Trip Notes for Feb. 7: Withers, San Antonio, Donn Handicap, and more...

Saturday, February 7

Aqueduct - Toboggan (race 3)

COMMENT: Salutos Amigos looked good making it four wins in his last five starts (the lone loss being a seventh in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint). He sat back early as Dads Cap jumped out to a clear lead and set a modest pace. Dads Caps looked home free in the lane before Salutos Amigos surged late to blow past him in the final half-furlong. This was accomplished despite what seemed to be a significant inside speed bias. He’ll reportedly wheel back quickly for the Grade 2 General George at Laurel Feb. 16, and should all go well there he’s a possibility for the Group 1 Golden Shaheen in Dubai March 28. And if that doesn’t come about, the Grade 1 Carter here April 4 would be next. Dads Cap, third to Salutos Amigos in the Gravesend here Dec. 26, bounced finished 7 ½ lengths clear of the rest. Crafty Dreamer chased the pace early, dropped to the inside into the lane and finished evenly.

Aqueduct - Withers (race 8)

COMMENT: Far From Over, a $550,000 son of Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Blame, went to his nose at the start and after recovering seemed in a hopeless position well behind the field. He steadily advanced after moving to the rail, came off the fence into the lane and persevered to go past the two favorites El Kabier and Classy Class late for the win. With A. P. Indy on the bottom of his pedigree, he’s bred to go long on both sides. El Kabeir, heavily favored off a win in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club and easy win in the Grade 3 Jerome, went right out to press the pace of Classy Class early, challenged that rival going down the backstretch, and was finally getting the better of that foe in the lane only to have the winner roll past. Certainly the pace battle didn’t help him but there are doubts about how far he really wants to go. Classy Class, making his first start of the year after running fourth in the Grade 2 Remsen Nov. 29, dueled with El Kabeir to deep stretch and weakened a smidge late. He can certainly benefit from this outing, though as with El Kabeir there’s a question as to how much distance he wants. At least he’s bred to go longer.

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Gulfstream - Suwannee River (race 10)

COMMENT: Sandiva did plenty of good work in England but she didn’t do much in her first three U.S. starts, all stakes. The light has apparently gone on as she won the Tropical Park Oaks here Dec. 20 and stepped up her game to prove a smart winner here. She sat midpack from the start, came out into the lane, surged to a clear lead by midstretch and held off Rosalind. Remember, Sandiva was good enough to beat Euro Charline (who won last year’s Grade 1 Beverly D.) in an English Group 3 last April. Rosalind, once very highly regarded but coming back from a layoff after a disastrous trip to England last June and then two poor outings last summer and fall, showed some of her old spark. She wasn’t far behind the winner early, rallied wide on the far turn and got going well late to close the gap. Scampering was reluctant to load before running fourth in the Grade 3 Marshua’s River here Jan. 10, but was better behaved here. She was bumped at the start and ran just in front of Rosalind much of the way while saving ground. She made a run at Sandiva and then couldn’t quite fend off Rosalind for the place. White Rose, making her return after two straight stakes wins in fall, lagged back and finished decently.

Gulfstream - Fred W. Hooper Handicap (race 11)

COMMENT: Valid has been a tough pro for a while and he showed his heart again here, prevailing in a three-horse photo. Coming off a fourth in the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope, he jumped right into a pace battle with longshot Grande Shores and the two went at it tooth-and-nail for the entire mile, with Valid just. Grande Shores ran splendidly in defeat at 25-1. Stretching out after 12 straight top-two finishes (all sprints), he battled with Valid from the start. Race Day, favored off three straight wins including an 8 1/2-length romp (109 Beyer) at this trip here Dec. 21, stalked the pace, took up the chase in earnest in the lane, and closed the gap on the top two. Confrontation, who was second just ahead of Valid in the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope, sat a bit off the pace and came with a decent run.

Gulfstream - Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (race 12)

COMMENT: Mshawish scored his fourth win in his last five starts, and while the margin was only a nose, he was much the best. Mshawish stalked the early pace of Golden Rule, though as has been his habit he seemed a bit rank. He settled down some but was bottled up until midstretch, when he found a seam, burst through and got up. Slumber did everything right but just missed. He sat midpack early, moved closer as the race progressed, was just behind Mshawish turning for home, pitched wide and rallied, but couldn’t quite fend off the winner’s surge. War Correspondent was much farther back than expected, swung wide into the lane and finished well. Lochte, the defending champ, sat midpack, seemingly in a good spot, but never had room to launch a run. Imagining, making his first start since running seventh in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf, was in last place until he turned for home, when he started a run. He had to check at the sixteenth pole and then was unable to make a dent. Only three lengths separated the entire field.

