What a View takes his time, then takes fourth race in row

ARCADIA, Calif. - When What a View went into the first turn of Saturday's $102,070 Thunder Road Stakes on turf at Santa Anita, trainer Kenny Black was surprised at the 5-year-old gelding's position. Instead of being on or near the lead, What a View was sixth in a field of 11.

"I was not happy," he said.

Black expected Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux to have What a View near the front. The field was on the final turn, with What a View fighting for the lead, when the trainer's point of view changed.

"I liked it when I saw him going to the lead at the quarter-pole," said Black.

"That's why he's in the Hall of Fame and I'm not. To be that far back with no pace in the race, on paper, I did not see that coming."

The victory gave jockey Kent Desormeaux his third stakes win of the afternoon. He won the $151,380 Providencia Stakes with Decked Out, and the $1,000,690 Santa Anita Derby with Exaggerator earlier in the day.

Saturday was the second time Desormeaux won three stakes on a single day at Santa Anita. In April 1998, he won the Valiant Pete Handicap on Awesome Daze, the Royal Owl Handicap on Mufattish, and the Santa Paula Stakes on Loveontheroad. In August 2008 at Monmouth Park, Desormeaux won three stakes on the same program, highlighted by a win in the Haskell Invitational on Big Brown.

The Thunder Road was run at a mile on a yielding course after an afternoon of rain.

Si Sage, who had not started since winning the Grade 3 Last Tycoon Stakes last April, set the early pace of 23.62 seconds for the opening quarter mile and 48.27 seconds for a half mile. He faded from contention in the stretch.

What a View closed from 3 1/2 lengths off the pace with a wide rally to win his fourth consecutive race in the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes. In his last three wins earlier at this meeting, What a View led or disputed the pace in winning an optional claimer in December, the California Cup Turf Classic in January and the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on March 12.

"He was coming off the bridle today and there was no way in the last month or two that he [would] let me ride him like he let me ride him today," said Desormeaux.

What a View was timed in 1:39.01 in the Thunder Road Stakes.

Twentytwentyvision, a 3-1 shot who had not started since winning an optional claimer at Del Mar last August, closed from ninth to finish second, a neck in front of 18-1 Soul Driver. Poshsky was fourth, followed by Decisie Edge, Finnegans Wake, Play Hard to Get, Si Sage, Papacoolpapacool, Cool Green and De Treville.

What a View, a California-bred by Vronsky, has won 6 of 12 starts and earned $592,148. He has been in the best form of his career at the current meeting. What a View races for Finish Line Racing, the estate of Bud Johnston, and Patsy and Sal Berumen.