Soul Driver surges from ninth to win Singletary

ARCADIA, Calif. - Soul Driver scooted clear of 11 rivals to win the $87,250 Singletary Stakes for 3-year-old turf milers by 4 1/2 lengths at Santa Anita on Saturday.

He was not in peak form, trainer Jeff Mullins said.

“I don’t think he’s 100 percent,” Mullins said.

Soul Driver had not raced since finishing third in the Pasadena Stakes on March 21. Mullins said earlier this week that Soul Driver was sidelined by a sore foot following that race. The colt resumed workouts at the end of April.

In the Singletary, Soul Driver ($9.20) closed from ninth under jockey Gary Stevens to reach the front in early stretch. He led by two lengths with a furlong to go, and was timed in 1:35.60.

Zinvor, fifth in the $250,000 Snow Chief Stakes for 3-year-old California-breds at 1 1/8 miles on turf on May 23, finished second as the 5-2 favorite. Seve’s Road, making his stakes debut, finished third, 4 3/4 lengths behind Soul Driver.

Royal Albert Hall was fourth, followed by Hero Ten All, Cardiac, Harmonic, Madiba, Ride Hard Kowboy, Spin Forty, Where’s the Moon, and All Indians.

Mullins also trains Hero Ten All, and said that colt will benefit by running in longer races later this year.

Soul Driver races for the Bloom Racing Stable, a partnership led by Jeff Bloom. Soul Driver, a colt by Street Boss, has won 2 of 8 starts and earned $134,650.

Soul Driver has run in six consecutive stakes since November. He was second in the Eddie Logan Stakes on turf here in December, and second in the California Derby on the Tapeta synthetic track at Golden Gate Fields in January.

Mullins said that Soul Driver will be pointed for the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on turf at Del Mar on July 16.