Post-Race Review
After the scratch of On Fire, only five horses went to the post in the most daunting stakes race in the country, the San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap (gr. II). Juddmonte Farms’ Midships took an easy lead early and held it throughout, outrunning Spring House to the wire of the 1 3/4 mile race.
Expertly ridden by Victor Espinoza, Midships sauntered through slow fractions of :50.90 and 1:44.17, then was called upon around the turn to quicken. The son of Mizzen Mast held off Spring House by 3/4 of a length while Obrigado (FR) finished third. Defending champion Big Booster was fourth while his stablemate, Church Service, was eased.
Midships paid $4.00 as the even money favorite. Racing now moves across town to Hollywood Park in Inglewood, where the meet opens on Wednesday.
Pre-Race Analysis
The closing day feature, the San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap, is a Santa Anita fixture. Run over 1 3/4 miles on the turf, the $200,000 Grade II race has drawn a small field of six this year, including its defending champion Big Booster.
Big Booster is an eight-year-old gelding trained by Mike Mitchell. The son of Accelerator has won ten of forty eight starts and has earned over $808,000. After running third in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon last year, Big Booster returned in the Tokyo City Handicap last month to be second by a neck. Big Booster won the Gallant Man Handicap on June 1st following last year’s San Juan win, but hasn’t been victorious since.
Church Service is Big Booster’s stablemate, and the Mitchell-trainee is well prepared for this race after being second by a half length in the San Luis Obispo (gr. II) and third in the Hollywood Turf Cup (gr. I). Church Service was second by a head in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon and loves route races. The Pulpit gelding has four wins in twenty six starts and earnings over $496,000.
Midships is the deserving favorite on the morning line after winning the San Luis Rey (gr. II) on March 21st. The Mizzen Mast colt is trained by Bobby Frankel and will be ridden by Victor Espinoza. After winning two races in ten starts in Europe, Midships came to the United States, and the San Luis Rey was the third American start for the gray.
Spring House stunned the fans last out by fading badly in the stretch of the San Luis Rey (gr. II) which ended in a trip back to the barn via ambulance for the Chester House gelding, but Spring House is back for more here. Trained by Julio Canani, Spring House won the San Luis Obispo in February and has eight wins in thirty-nine starts. Alex Solis will ride.
Obrigado (FR), a tough campaigner with $582,000 in earnings, and On Fire, who ran four days ago in a one mile allowance on the turf, complete the short field.
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Emily Shields is a regular contributor to Case the Race. She has written for California Thoroughbred, Churchill Downs media, and international racing magazines.
