed the pace between runners, lost the lead to Unfurl The Flag in midstretch, then re-rallied and won by a length and three-quarters in 1:15.60. Unfurl The Flag finished a length and three-quarters in front of 4-5 favorite Bluesthestandard, whose jockey Mike Smith was not seriously hurt in a spill earlier on the card.

Leonard Dorfman trains the winner for owner-breeders Alix Nikki Hunt and Mike Willman. McCann's Mojave, a 4-year-old California-bred sired by Memo, was winning for the fifth time in six starts. He earned $66,840 to increase his career bankroll to $236,460.