Westwood shrugs off challenge by Getaway Car, takes San Pasqual Stakes
?q=100)
ARCADIA, Calif. - Westwood’s prevalent style as a pacesetter worked in a stakes for the first time in Saturday’s Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes for older horses, a race that changed considerably on race morning at Santa Anita.
Pony Express, the morning-line favorite, was listed as scratched by veterinarians. Stakes-placed at Santa Anita last October, Pony Express was expected to be part of the pace.
Without him, Westwood took an early lead and won by 2 3/4 lengths for his first stakes win in his fourth attempt in such a races
Westwood has set the pace several times in his career, and was urged to do so on Saturday by jockey Kazushi Kimura. Westwood raced without blinkers for the first time in his 10-race career on Saturday.
“He broke well and was in the right rhythm,” Kimura said. “I thought, Why don’t I try to go?”
Westwood did not face a challenge in the first half of the race, setting modest fractions of 24.24 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 48.42 for a half-mile. He was closely followed by Bartholdy and Getaway Car, who have also shown speed, but raced in stalking positions in the $200,000 San Pasqual.
Westwood was challenged by Getaway Car on the turn, but the threat was brief. Westwood had a half-length advantage on the turn and was two lengths clear with a furlong remaining.
“I chased the winner at the three-eighths pole, and I couldn’t keep up with the winner,” said Juan Hernandez, who rode 2-1 Getaway Car.
Westwood ($8.40) ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.52 and earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 93.
“From the three-eighths, I felt the pressure,” Kimura said. “My horse has a big stride.”
Getaway Car, winner of the Sunland Derby in New Mexico last February, held second, 7 1/2 lengths clear of 7-2 Bartholdy. Ghazaaly, who was supplemented for $4,000 when entries were taken last Monday, finished fourth, followed by 8-5 favorite Midnight Mammoth, who faded from contention on the turn.
Westwood races for Lee and Susan Searing’s CRK Stable and trainer John Shirreffs. A 4-year-old gelding by Authentic, Westwood has won twice and earned $313,900. He finished a well-beaten third behind Journalism in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby last April, and last of four in the Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita last June.
Westwood won a maiden race at a mile in his sixth start at Del Mar last August.
In his final start of 2025, Westwood finished third after setting the pace in the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Del Mar in November.
Westwood, purchased for $700,000 as a yearling at Keeneland in 2023, gave Shirreffs and the Searings their fourth win in the San Pasqual in the last eight years. They teamed to win three consecutive runnings with Midcourt in 2020, and Express Train in 2021 and 2022.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.