Santa Anita: No Jet Lag raises the bar with City of Hope win

ARCADIA, Calif. - On Labor Day weekend, No Jet Lag was omitted from the $250,000 Del Mar Derby because of insufficient career earnings. What really stung trainer Simon Callaghan was that the race was divided into two divisions, and No Jet Lag still couldn’t get in from the also-eligible list.

Five weeks later, No Jet Lag ran in the next possible turf stakes, Saturday’s $150,750 City of Hope Mile Stakes on turf. The opportunity was not wasted. No Jet Lag gave a career-best performance to win by a half-length.

The victory will lead to a start in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile here on Nov. 2. Going into the weekend, Callaghan was hoping No Jet Lag would run well enough in the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile to run in the $150,000 Twilight Derby over 1 1/8 miles on turf on Nov. 1. The goals are higher now.

“I think it would have been optimistic to suggest that we could win, but going in we thought it could be the case,” Callaghan said. “This is a really talented horse.”

Ridden by Mike Smith, No Jet Lag closed from fifth in a field of eight to win by a half-length over He Be Fire N Ice. Obviously, the 1-2 favorite, could only finish fourth after leading in the stretch.

Trainer Mike Mitchell said on Sunday that he regretted the race tactics to have Obviously stalk pacesetter Endorsement in the first half of the City of Hope Mile. For the BC Mile, Obviously will be sent to the front, Mitchell said.

“I don’t think he wants to take back off a horse,” Mitchell said. “We’ll send him. We’ll let him go for it. It doesn’t matter who is in there.”

A 3-year-old by Johar, No Jet Lag is unbeaten in two starts in the United States after a modest career in England at 2 and earlier this year. Callaghan said he urged owner Anthony Ramsden to send No Jet Lag to California to take advantage of firm turf conditions.

The move has given Ramsden and Callaghan a BC Mile contender.

No Jet Lag has won 4 of 9 starts and $148,752.