Gulfstream - Donn Handicap (race 13)

COMMENT: Constitution’s best moment came here last March when he won the Grade 1 Florida Derby. His love affair with this place continued, as did his progress in his third start after a long layoff as he prevailed and stamped himself one of the leaders in the handicap division. He bounced right out to the lead, took pressure from stablemate Commissioner, dispatched with that rival coming into the lane, opened up a bit of room and kept hard-trying favorite and defending champ Lea at bay through the final half-furlong. He was part of a big day for trainer Todd Pletcher, who also sent out Far From Over, Sandiva and Mshawish for graded stakes wins. Lea won this impressively last year and was coming off three straight wins, including the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope here last month. He sat midpack early while inside behind the pacesetters, seemed a bit crowded going into the far turn but held his position, swung out for room into the stretch and came with a nice run, finishing 4 1/4 lengths clear of third. Elnaawi, coming off a monster win in the mud at Laurel Jan. 3, was slow into stride and sat last early. He steadily advanced, made a nice run into the lane to briefly look like a threat, and he stayed on well to be a clear third. East Hall lagged back and never mustered the necessary run. Protonico, a sharp second in the Grade 1 Clark at Churchill last time out Nov. 28, broke slowly and was eased in the lane.

Santa Anita - Robert B. Lewis (race 5)

COMMENT: Dortmund and Firing Line put on quite a show, with Dortmund narrowly prevailing by a head to keep his record perfect in four starts. These two finished a head apart in the same order in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 20. A son of Big Brown, Dortmund pressured early pacesetter Tizcano, moved up to challenge going into the backstretch, saw that rival fall away but was quickly joined by Firing Line, looked in trouble when Firing Line took the lead in midstretch but battled back to get the win. This was the second fastest 1 1/16 miles of the meet, behind only older horse Hoppertunity in the Grade 2 San Pasqual. Firing Line ran splendidly but came up just a bit short. He stalked the pace, moved up to challenge going to the far turn, and took the lead in midstretch as if ready to go on to victory. The top two finished 21 1/2 lengths ahead of third finisher Rock Shandy. It’s quite possible that despite the presence of Texas Red and American Pharaoh that these are the two best 3-year-olds in Southern California.

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Santa Anita - San Marcos (race 7)

COMMENT: Finnegans Wake confirmed he’s the West’s top turf horse. He won the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup at 1 1/2 miles at Del Mar Nov. 27 and then won the Grade 2 San Gabriel at 1 1/8 miles here Jan. 3. Going 1 1/4 miles here, he bided his time early, as is his nature, while Diamond Bachelor bounced out to a long lead. Finnegans Wake put in a sustained rally to grab the lead late from Diamond Bachelor. Diamond Bachelor was still clear coming into the lane, veered inward late to impede Power Foot and couldn’t fend off the winner. He was disqualified and placed fourth. Power Ped lagged back and finished decently. Power Foot stalked in third, was making a threatening run in the lane when Diamond Bachelor veered into his path, forcing him to take up and lose all chance. Dynamic Sky, the favorite, stalked the pace but never mustered a run. Patrioticandproud, a sharp second to Finnegans Wake in the Hollywood Turf Cup and San Gabriel, sat well back and never made a move.

Santa Anita - San Antonio (race 8)

COMMENT: In this much-awaited showdown, Shared Belief, the 2-year-old champion of 2013, found a way to even the score 1-1 against 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome in a terrific race. Shared Belief, now 9 for 10, finished fourth with traffic trouble to California Chrome’s third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic here in the fall. On Saturday, Shared Belief sat off California Chrome’s hip from the start, was asked to go after that rival on far turn while widest of all, and got the better of that foe in the final furlong. California Chrome sat second early stalking Alfa Bird through slowish splits. He traveled moved up easily to grab the lead from on the far turn, kicked on strongly for home, and still had the lead in midstretch. He really lost nothing in defeat. Unfortunately Round 3 might not come until summer as Shared Belief is pointing for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap here March 7 while California Chrome may ship for the Group 1 Dubai World Cup March 28. Hoppertunity, coming off big wins in the Grade 1 Clark at Churchill Nov. 28 and Grade 2 San Pasqual here Jan. 10, stalked the pace while inside, came with a strong run along the rail to challenge for the lead turning for home, but couldn’t keep up with the top two. Bronzo ran a deceptively good race. He lagged back, swung wide into the lane and finished well, nearly catching Hoppertunity for third. Considering the modest pace played against him, the fact he finished so well is encouraging.

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