Redattore best in San Antonio

ARCADIA, Calif. - The world traveler that the public did not fancy won Sunday's $250,000 San Antonio Handicap at Santa Anita.

While bettors made the Chilean-bred Lido Palace a heavy favorite, Redattore, who was bred in Brazil, won his first race on dirt in the U.S. in the Grade 2 San Antonio*.

Dismissed at 11-1, Redattore stalked the pace to the final furlong before pulling away to win by a half-length over Euchre, who finished 1 1-2 lengths in front of Irishesyesareflying.

Lido Palace, a finalist for the Eclipse Award as the nation's top older male of 2001, finished fourth, three lengths behind Redattore.

A 7-year-old, Redattore ($25.40) gave trainer Richard Mandella his fifth winner in the San Antonio. Mandella won the San Antonio three times in the late 1990s with Best Pal (1995) and Gentlemen (1997-98).

"I'm glad to be back in the game," Mandella said.

The San Antonio was Redattore's first win since the Grade 1 Eddie Read Handicap at Del Mar last August and first start since the Oak Tree Mile in October. He emerged from the latter race with a foot abscess, Mandella said.

Ridden by Alex Solis, Redattore ran 1 1-8 miles in 1:48.66. The victory put him on the list of probables for the world's important dirt races in March - the Santa Anita Handicap on March 2 and the Dubai World Cup on March 23.

"With the Big Cap and the Dubai Cup coming up quickly, it was time to find out if he liked the dirt," Mandella said.

Redattore had a wide, stalking trip. Solis had Redattore in third on the backstretch, tracking Euchre, who set fractions of 23.68 and 47.77 seconds.

Racing three-wide at the end of the backstretch, Redattore joined Euchre and Irisheyesareflying and the trio ran in that position around the final turn with Lido Palace stalking in fourth.

"On the turf, he's the speed of the race, but on dirt there was a quicker pace," Mandella said. "It gave him something to aim for."

Redattore did not draw off until the final sixteenth.

"He won kind of easy," Solis said. "I waited to the eighth pole to let him run and he gave me a nice kick."

Lido Palace never threatened the winner. Sent off at 4-5, Lido Palace was making his first start since finishing unplaced in the Japan Cup Dirt in late November.

"I don't think he likes being between horses," trainer Bobby Frankel said of Lido Palace's early position. "He didn't get beat that far."

*

* Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.