Now with Espinoza, Newgrange repeats in San Pasqual

Ridden for the first time by veteran Victor Espinoza, Newgrange successfully defended his title in Santa Anita’s Grade 2, $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes on Saturday as he led throughout and prevailed by one length while getting 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.26.

Fresh off an authoritative, 2 1/4-length score with Irad Ortiz Jr. up in the San Antonio Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Dec. 26, Newgrange, a 5-year-old full horse by Violence, is unquestionably at the top of his game for Phil D’Amato. Now the trainer must decide if Newgrange, who went past the $1 million mark in career earnings, will go next in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) on March 2, or ship to the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) on March 30.

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After the race it sounded like connections were leaning toward the Middle East.

“I think we’d been talking about if he had run a race like this, you now maybe taking a big swing at something like Dubai,” D’Amato said. “It’s going to be even tougher there, but the money is incredible, so we can do something like that. We could stay home, but these guys in the winner’s circle, I think they are on board for Dubai.”

With seven older horses engaged, four of them were forwardly placed in the run to the first turn, and it was Newgrange taking the lead without being hustled. One length clear of long shot Mixto as the field headed up the backside, Newgrange maintained that lead to the three-furlong pole. With Mixto tiring, favored Newgate immediately joined the party turning for home, but he never could get on terms with Newgrange, who was dominant to the wire.

The second choice at 2-1, Newgrange paid $6.20, $4.20 and $3.00.

Owned by David Bernsen, Little Red Feather Racing and Rockingham Ranch, Newgrange originally was trained by Bob Baffert. He picked up his fourth win from nine starts for D’Amato, who leads Richard Mandella through 17 racing days with five stakes wins to Mandella’s four at the current Santa Anita meet.

With the San Pasqual being run for the 86th time, the win was no doubt especially sweet for Espinoza. A Hall of Famer with three Kentucky Derby wins and who, at age 51, has ridden sparingly at the current stand, Espinoza had one win from 14 mounts coming into Saturday.

“I was pretty confident the whole way around, not just down the lane,” Espinoza said. “In the end he kind of lifted his head up a bit, but I kept him busy to make sure we hit the wire, it was a nice ride.”

Newgrange, who is out of the Empire Maker mare Bella Chianti, posted his fifth career stakes win and improved his overall mark to 13: 7-0-4.  With the winner’s share of $120,000, he has earnings of $1,007,634.

The 8-5 favorite with Joel Rosario, Newgate loomed ominously around the far turn, wheeled three deep turning for home and placed second to return $3.00 and $2.40.

Mixto, ridden by Antonio Fresu, kept to his task through the lane and finished three-quarters of a length behind Newgate. Off at 11-1, he paid $4.00 to show.

Early fractions for the race were 23.27, 47.55, 1:12.10 and 1:36.57.