Santa Anita: Ex-claimer wins stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. - King Robyn, who won an $80,000 claiming race in January, scored his first stakes win in the $80,700 for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita.

Ridden by Alex Solis for red-hot trainer Jeff Mullins, King Robyn ($7) ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.21, holding off a sustained rally from 18-1 Truckle Feature. Eye of the Tiger finished third, followed by Indian Express, Rojo Toro, and Only the Best. Jimmy O, Our Bobby V., and Red Apache were scratched.

King Robyn was always near the front, one of four horses disputing the pace on the backstretch through a rapid pace of 21.38 and 43.56 seconds. Racing along the inside, King Robyn took the lead from Truckle Feature and Rojo Toro on the turn and won by a half-length.

"We took the blinkers off today and that helped," Mullins said. "He was able to reserve a little for the end."

Owned by Cornejo Racing, King Robyn has won 5 of 11 starts and $159,250. A gelding, he raced in Florida last year, winning 3 of 8 starts. King Robyn has not been worse than second in three California starts, including a runner-up in the Baldwin Stakes on turf on Feb. 23.