Prat to ride Warrant in Big Cap for Cox; field of eight coming together

Flavien Prat, the leading rider at the current Santa Anita meeting, will ride Warrant in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 5, the track’s leading race for older horses.

Warrant, trained by Brad Cox for Twin Creeks Racing Stable, has won 3 of 8 starts and earned $649,700. Warrant is the lone shipper expected for the $650,000 Santa Anita Handicap and is scheduled to arrive in California from Louisiana on Tuesday, Cox said in a text message Friday.

A 4-year-old colt, Warrant was third in the Grade 3 Louisiana Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Fair Grounds, beaten nine lengths by stablemate Mandaloun. Saturday, Mandaloun was entered in the $20 million Saudi Cup in Saudi Arabia.

Last year, Warrant won two stakes – the Texas Derby at Lone Star Park and the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park. The Big Cap will be Warrant’s first start at 1 1/4 miles.

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Prat was booked to ride in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Through Monday, Prat led all riders with 57 wins, well clear of Juan Hernandez, who was second with 29.

The Big Cap field is led by Express Train, winner of two Grade 2 races at Santa Anita this winter, and Stilleto Boy, who was third in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park.

Victor Espinoza rode Express Train in his two recent wins, including the San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on Feb. 5, and has the mount in the Big Cap. John Velazquez will ride Stilleto Boy for the first time in the Big Cap. Trained by Ed Moger Jr., Stilleto Boy was fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar in November.

Other candidates for the Big Cap are American Theorem, Award Winner, Law Professor, Soy Tapatio, and Spielberg.

Award Winner raced on turf through 2021, winning twice in eight starts. A 6-year-old gelding trained by David Hofmans, Award Winner is winless in four starts since the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Santa Anita last May. More recently, Award Winner was a troubled fourth in the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita in October and fourth by 1 1/2 lengths in the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup at 1 1/2 miles on Nov. 26 at Del Mar.

Award Winner has not raced this year. His participation in the Big Cap hinges on a workout on Sunday, Hofmans said.

“We want to see a good work,” Hofmans said. “We want to see how he comes out of it. He likes this track. He’s never run on it, but he does train well over it.”

Award Winner has raced primarily on turf through his career. He won a maiden race on a sloppy and sealed main track at Gulfstream Park in 2018 when trained by Brian Lynch.

American Theorem is under consideration for the Big Cap and the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs on March 5, but is more likely to start in the Big Cap, trainer George Papaprodromou said.

“The Santa Anita Handicap is our first option,” he said.

American Theorem was sixth in the San Pasqual Stakes after experiencing trouble on the first turn.

Owned by Rustin Kretz, American Theorem will have his first start at 1 1/4 miles in the Big Cap.

The same day, Kretz and Papaprodromou plan to start Cabo Spirit in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles, a key prep for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 9. Cabo Spirit won the Eddie Logan Stakes at a mile on turf on Jan. 2 and was second, beaten 15 lengths, by Messier in the Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on dirt on Feb. 6.

Aside from the Big Cap, San Carlos, and San Felipe stakes, there are three other graded stakes on the March 5 program – the Grade 1 Beholder Mile for fillies and mares on dirt, the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf, and the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on turf.