Take the One O One closes to capture spill-marred Snow Chief

In what amounted to the ultimate in the highs and lows of the sport, owner Samantha Siegel and trainer Brian Koriner had difficulty in celebrating Take the One O One’s 1 ¾ length win in Saturday’s $200,000 Snow Chief Stakes at Santa Anita, as their Waya Ed, ridden by Tiago Pereira, appeared to clip heels about a sixteenth of a mile from the wire, launching Pereira about eight feet in the air and resulting in the California-bred gelding being euthanized due to what was described as a fractured right hind tibia.

With Pereira, who was ambulatory and conscious, in the process of being transported to Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, Koriner, Siegel and winning jockey Joe Talamo posed for pictures in the Winner’s Circle with Take the One O One, a California-bred colt by Acclamation.

“The highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows in a fifth of a second,” said Siegel, whose horses race as Jay Em Ess Stable.  “I don’t even know what happened…Never had anything like this happen in all the years we’ve been in racing, except we had a filly win the Landaluce one year at Hollywood Park and she collapsed from heat exhaustion.”

The narrow second choice in the wagering at 8-5 in a field of seven Golden State Series-eligible California-bred or sired three year olds, Take the One O One, who was winless in his only other turf start, paid $5.20, $2.80 and $2.60.

“He ran well,” said Koriner.  “He relaxed, he went nice, had a good kick.  I thought (Waya Ed) clipped heels.  I’ve never seen a rider go that high in the air before.  He must have clipped heels because he got catapulted…Races like the Del Mar Derby (1 1/8 miles on grass, Grade II on Sept. 2) and others are a possibility now (for Take the One O One).”

With Talamo biding his time in behind a modest pace, Take the One O One saved ground to the top of the lane and kicked well through the lane while three deep.  Although stakes-placed twice, the Snow Chief marks his first stakes win. 

Bred in California by Tom Bachman, Take the One O One, who is out of the Jump Start mare North Freeway, picked up $110,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $255,681.

Hardboot, who appeared a bit unsettled while next to last early, rallied well for the place and finished 1 ½ lengths in front of Psycho Dar.  Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, Hardboot was off as the 3-2 favorite and paid $2.60 and $2.40.

Psycho Dar, who stalked early pacesetter Huddle, was third turning for home and held his position, finishing 1 ½ lengths in front of Hit the Seam.

Ridden by Ruben Fuentes, Psycho Dar was off at 10-1 and paid $3.40 to show.

Fractions on the race were 23.17, 48.28, 1:13.99 and 1:37.80.