Santa Anita to Offer $1M Big 'Cap Pick 4
Shared Belief is expected to rule a prohibitive favorite in the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap on March 7, but that won’t prevent fans from trying to land a game-changing score.
There will be huge guaranteed pools that day, including a $1 million Late Pick 4 and a $150,000 guaranteed Pick 6, in addition to three other graded stakes besides the Big ’Cap, with Triple Crown hopefuls spotlighted in the Grade II, $400,000 San Felipe Stakes.
Also, there will be a Beerfest and live music in the infield. First post time will be 12 noon; gates open at 10 a.m.
Bettys Bambino, a Horse for Course if ever there was one, goes for his fifth win from six starts on Santa Anita’s unique downhill turf course at about 6 ½ furlongs when he runs in Saturday’s $100,000 Sensational Star Stakes for older horses bred in California or sired by a California-bred stallion.
“He’s definitely a horse for this course,” said Peter Eurton, who trains the son of Unusual Heat for a partnership. “I would love to see him run in one-turn turf races from seven (furlongs) to a mile, down the line. That would be fun. He’s an Unusual Heat. He’s supposed to go a lot further than 6 ½.”
The 5-year-old gelding has raced twice at one mile, finishing fourth at Santa Anita in April of last year and third at Del Mar in August. Bettys Bambino will be making only his 10th start in the Sensational Star.
“He had a lot of minor issues at an early age,” Eurton said in explaining the limited races. “He’d come in one day and take a bad step and move out the next day. But now he’s doing real well.”
The field for the Sensational Star: Patriots Rule, Fernando Perez, 10-1; Boozer, Gary Stevens, 4-1; Weewinnin, Elvis Trujillo, 10-1; Bettys Bambino, Martin Garcia, 5-2; Big Bane Theory, Joe Talamo, 9-2; Ambitious Brew, Brice Blanc, 2-1; Spirit Rules, Iggy Puglisi, 12-1; and Pathway to Yes, Tyler Baze, 8-1.
FINISH LINES: Bob Baffert on Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Bayern’s three furlong drill Sunday in 36.60: “He looked good.” . . . Agent Mike Ciani has Kent Desormeaux booked on Lecomte runner-up War Story in Saturday’s Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds . . . Bing Crosby winner Big Macher worked four furlongs in 47.80 Friday morning for the $2 million Golden Shaheen in Dubai on March 28. “He’s good to go,” trainer Richard Baltas said . . . Through 33 racing days, perennial Southern California riding leader Rafael Bejarano held a 37-23 lead over runner-up Desormeaux, while Jerry Hollendorfer had a 19-17 edge over Peter Miller among trainers . . . Favorites were winning above the national norm of 33 percent, at 38.03 (108 of 284). On dirt, favorites were winning at 40 percent (79 of 197) and on turf, 33.33 percent (29 of 87). Best percentage was 84.48 percent in the category of in-the-money favorites (49 of 58) . . . Tom Quigley’s guest handicappers this weekend will be horse player Tony Banks, Saturday, and handicapping author James Quinn Sunday, each day at 11:20 a.m. in the East Paddock Gardens . . . Chump change: Victor Espinoza, whose mounts have earned more than $1.2 million so far this year, has been fined $50 for failure to report to the jocks’ room in time for his assigned mounts. Ditto for Elvis Trujillo.
Source: Ed Golden, Santa Anita Stable Notes