Post-Race Review
Two scratches left a field of five in the San Luis Rey Handicap, which witnessed a score by Midships, who got off to an easy lead and cruised every step of the way, defeating Medici Code (GB) and Artiste Royal (IRE).
The gray Mizzen Mast colt, who was the youngest horse in the field and well bet at 5/2, set slow fractions of :48.53 for the half and 1:38.58 for the mile before finishing the race in 2:25.63. On the backstretch, Spring House made a move but faltered to finish last, and coming off the far turn it looked as though Medici Code was going to slip past Midships, but the Bobby Frankel-trainee simply opened up again and drew clear at the wire. He paid $7.20 to win under jockey Victor Espinoza.
You Got Me Rocking and On Fire scratched.
Pre-Race Analysis
Santa Anita’s San Luis Rey Handicap (gr. II) offers a competitive field of seven that should make for interesting wagering on Saturday. Run over a mile and a half on the turf course, the $150,000 race has drawn a field of older, hard knocking rivals.
You Got Me Rocking, who breaks from the rail, is the CASE choice with a rank of 100.00. The five-year-old Aljabr gelding won a 1 1/8 mile Optional Claimer on February 26th, scoring by 4 1/2 lengths under Tyler Baze. You Got Me Rocking will draw a lot of support, but has only won three races lifetime, and had lost five starts in ten months prior to the recent win. You Got Me Rocking has never won past 1 1/8 miles, but did finish second, beaten two lengths in a different Optional Claimer going 1 1/4 miles on October 15th. Mike Mitchell trains.
From the second post is Bonjour (NZ), who is 20 – 1 morning line but certainly isn’t hopeless. Fourth in the San Luis Obispo last out, Bonjour had won two straight races before that, and has scored eleven times out of thirty-seven starts. The nine-year-old gelding is suspect at 1 1/2 miles, but one of those recent wins was at 1 1/4 miles and trainer Steve Knapp won the feature last weekend.
Medici Code (GB) is an honest five-year-old gelding that finished fifth in the San Luis Obispo, but prior to that, the Darrell Vienna-trainee finished second by a nose in the San Marcos Handicap (gr. II) on January 19th. Medici Code has had several strong works since the February 22nd race, and Joel Rosario will be aboard again today.
Artiste Royal (IRE) won the San Marcos that Medici Code lost. The eight-year-old son of Danehill is exiting the Frank E. Kilroe Mile on March 7th, where the Neil Drysdale-trainee had a troubled trip, and is wheeling back in this race. Last summer, Artiste Royale won the Charlie Whittingham Handicap (gr. I) at Hollywood Park, and is seven for twenty nine lifetime. Rafael Bejarano will ride.
Midships is the baby of the field at four years old. The Mizzen Mast colt makes start number three in the United States since arriving from England. Midships finished fourth behind You Got Me Rocking’s optional claimer, and hasn’t won since September. Bobby Frankel trains and Victor Espinoza will ride.
Spring House could go favored at post time, as the Chester House gelding is still strong at seven-years-old. Last out, Spring House won the San Luis Obispo Handicap (gr. II) on February 22nd, and the classy gelding has won eight of thirty eight with earnings of over $838,000. Last year after winning the San Luis Obispo, Spring House went to Dubai to run in a $5 million race there, but this year stays home and has every right to win this one. His CASE rank is 98.14.
