Wildman Jack looks at ease in winning Palos Verdes Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. - Wildman Jack, in his second start on dirt, won the Grade 3 Palos Verdes Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday in the style of an older horse who has spent his career on the surface.

Ridden by Abel Cedillo, Wildman Jack ($13.20) stalked pacesetter Captain Scotty (13-1) to the quarter-pole and drew away through the stretch to win the six-furlong race by 4 1/4 lengths over 5-1 Shashashakemeup. Wildman Jack was timed in 1:08.89 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 104.

The $201,500 Palos Verdes was Wildman Jack’s third stakes win in the last year. He won the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates last March, at a time when trainer Doug O’Neill had a small stable in that country, and then won the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf here last May.

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Owned by Glenn Sorgenstein, Wildman Jack was seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 7 after leading by a length at the eighth pole. The Palos Verdes was Wildman Jack’s second start of the current winter-spring meeting, preceded by a sixth-place finish as the 2-1 favorite in the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs on turf on Jan. 1.

In the Palos Verdes, Wildman Jack started from post 2 in a field of eight. Cedillo said he planned to keep Wildman Jack near the front in pursuit of Captain Scotty.

“I knew that horse was fast,” Cedillo said. “I tried to get outside of him and it worked perfect. I didn’t want to get any dirt in his face.”

Captain Scotty set early fractions of 22.01 for the opening quarter-mile and 44.52 for a half-mile, but could not get away from Wildman Jack before yielding the lead in the stretch.

Shashashakemeup closed from sixth to finish 1 3/4 lengths in front of third-place finisher Pyron, 7-2.

Ax Man, the 3-1 favorite, finished fourth in his first start since a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar last July. Captain Scotty faded to finish fifth, followed by Take the One O One, Shooters Shoot, and Kneedeepinsnow.

Wildman Jack, a 5-year-old gelding by Goldencents, has won 5 of 14 starts and has earned $559,505. In his first career start on dirt, Wildman Jack finished fourth in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs at Del Mar last August.