San Diego Right Spot for Soi Phet
Trainer Leonard Powell entered Soi Phet in three stakes this weekend -- Friday’s Grade III, $100,000 Cougar II Handicap, Saturday’s Grade II $200,000 San Diego Handicap and Sunday’s $150,000, ungraded California Dreamin’ Handicap.
Friday at scratch time the die was cast, Powell opting to run in the San Diego and scratch from the other two. Soi Phet is a 6-year-old California-bred gelding that was claimed for $16,000 in May of 2013 and has recorded six wins in 12 starts for Powell and has career earnings of $354,085.
“He’s a very special horse,” Powell said. “He’s a great character, he’s got a lot of class and he holds a special place in our heart.”
Soi Phet won four straight races from June 30-September 1, 2013, the last three of them at Del Mar. He comes into the San Diego having won his last two, on June 8 at Santa Anita and July 3 at Los Alamitos.
“I don’t know if I would say he is a streaky horse, I would say he is a season horse,” Powell said. “Last year he started winning in June and kept the string going into September. Now I’ve noticed that he has really started to blossom. He could be a summer horse.
“The San Diego is going to be the test for us. We’re going to see if we have a very nice Cal-bred or a very nice graded stakes horse.”