Santa Anita: Big Macher earns shot at San Carlos

ARCADIA, Calif. – Big Macher won his stakes debut in the California Cup Sprint at Santa Anita on Jan. 25, a reason for trainer Richard Baltas to point the 4-year-old to the $250,000 San Carlos Stakes on March 8.

Run at seven furlongs, the Grade 2 San Carlos will be a test for Big Macher, who has won 3 of 8 starts and $146,428.

“I think he wants all of seven-eighths,” Baltas said. “He needs to step it up a bit, but he’s a horse with a ton of spirit.”

Big Macher won the six-furlong Cal Cup Sprint by 1 3/4 lengths, stalking the pace to early stretch before drawing clear late. In the past, Big Macher has raced on the lead. In an allowance at 6 1/2 furlongs at Hollywood Park on Dec. 1, Big Macher led to the final furlong and was beaten a half-length by Wild Dude.

The form of that race has turned out to be productive. Wild Dude won the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes on Feb. 2 in his stakes debut and is expected to start in the San Carlos. Runner-up Ambitious Brew won the Sensational Star Handicap for California-bred turf sprinters Feb. 22.

Baltas is looking forward to a rematch with Wild Dude, a horse he respects.

“The time he beat me I was blazing out there on the front end,” Baltas said. “He looks like the best horse right now.”

Big Macher and Wild Dude will be part of a San Carlos field expected to include Sahara Sky, who won the 2013 San Carlos but was fifth in the Palos Verdes in his 2014 debut; and Shakin It Up, who won the Malibu and Strub earlier at this meeting.

The top race March 8 is the $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap with a field led by Mucho Macho Man and Will Take Charge, the first two finishers of the Breeders’ Cup Classic last November.

Other candidates for the Big Cap are American Blend, Appealing Tale, Blingo, Game On Dude, Imperative, Majestic Harbor, and Rousing Sermon.

Pick six pays $20,091

Thursday’s pick six paid $20,091 to 35 ticketholders on a day when bettors had few horses to consider.

The pick six races had fields of 6, 5, 6, 5, 5, and 8 runners. Small fields and rain early Thursday led to three races being taken off the turf and 11 late scratches in pick six races.

The winners of the pick six races were Zackos My Man ($7.80), Tuckers Point ($7.60), Lilly’s Perfect ($5.20), Onna Bugeisha ($15), County Lineman ($12.40), and Divine Way ($3).

The pick six began with a carryover of $198,609 from last Sunday. Bettors added $928,030 on Thursday, a figure lower than expected because of the small fields.

Two riders suspended

Jockeys Agapito Delgadillo and Jose Valdivia Jr. have been suspended three days for causing interference in the first race Feb. 23.

Delgadillo was aboard Ryderroo, who was disqualified from first and placed second for a bumping incident with runner-up Jetbird in the stretch of a maiden claimer over six furlongs. Valdivia was aboard Fast Moka Too, who was involved in the bumping incident and finished fourth.

Delgadillo’s suspension covers racing on March 9 and March 13-14. Valdivia’s suspension begins Sunday and runs through Friday.

Aguirre fined for no-show

Trainer Paul Aguirre was fined $500 by Santa Anita stewards on Thursday after Londinium was not shipped from Los Alamitos to Santa Anita for the day’s fourth race. Londinium was a 7-2 shot on the morning line to win the $10,000 claimer over a mile.

Londinium was not shipped to Santa Anita because of confusion over the condition of the racetrack following rain early Thursday, stewards said.
◗ There was no main track training Friday for the second consecutive day because of wet conditions.