McKinzie, Battle of Midway square off in San Pasqual Stakes
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Two of America’s best older horses, McKinzie and Battle of Midway, head a field of eight 4-year-olds and up going a mile and one eighth in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000
San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita. Throw in Dabster, who as with McKinzie, is trained by Bob Baffert, and the San Pasqual, which is a traditional steppingstone to the Santa Anita Handicap, has the look of and extremely tough race with the Top 3 all possessing good early speed.
Owner: Mike Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Considered by Baffert to be his top 3-year-old a year ago, McKinzie was taken off the Derby Trail following his race in the San Felipe due to a minor injury and resurfaced to be an easy winner of the Sept. 22 Pennsylvania Derby as the 2-1 favorite. Following that, he posted the only poor performance of his brief career, a 31-length defeat in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3, from which he rebounded with his 4 ¾-length triumph in the Dec. 26 Malibu at Santa Anita. Considered a leading contender for both Santa Anita Handicap and the Dubai World Cup, McKinzie is poised to have his best year yet and is strictly the horse to beat on Saturday with regular rider Mike Smith set to ride. Out of the Petionville mare Runway Model, McKinzie is 7: 5-1-0 with earnings of $1,086,000.
BATTLE OF MIDWAY
Owner: Don Alberto Stable & WinStar Farm
Trainer: Jerry Hollendorfer
In what by any accounting was a tremendous effort, this 5-year-old full horse by Smart Strike battled every step of the way going 1 1/16 miles in the opening day San Antonio, but had to settle for second money in what was his fifth start after a failed tour of duty at stud. Retired following his Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile win, Battle of Midway, who has four wins from seven tries at Santa Anita, also appears poised to have a tremendous year and could likely by trading punches with the top selection early and late on Saturday. Ridden by Flavien Prat on 12 occasions, six of them wins, he approaches Saturday’s Lewis with an overall mark of 15: 7-4-2 and earnings of $1,469,049.
DABSTER
Owner: Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum
Trainer: Bob Baffert
With McKinzie in the lineup, this hard-knocking 5-year-old son of Curlin will assume the role of the “other Baffert” on Saturday. Third, beaten three quarters of a length by Battle of Midway in the opening day San Antonio, Dabster went head and head with Battle of Midway two starts back, finishing second by a neck in the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar two starts back on Nov. 25. He’ll be ridden for the sixth consecutive time by Joe Talamo, who orchestrated two out of his three wins last year. With an overall mark of 12: 5-2-2, Dabster has earnings of $347,305.
SAN PASQUAL STAKES
Race 9 of 10 (Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT)
1. Pavel—Mario Gutierrez—122
2. Dalmore—Kent Desormeaux—120
3. Dabster—Joe Talamo—120
4. Shivermetimbers—Geovanni Franco--120
5. Giant Expectations—Joel Rosario—120
6. Sonneteer—Rafael Bejarano--122
7. McKinzie—Mike Smith—124
8. Battle of Midway—Flavien Prat--122
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