Sadler savors first Big Cap win with Accelerate

ARCADIA, Calif. – John Sadler grew up in Southern California and was a fan of racing even before he began training nearly four decades ago, so he said the Santa Anita Handicap win on Saturday with Accelerate was "very satisfying."

"It's one of the most iconic races on our circuit," Sadler, who had never before won the Big Cap, said Sunday morning. "I'm old enough to remember when it was more important than the 3-year-old races. I grew up watching Quicken Tree. I remember Ack Ack. I love the Big Cap. It was a great win for us."

Sadler said he saw Accelerate early Sunday morning before heading to the airport – he, like many trainers on this circuit, is off to Ocala, Fla., for the 2-year-old sale – and said, "At first blush, he seems fine."

Sadler said he'd look at races on this circuit and possibly "poke around the country" for upcoming races, but he had no firm plans at the moment for Accelerate's next race. But he said a main summer goal would be the Pacific Classic at Del Mar, a race, like the Santa Anita Handicap, that is at 1 1/4 miles.

Accelerate never before had won going that far, so the win opens up more possibilities for him. He was third in last year’s Pacific Classic behind Collected and Arrogate, and that was among the reasons he was pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile last fall – his second straight appearance in that race – rather than the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Accelerate flopped in the Dirt Mile, finishing ninth of 10, but since then he was second in the San Antonio and then won the San Pasqual before winning his second straight race in the Big Cap.

“He put together two really big races back-to-back, he won going a mile and a quarter, and he carried high weight,” Sadler said. “He’s improving. He had a good year last year, and he’s even better now.”

Accelerate, 5, has now won six times in 17 starts.

Mubtaahij, who finished second in the Big Cap, and Hoppertunity, who was scratched from the race owing to the off track, both are under consideration for the Dubai World Cup on March 31, said their trainer, Bob Baffert, who already has West Coast committed to that race.