Santa Anita: Chips All In wins San Simeon Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Chips All In won the first graded stakes of his career in Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 San Simeon Stakes at Santa Anita, the beneficiary of an ideal ride from jockey Tyler Baze.

Chips All In was third on the hillside portion of the turf course, stalking even-money favorite Obviously for the first six furlongs. Chips All In was within 1 1/2 lengths of the leader with a furlong remaining and wore down Obviously to win by a half-length.

“It was a perfect trip,” Baze said.

As the race unfolded on the hillside, Baze thought he was in good position on Chips All In, who was a game second in the Joe Hernandez Stakes on the hillside turf course in February. But Baze knew that pacesetter Obviously was capable of leading throughout in his first race since a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Mile here last November.

“That is a good horse, but I didn’t know if he was 100 percent,” Baze said of Obviously. “I knew my horse is 100 percent.”

Chips All In ($6.60) ran about 6 1/2 furlongs on turf in 1:11.28. Obviously held second, finishing 1 1/4 lengths in front of Chosen Miracle, who was followed by Drill, Sirocco Strike and Koast.

Obviously set an early pace of 21.52 and 43.16 seconds through the first half-mile. The loss led trainer Mike Mitchell to say he will focus on one-mile turf races for Obviously at the upcoming spring-summer meeting at Betfair Hollywood Park.

Chips All In, a 4-year-old colt by North Light, has won 6 of 13 starts and $327,955. Owned by Jean Everest, John O’Brien, Michelle Turpin and Danny Valdez and trained by Jeff Mullins, Chips All In has four career stakes wins. He won the $100,000 Gold Rush Futurity at Arapahoe Park as a 2-year-old in August 2011, when trained by Adam Kitchingman.