Pendleton wires San Juan County Commissioners

Pendleton went to the front and never looked back for a 14 1/2 length win Sunday in the $75,000 San Juan County Commissioners at SunRay Park. It was the fourth straight victory for the horse. Lookin At Lee finished second, while it was another 6 3/4 lengths to Bokeelia Island in third.

The San Juan County Commissioners was a 1 1/8-mile race run around three turns on SunRay's six-furlong track. It was part of the closing day card.

Pendleton ($2.60) set a controlled pace from the bell, leading through fractions of 25.24 seconds for the opening quarter, 49.32 for the half-mile and 1:13.57 for six furlongs. He proceeded to cover the mile in 1:36.95 before finishing up on a fast track in 1:49.50.

“When I moved, he moved strong,” winning rider Frank Reyes said on the broadcast of the signal from SunRay.

Trainer Justin Evans credited Reyes with getting Pendleton into a nice rhythm early on Sunday.

“When he gets into that long, flowing stride, it’s tough to take him down,” Evans said in a televised interview after the race.

Evans said owners William Tomasic and Susan Tomasic are from California and as such there has been some discussion of running Pendleton at Del Mar. Another option for the horse, said Evans, is the $55,000 Budweiser Special Stakes on Sept. 21 at the Downs at Albuquerque.

Pendleton began his streak March 24 at Sunland Park, where he won an allowance over 6 1/2 furlongs. He proceeded to win at the same distance at SunRay, in the two-turn Inaugural Stakes on May 4. Pendleton then won another allowance, at a mile on May 19 at SunRay, in a track-record time of 1:35.34.

Pendleton is a son of Giant’s Causeway and a half-brother to Grade 2 winner Mrs. McDougal. Pendleton is now 3 for 3 at SunRay. Overall, he has now won 7 of 10 starts, with the first-place check of $45,000 on Sunday pushing his career earnings to $174,924.

American Dubai was scratched from the San Juan County Commissioners.