Red-hot Dettori will ride Newgrange in Santa Anita Handicap
ARCADIA, Calif. -- Frankie Dettori, who won four races at Santa Anita on Saturday, will ride Newgrange for the first time in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 4.
Dettori replaces Juan Hernandez, who is scheduled to ride the multiple stakes winner Defunded in the $500,000 Big Cap at 1 1/4 miles.
Defunded was second in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 28. On the same day, Newgrange won the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita.
On Sunday, Dettori worked Newgrange six furlongs in 1:13.20 for trainer Phil D’Amato.
“He does what you ask him to do,” Dettori said. “I got a feel for him. He’s a good stayer.”
Prior to the workout, Dettori and D’Amato watched a video of Newgrange’s win in the San Pasqual, when the colt stalked the pace, fell back slightly on the turn, and rallied to win by a length.
Newgrange worked in company with the 4-year-old filly Desert Dawn, who is scheduled to have her 2023 debut in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile on dirt for fillies and mares on March 11.
Desert Dawn has not raced since she finished second in the Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes at a mile at Del Mar last September. Earlier in 2022, Desert Dawn won the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks and was third in the Kentucky Oaks.
In Sunday’s workout, Desert Dawn started ahead of Newgrange and finished evenly, D’Amato said.
“They galloped out together,” D’Amato said.
Securing Dettori for Newgrange was an easy decision, D’Amato said.
“The man is on fire,” D’Amato said. “He has a world of experience on turf, dirt, and synthetic and everything in between. We were lucky to get him.”
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Dettori is riding at Santa Anita this winter in his final year in the saddle. Well known for his worldwide success since the early 1990s, Dettori is retiring in the fall. Through Saturday, Dettori had 18 wins at the winter-spring current meeting, ranking second to clear leader Juan Hernandez with 37.
Dettori, 52, will not ride at Santa Anita next weekend. He is scheduled to ride in Saudi Arabia on Friday and Saturday and will return to Santa Anita for the March 3 program. Dettori is expected to remain at Santa Anita until early April through the Santa Anita Derby program on April 8 before he returns to England.
The main race in Saudi Arabia on Saturday is the $20 million Saudi Cup. Dettori rides Country Grammer, a 6-year-old horse he knows well. Dettori rode Country Grammer to a win in the $12 million Dubai World Cup last March and a win in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.
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