Flamboyant Won't Be 46-1 in San Marcos
Flamboyant lit up the tote board when he got up by a neck at 46-1 under Brice Blanc in the Grade II San Gabriel Stakes on Jan. 2.
The French-bred son of Peer Gynt will be a substantially shorter price when he runs inSaturday’s Grade II San Marcos Stakes for older horses at a mile-and-a-quarter on turf.
Flamboyant worked six furlongs on the main track Jan. 29 in a bullet 1:13.20 with French-born Blanc aboard.
“He’s a nice work horse,” Gallagher said of the five-year-old gelding. “He didn’t go too fast or too slow and he acts like he’ll go a mile and a quarter.”
So Gallagher wouldn’t mind a French-bred horse winning for an Irish-bred trainer?
“No,” he said. “Winning is all I want to do.”
The field for the San Marcos: Gaga A, Mario Gutierrez, 10-1; Class Leader, Kent Desormeaux, 10-1; Chiropractor, Drayden Van Dyke, 4-1; Southern Freedom, Martin Garcia, 12-1; Power Foot, Tiago Pereira, 15-1; Ganesh, Flavien Prat, 15-1; Flamboyant, Brice Blanc, 4-1; Hay Dude, David C. Lopez, 5-2; Abbey Vale, Rafael Bejarano, 8-1; Quick Casablanca, Tyler Baze, 15-1; and Big Cazanova, Santiago Gonzalez, 15-1.
JOCKEYS ANNUAL CHARITY GAME ON FEB. 11
The 49th annual Santa Anita Jockeys vs. Holy Angels Elementary School Charity Basketball Game will be played a week from tonight on Thursday, Feb. 11, at La Salle High School in Pasadena, with proceeds to benefit Holy Angels athletic program, the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF) and the Eye on Jacob Foundation.
Sponsored by Thoroughbred owner J. Paul Reddam’s CashCall and Santa Anita Park, tip off is scheduled for 7:15 p.m., with admission doors opening at 6:15 p.m.
Hall of Fame jockeys Kent Desormeaux, Laffit Pincay, Jr., Mike Smith, Alex Solis and Gary Stevens will all be available at center court for an autograph session at 6:30 p.m.
With Pincay serving as honorary team captain, a number of active riders are expected to participate, including: Saul Arias, Tyler Baze, Rafael Bejarano, Brice Blanc, Desormeaux, Victor Espinoza, Martin Garcia, Santiago Gonzalez, Mario Gutierrez, Abel Lezcano, Kayla Stra, Chantal Sutherland, David Lopez, Edwin Maldonado, Gonzalo Nicolas, Martin Pedroza, Geena Lattanzio, Fernando Perez, Tiago Pereira, Flavien Prat, Iggy Puglisi, Alonso Quinonez, Joe Talamo, Drayden Van Dyke and perhaps others.
TVG’s Kurt Hoover, who will be reporting live from Santa Anita on Thursday, will coach the jockeys for the 15th consecutive year.
“We’ve got Desormeaux back,” said Hoover. “And as good as Drayden Van Dyke was last year, that’s all we need, believe me.”
The PDJF helps assist permanently disabled jockeys nationwide, while the Eye on Jacob Foundation, named for Jacob Desormeaux, the 17-year-old son of Hall of Fame jockey Kent, benefits those suffering from Usher’s Syndrome. An extremely rare neurological disorder, Usher’s Syndrome causes progressive loss of hearing, imbalance, and eventual loss of sight in approximately 14,000 children in the United States.
Tickets are $5 per person, and for every two tickets purchased, individuals receive one free admission ticket to The Great Race Place.
La Salle High School is located at the southwest corner of Michillinda Ave. and Sierra Madre Blvd. in Pasadena, approximately four miles northwest of Santa Anita. Admission tickets and promotional tee shirts are on sale now at Champions! Gifts and Apparel in Santa Anita’s East Paddock Gardens, or through Holy Angels Elementary School in Arcadia.
FINISH LINES: Multiple graded stakes winner Om worked five furlongs on the main track Thursday in a minute flat under Gary Stevens for Dan Hendricks, who has his sights on the Grade II Arcadia Stakes at one mile on grass Feb. 13 . . . Three-time champion Beholder galloped on the main track Thursday for Richard Mandella . . . Trainer Carla Gaines reports that undefeated Cal-bred Smokey Image came out of his smashing 8 ½-lenghth triumph in the California Cup Derby in excellent shape and at this stage is being pointed to the Grade III, $400,000 San Felipe Stakes against open company on March 12 . . . Jockeys Santiago Gonzalez and Tiago Pereira have been suspended an additional day (Feb. 6) for riding in more than one designated race while under suspension . . . A reminder about previously made announcements that on Super Bowl Sunday, Santa Anita will not offer guaranteed pools. However, the lucrative guarantees will continue today and Friday, as the Late Pick 4 both days has guaranteed pools of $300,000. Saturday, the Late Pick 4 will be guaranteed at $500,000 and the Pick Six pool at $150,000 . . . DRF/NTRA National Handicapping champion Paul Matties, who won $800,000 and an Eclipse Award, will be Tom Quigley’s guest Saturday, 11:20 a.m., in the East Paddock Gardens. There will be no seminar on Super Bowl Sunday. First post time Sunday is 11 a.m.
Source: Santa Anita Park