Gladding Wires Field in San Antonio

Making his stakes debut for hot trainer John Sadler, surprising Gladding dictated an easy pace and refused to give way in the stretch to capture the $150,000 San Antonio Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita Feb. 6 and snap the three-race win streak of 11-10 favorite Aggie Engineer.

Gladding is a 4-year-old son of 2002 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Sarava who began his career in Florida before being purchased privately this winter by Lee and Susan Searing’s C R K Stable. In his second start for his new connections, Gladding completed the 1 1/8-mile San Antonio in a soft 1:48 flat while defeating Spurrier by one length. Aggie Engineer, attempting to rate while stuck wide behind a slow pace, rallied belatedly for third, 2 1/4 lengths behind Gladding.

In the past week, the former claiming trainer Sadler has also won the Santa Monica Stakes (gr. I) with Switch, the Las Virgenes Stakes (gr. I) with Zazu, and the Strub Stakes (gr. II) with Twirling Candy, now the heavy favorite in the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) March 5 with Aggie Engineer's defeat.