Spirit of Makena wins stakes debut in San Carlos
ARCADIA, Calif. – Four races into his career, Spirit of Makena is making a fast impression in the California sprint division.
On Saturday at Santa Anita, Spirit of Makena ($7) won his stakes debut in the Grade 3 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs, benefiting from an ideal stalking trip under jockey Joe Bravo.
“He’s a fun horse,” Bravo said. “You dream that horses will run like that. It’s nice when the show up and run like that.”
Spirit of Makena stalked pacesetter Forbidden Kingdom to early stretch before taking the lead in midstretch, pulling clear to win by 1 1/2 lengths over that rival. Spirit of Makena ran seven furlongs in 1:22.06.
Forbidden Kingdom, the 9-5 second choice in a field of six, held second, finishing 1 1/4 lengths in front of 8-5 favorite Get Her Number, who closed from last.
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Howbeit, winner of the Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship last October, finished fourth, followed by Holden the Lute and Clem Labine in a field of six.
Forbidden Kingdom, making his first start since a second in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs in December, set an early pace of 22.60 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.96 for a half-mile, unchallenged until Spirit of Makena moved to his outside on the turn.
Jockey Juan Hernandez briefly thought Forbidden Kingdom had enough of an advantage to lead throughout.
“He always tries,” Hernandez said. “He was very comfortable on the lead. At the half-mile pole, I thought I had it.
“When I asked him he responded, but he got beat by a better horse.”
Spirit of Makena, a 5-year-old horse by Ghostzapper, runs for owner and breeder Bruce Chandler and trainer George Papaprodromou.
Spirit of Makena, who has won 3 of 4 starts, won his debut in a maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs at 41-1 at Del Mar last August and was second in an allowance race at a mile last September in his final start of 2022.
In his 2023 debut, Spirit of Makena scored a stylish win by 1 3/4 lengths in an allowance race at six furlongs on Feb. 11. The $200,500 San Carlos Stakes was Spirit of Makena’s first start at seven furlongs.
Spirit of Makena has earned $227,600.
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