Big Kick One to Watch for American St. Leger

In years past, before the closing of Hollywood Park, the Grade II San Juan Capistrano - California’s premier endurance race - was run in April at Santa Anita.  This year, with the encapsulating of Hollywood Park’s storied existence, Santa Anita moved the fixture to its newly minted Spring Meet at the end of June.  Doing so consequently made the marathon an automatic race-to-watch for possible American St. Leger contestants.

Ernest Machowsky et al’s Big Kick provided an entertaining renewal of the famed event - opening up a 10-length lead mid-race under Victor Espinoza before holding off a vigorous closing drive from Pablo Gomez’s 7-10 favorite Quick Casablanca to score by 2¾ lengths.  Trained by Mike Machowsky, the front-running son of Tiznow has been a slower developing type who seems to now be coming into his own with longer distances.  His win on Sunday was his stakes debut and the 5-year-old’s nineteenth career start.

Beaten favorite in the about-1¾ miles race Quick Casablanca was not disgraced in defeat.  Closing well to the finish, the 2011 Chilean Horse of the Year is trained by veteran Ron McAnally, who has won five International Festival of Racing events - including three Arlington Millions.  Quick Casablanca fits the bill of the type of horse McAnally would enjoy bringing to Chicago to attempt to be the first trainer to win all four Festival fixtures.

Off the American St. Leger trail is Niall Racing’s Temeraine.  Expected to be a major domestic threat to take the $400,000 event, the Tom Proctor-trained son of Arch is being given time off to refresh for the Fall.  Fifth in last year’s Arlington Million and second in the Grade III Arlington Handicap a race prior, Temeraine had been pointing toward a return to Million Preview Day - July 12 - in the local prep for the American St. Leger, the Grade III Stars and Stripes.