Big Cap Action at The Great Race Place

It was a perfect California day at the Great Race Place. The temperature at Santa Anita Park was in the 80's with a nice breeze, and featured the beautiful backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains. Breathtaking views from the grandstand only added to the large crowd expecting an exciting day of racing. Full of thrill and full of action; racing fans, who played long shots with hopes of cashing a ticket, had their share of excitement. The first three races produced double digit winners. If  #7 was your lucky number, than you had Congregationalist in Race 1, which paid $38 for the win, and Overcomer in Race 2, a  $50.60 winner. It didn't stop there, Race 3 produced another long shot going down the hill on turf.  #2 Whisk paid $30.20 for the win. What a way to start the day! 

Fans came out for a thrill, and that's what they got, so forget the chalk because there were chances to make some money with the right picks. 

Winner #7 Wild Dude trained by Jerry Hollendorfer paid $5.80 to win, #5 Kobe's Back came in second with favored at 4-5 Conquest Two Step coming in third.  

Jockey Gary Stevens on #5 Kobe's Back, "Pete did a heck of a job with him. He wasn't even blowing after the race. He was dead fit after the layoff. Super job by him. Kobe ran great; he's back. I lost a lot of ground around the turn. I didn't really have a choice; I was behind and to the outside of Conquest Two Step and Wild Dude was down inside of him. I didn't have any choice but to be where I was. Unfortunately, we lost more ground than what I got beat by, but I'm really happy with him." 

Race 10 was the Grade 1 Kilroe Mile on the turf. Here is #11, 7-year-old Za Approval. One of the most beautiful horses I have ever seen. He looks like he jumped out of a romance novel. Look at his beautiful tail. 

As the field turned for home in the $400,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes.

Here come's #10 Ring Weekend and Jockey Drayden Van Dyke rolling home from the outside, widest of all making Trainer Graham Motion look brilliant again. 

Victor Espinoza on #8 Summer Front, who came in second, " He's really a cool horse. He's very nice to ride. He gives you everything he has. He ran a good race. I thought we got this one by the way he ran, but I think the other horse outran me today. I was surprised by the way the other horse beat me. I wait, I wait, I wait and then I said 'It's time to go.' And he goes. He's quick out of there. The next time I looked back on the outside, the other horse (Ring Weekend) went by me like I was standing still." 

Jockey Drayden Van Dyke on winner #10 Ring Weekend, "It feels amazing to win my first Grade 1 for a trainer like Graham Motion. I'm very blessed. I was following Mike Smith and Za Approval and thought he would be a good guy to follow, I expecting him to show more speed then he did today. I tried to be as patient as I could, I swung out and when I saw the eight horse, Summer Front I was far out so I tried to cut back in to let my horse see him and my horse just kicked on from there." 

Santa Anita Park honored Seabiscuit on the 75th Anniversary of his Big Cap win. Before the big race, the track showed a replay of the 1940 win of the great Seabiscuit that was remarkably enhanced in living color. Here you see his statue in the paddock area adorned with flowers.

Shared Belief's dominance would be expected by betters, and at 14 minutes to post here are the odds for the Santa Anita Handicap. Rarely do you ever see odds like this. The only other horse in the 13-horse field that ended up with a single-digit odds was #6 Moreno at 9-1. He finished second respectfully.

The field for the $1 million 78th running of The Santa Anita Handicap.

Champion Shared Belief looks stunning. 

Jockey Mike Smith put heavily favored #5 Shared Belief in a good spot where they were comfortable with #6 Moreno setting a pretty good pace. Shared Belief went four wide into the first turn, got to the leaders, and around the final turn started to stalk #6 Moreno and went right to the front inhaling Moreno. 

Jockey Mike Smith never even thought about going to the stick and cantered home comfortably. Trevor Denmon said it perfectly, "This is absolute poetry in motion."

Shared Belief's record is now an impressive 10-for-11, clearly the mark of a great horse. Mike Smith is also the first jockey in history to ever win three consecutive Big Caps in a row, what a milestone.  

Jockey Mike Smith on Big Cap winner, Shared Belief, "He surprises me every time. I have to pinch myself that I get to be his pilot. It's Zenyatta, Holy Bull and then Shared Belief for me, I'm so blessed to have been able to ride all those great horses and to be the age I am and still be able to do this is a blessing."

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer on Shared Belief, "So far this horses has done everything we've asked him to do. We couldn't ask him to do more than what he's done." 

Again, a photo is worth a thousand words. Here is Shared Belief's Groom Armando Rodriguez. As excitement surrounds Armando after the race, he is full of emotion. 

Jim Rome on Shared Belief, "It's an amazing thing. It's like he shows up every single time. He always runs big, is always tough, and just has a lot of grit, a lot of heart. It's an absolute dream to be involved with a horse like this. He never disappoints. I couldn't be more proud. I love this horse."

What an exciting day filled with all you could ask for. It's always a thrill for me to visit the Great Race Place! Until next time!