Kaigun rolls to Seabiscuit victory
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Del Mar
Last with slightly more than a quarter-mile to run, Kaigun unleashed a brilliant burst of speed in the stretch to win the featured Grade II $250,000 Seabiscuit Handicap Friday under jockey Corey Nakatani.
Kaigun, a Canadian-bred four-year-old trained by West Coast newcomer Mark Casse, was taken to the far outside entering the stretch by Nakatani and responded generously to take command inside the final sixteenth and win by three-quarters of a length.
Za Approval also closed well to be second, a half-length in front of the 3-2 favored Tom’s Tribute who went to the front in the upper stretch but was unable hold off the first two. Mr. Commons was fourth in the field of nine grass horses. Avanzare was withdrawn from the original field.
Kaigun, a son of Northern Afleet campaigned exclusively on the east coast until finishing tenth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile Nov. 1 at Santa Anita, returned $9, $4.80 and $3 while earning $150,000 with his fifth win in 18 starts. He now has banked $960,220.
“Mark (trainer Mark Casse) said this horse will place you right where you need to be. If they go slow or they go fast, he’ll be in the right spot," said Nakatani. "I worked him the other morning on the grass (Nov. 23) and he went in :46 (:46.80). He loves it. I knew he had the class and then when we hit the turn I took him wide and he went. I didn’t want to get him stopped and he fired.”
The gelding is owned by Gary Barber and Quintessential Racing.
Za Approval, who was piloted by Victor Espinoza, paid $6.80 and $3.60, while Tom’s Tribute, Del Mar’s top grass horse last summer after winning the Eddie Read Stakes and Del Mar Mile, paid $2.20 to show.
Time for the mile and one-sixteenth over the infield turf course was 1:41.38.
Source: Del Mar
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