Mr. Hinx noses out B Squared in Echo Eddie

On a spectacular spring afternoon at Santa Anita, Saturday’s $200,000 Echo Eddie at 6 ½ furlongs, came down to a nose and it was Gary Barber’s homebred Mr. Hinx who got the decision. Ridden by Tyler Baze and trained by Steve Miyadi, he out-bobbed B Squared and Corey Nakatani while getting the distance in 1:17.09.

Well beaten in a mile and a sixteenth allowance by highly regarded sophomore Battle of Midway on March 9, he cut back in distance and was off at 8-1 in a field of nine sophomores bred or sired in California and returned $19.00, $8.00 and $5.20.

Breaking from post position four, Mr. Hinx was part of a four-horse scramble into the far turn that included B Squared, who battled back gamely to the winner’s inside and just missed.

By Ministers Wild Cat and out of Barber’s Kitten Exchange, who is by Put It Back, Mr. Hinx notched his third win from five career starts.With the winner’s share of $120,000, he increased his earnings to $205,368.

A first-out maiden winner versus Cal-breds going seven furlongs on March 4, B Squared, who finished 3 ¼ lengths clear of Tribal Storm, paid $4.80 and $3.60.

Last early, Tribal Storm rallied well at the rail under Rafael Bejarano to finish third, a half length in front of Will Tell.Off at 13-1, Tribal Storm paid $6.60 to show.