Bob and Jackie wins by nose in off-the-turf San Gabriel

One of six grass races moved to the main track on Santa Anita’s opening day Sunday, the $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes went to a game Bob and Jackie, who kept to his task on the lead and prevailed by a nose over heavily favored Friar’s Road.

Ridden by Jose Valdivia Jr., Bob and Jackie, in his first ever try on dirt, was off at 5-1 and paid $12.00 and $4.20 with no show wagering. Contested at 1 1/8 miles, Bob and Jackie got the distance in 1:53.51.

Trained by Richard Baltas for owners Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran, Bob and Jackie, a 5-year-old horse by Twirling Candy out of the Eskendereya mare Fateer, picked up his fourth stakes win. Depending on how the American Stakes Committee rules in the coming days, he also could have notched his first graded-stakes win in a race that was originally designated at Grade 2 on grass.

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With an overall mark of 16: 5-5-1, Bob and Jackie picked up $120,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $484,631.

Off at 3-5 with Jose Ortiz, Friar’s Road, who was last in a compact field of four early, rallied but came up just short while paying $2.40 to place.

Fractions for the race were 23.75, 49.29, 1:13.82 and 1:40.05.