ORTIZ JR. COMES IN, WINS 2 STAKES
Count Again rallied from last to win the $500,000 Shoemaker Mile by 21⁄4 lengths to earn an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup.
Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who came in to Santa Anita from New York, won his second straight Grade I race on the card.
Monday was the last big day for the track in its marathon six-month season with three Grade I races, including an automatic qualifier for the turf Mile in the Breeders’ Cup on Nov. 5 at Keeneland in Kentucky. Santa Anita is expected to host the Breeders’ Cup for the 11th time next year. No announcement has been made, but the Breeders’ Cup generally follows a California-Kentucky rotation.
Racing will continue at Santa Anita with nine more days of racing, finishing up on June 19. There are no more Grade I stakes this meeting. Racing then moves to Los Alamitos for a couple weeks before the summer meeting at Del Mar.
Count Again ran the distance on turf in 1:32.40. Sent off as the 5-2 second choice, he paid $7 to win.
The 7-year-old Canadianbred gelding earned a berth in the $2 million BC Mile at Keeneland on Nov. 5.
Trained by Phil D’Amato, Count Again reeled in 2-5 favorite Smooth Like Strait with a furlong to go.
“I just followed instructions,” said Ortiz, who won the Hollywood Gold Cup in his previous race with long shot There Goes Harvard. “Phil told me to let him do his thing and don’t rush him. He had a big turn of foot.”
Smooth Like Strait was second and Masteroffoxhounds, also trained by D’Amato, was another 31⁄2 lengths back in third.
“He was in great position today and turning for home, he had the leader measured,” said D’Amato, who posted his fourth Shoe Mile win. “He was sitting on a big race today. This puts him in a position to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile in November. I want to win this race so bad with him.”
In the $400,000 Hollywood Gold Cup, 8-1 shot There Goes Harvard won by a length for trainer Mike McCarthy in the 4-year-old colt’s first graded stakes race.
There Goes Harvard ran 11⁄4 miles in 2:02.66 and paid $19.60 to win. Defunded was second and favored Royal Ship was another 31⁄4 lengths back in third.
“I had a perfect trip,” Ortiz said.
“I just can’t thank Irad enough here,” McCarthy said. “Everybody involved, my grooms, my guys, everyone in Barn 59, big day.”
The final Grade I stakes of the day, the $400,000 Gamely Stakes for fillies and mares going 11⁄8 miles on the turf, was won by Ocean Road ($12.20) for jockey Umberto Rispoli and trainer Brendan Walsh, who is based in Kentucky.
Rispoli just returned to Southern California after a failed attempt to ride in Kentucky. He left Santa Anita last month and returned last weekend.
“It’s very special,” said Rispoli. “Sheikh Fahad (owner, Qatar Racing) always was a big supporter of mine when I was in France and even overseas a couple of times, he came to run in Hong Kong with a couple of horses and I was always pleased to wear his color . ... Coming back and having a Grade I win here (at Santa Anita) ... makes me very happy.”
Derby winner works
Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike completed his final major workout in preparation for the Belmont Stakes on June 11.
The colt ran 5 furlongs in 59 seconds in between races Monday at Churchill Downs with exercise rider Gabe Lagunes aboard.
“He got away real well and worked exactly like we wanted him to do,” trainer
said.