Westwood's San Pasqual win may clear path to Santa Anita Handicap
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ARCADIA, Calif. - Watching Westwood on the lead often gives trainer John Shirreffs confidence.
“That’s how he is, he’s tough,” Shirreffs said on Sunday morning. “When horses come to him, he digs in.”
In Saturday’s Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita, Westwood set the pace and was challenged on the turn by Getaway Car. As soon as a stretch duel seemed possible, Westwood had established a clear lead. He won by 2 3/4 lengths over Getaway Car for his first stakes win and second victory in 10 career starts.
The win may lead to a start in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap at 1 1/4 miles on March 7.
Owned by Lee and Susan Searing’s CRK Stables, Westwood was bought for a hefty $700,000 as a yearling at Keeneland in 2023. Gelded in fall 2024, Westwood was so well-regarded as a 3-year-old that he ran in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby as a maiden last April. Making his fourth start, Westwood was 44-1 and finished third, 9 3/4 lengths behind Journalism.
The Santa Anita Derby was a productive race. Journalism later won the Preakness Stakes and Haskell Invitational, and was second in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. Baeza, trained by Shirreffs and co-owned by the Searings, was second in the Santa Anita Derby and later third in the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes behind Horse of the Year Sovereignty. Baeza won the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby last September.
“The race has really held up,” Shirreffs said of the Santa Anita Derby.
Baeza, sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 1 in his last start, worked three furlongs in 39 seconds last Thursday, his first workout in advance of a scheduled springtime comeback. Shirreffs said Baeza’s preparation in coming weeks will focus not only on workouts but also behind-the-scenes issues.
“We’ll take a little time to get him better at the gate,” he said. “There has been a couple of races when he’s had to circle at the gate and he’s gotten a little nervous.”
Journalism, trained by Michael McCarthy, is currently galloping on a daily basis at Santa Anita and nearing his first workout since a fourth-place finish in the BC Classic.
Westwood, by Authentic, beat maidens in his sixth start at Del Mar last August. The San Pasqual was his fourth appearance in a stakes. Westwood was third in the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Del Mar on Nov. 22 in his final start of 2025.
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