Desert Stone runs down favored Cleopatra's Strike to win San Gabriel

Returning from a seven-month layoff, Desert Stone launched from far back and ran down favored Cleopatra's Strike in deep stretch to win the Grade 2, $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes for older turf runners at Santa Anita Park on Saturday. 

With Geovanni Franco in the irons, Desert Stone was last in the early going as Overdue and Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith set moderate fractions of :24.25, :48.18 and 1:11.65 for six furlongs. As Overdue began to tire in the stretch, Cleopatra's Strike capitalized by surging to the front. However, running late down the middle of the course came Desert Stone, who prevailed by a neck on the wire for trainer Richard Baltas. 

 “I could see everyone bunching up and I knew the pace was pretty slow, but my horse was just waiting for me to turn him loose, so I didn’t worry about it,” said Franco, who won last year’s San Gabriel with Next Shares, who was also trained by Baltas. “We expected him to run good today and I was very happy with the way he ran from off the pace.  I’ve worked him a lot and he likes me and I like him.”

“This is kind of a different horse,” said Baltas.  “You can’t force this horse, he has a mind of his own. When he wants to run, he’ll run and Geovanni lets him do his thing in the beginning. He told me today, ‘If I can get him out, we’re gonna be tough.’  He had been blocked several times in the stretch before.”

Desert Stone had been on the sidelines since running ninth in the Shoemaker Mile (G1) at Santa Anita on May 27. The 5-year-old horse had previously finished third in both last year's running of the Kilroe Mile (G1) and the 2018 Twilight Derby (G2).

Baltas noted prior to his break, gelding Desert Stone was under consideration, "but the owners [Zayat Stables] didn't want any part of that." Instead, he was sent to the farm for a freshening and the decision paid dividends Saturday.  

"It's always gratifying when you give horses time off and they come back and they reward you," Baltas said. "I always tell people horses reward you when they're happy. You do the right thing for the horse, the horse is probably going to come back and do the right thing for you."

The Irish-bred son of Fastnet Rock has won three of 16 starts with earnings in excess of $320,000.