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Post-Race Review Four scratches left a field of ten in the 1 1/2 mile San Luis Obispo Handicap (gr. II), with Bobby Frankel’s Zambezi Sun starting as the 4/5 favorite. Longshot Kris Silver led the field from the gate and Zambezi Sun, off since October and running in the United States for the first time, raced keenly early on, dragging jockey Garrett Gomez to run in second early.
Meanwhile, 6 – 1 Spring House sat back off the pace and rallied in the stretch under jockey Alex Solis to steal the victory from a rapidly tiring Zambezi Sun, who had difficulty getting around the far turn. Spring House outlasted the flying Church Service and Attempted Humor to win for trainer Julio Canani, paying $15.20. The mile and a half was completed in 2:27.26.
Pre-Race Analysis Twelve horses and two also-eligibles were entered for the $150,000 San Luis Obispo Handicap (gr. II) over 1 1/2 miles on Santa Anita’s turf course, to be run Sunday the 22nd. On the rail is Champs Elysees (GB), who would be the favorite, however, trainer Frankel has said that the six-year-old horse will scratch and await a race on March 7th. At the time of writing, Champs Elysees had not yet been scratched, and is a tremendous contender if he goes to the post. Frankel won’t be without a runner, however, as the veteran trainer will start Zambezi Sun (GB), perhaps the most talked about horse on the grounds not aiming for the Kentucky Derby (gr. I). Zambezi Sun is a foreign runner, so no CASE data is available on the son of Dansili (GB). Reading through Zambezi Sun’s competition in his past performances is like reading a who’s-who list of European stars from the last two years, including Zarkava, Duke of Marmalade, and Dylan Thomas. Zambezi Sun is a multiple graded stakes winner in France, and although it can take a race or two for foreign runners to acclimate to the United States, Zambezi Sun has had two bullet workouts this month alone. Garrett Gomez will ride.
A slew of runners will vie for the second spot in the wagering, including Artiste Royal (IRE) and Medici Code (GB). Artiste Royal would be the CASE choice, exiting a super win in the January 19th San Marcos (gr. II) over this turf course, which earned a 94 for Stride Quality and a 103 for Endurance. That victory came at the expense of Medici Code by a nose, and the Darrell Vienna-trainee seeks revenge here under Joel Rosario.
Spring House and Church Service ran in separate Breeders’ Cup races last October, finishing 9th in the Turf and 2nd in the Marathon, respectively. Spring House finished fourth in the San Marcos under Alex Solis, who is back aboard today for trainer Julio Canani. Church Service was rated at 105 for Aerobic Efficiency in the Breeders’ Cup effort, and returned on December 6th to be third in the Hollywood Turf Cup (gr. I) with a 101 for Endurance. This is the first start of 2009 for the six-year-old Pulpit gelding.
Bonjour (NZ) has run a 97 for Endurance in each of the last two starts, both victories under Joe Talamo, who is up again today. Both of those races were in allowance optional claimers, but the most recent, on January 9th, was at 1 1/4 miles, showing that Bonjour is dangerous on the stretch out. Rounding out the contenders is six-year-old Obrigado (FR), who was eighth in the San Marcos but second in the Hollywood Turf Cup and generally runs strong CASE numbers across the board.
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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.
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