Newgate, Dettori rally late to win by a head in the Big ’Cap

With legendary Frankie Dettori calling on all his considerable strength and determination, trainer Bob Baffert’s Newgate was able to rally off the turn for home and post a hard-fought, head victory Sunday over vastly improved Argentina-bred Subsanador in the 87th running of the Grade 1, $400,000 Santa Anita Handicap.

A 4-year-old colt by Into Mischief, Newgate was trying 1 1/4 miles for the first time. He got the distance in 2:03.49 on the fast main track and provided Baffert with his sixth win in the Big ’Cap and his third consecutive graded tally on the Sunday card.

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“We always thought that he was going to be a better horse as he gets older, and we’ve been patient, just getting races into him, and today was supposed to be his coming out party kind of race,” Baffert said. “I was getting a little worried there turning for home. It looked like that other horse got away, but he just dug in.”

With Subsanador off at 22-1 and making a clear lead early, Newgate was attentive to the pace in fifth position, about three off the leader while between horses into and around the first turn.

Fifth by a similar margin around the far turn, Dettori shifted to the four path approaching the quarter pole and, in a gutty effort, was able to gradually collar stablemate Reincarnate and gradually wear down Subsanador, who showed tremendous heart in defeat.

“I followed Victor (Espinoza on Newgrange), and I sat pretty low until the quarter pole,” Dettori said. “I took my horse to the outside. I had a bit of weight pull with some of the horses. I thought I would get to the line OK, and in fairness, Subsanador gave me a good fight. The last 20 yards we got out in front, and I couldn’t believe it. I could not believe that I had done it.”

Second to Sunday’s favorite Newgrange in the San Pasqual (G2) at 1 1/8 miles Jan. 27, Newgate was the second choice at 3-1 and paid $8.40, $4.20 and $3.20.

Owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Bat Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan, Newgate got the Grade 1 victory of his career and his second at the graded level while improving his overall mark to 9: 3-4-0. With the Big ’Cap winner’s share of $240,000, he increased his earnings to $535,775.

Fourth but never a threat to win the San Antonio (G2) on Dec. 26 in his U.S. debut, John Sadler-trained Subsanado paid $15.00 and $6.00 after finishing 2 1/2 lengths in front of Reincarnate.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Reincarnate appeared poised to challenge Subsanador for supremacy three-sixteenths of a mile out, but he tired late to finish a head in front of eastern shipper Highland Falls. Off at 7-2, Reincarnate paid $3.80 to show.

Fractions for the Big ’Cap were 23.23, 47.09, 1:12.15 and 1:37.05.

The victory had Dettori, a native of Italy, thinking back to his early days as a fledgling jockey in Southern California.

“When I was a kid here in the late ’80s, there were 60,000 people here to see Ferdinand and Alysheba, and you just couldn’t move,” Dettori said. “I was in awe. I rode in the Big ’Cap the first time last year, and it was a dream. And to win it I couldn’t ask for anything more. It is a big feather in my cap. They don’t get bigger than the Santa Anita Big ’Cap.”

“It is such a historical race,” Baffert said, “and just to win it for our team and with Frankie Dettori, it really makes it that much more special.”