San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
UNHERALDED IDOL PULLS OFF BIG ’CAP
The Grade I Santa Anita Handicap thought it had some star power when undefeated Maxfield shipped in for a race that was once worth $1 million but dwindled to $400,000. Yet it was a late charge by a lightly raced 4-year-old that ended Maxfield’s five-race streak.
Idol, who had five starts and never won a stakes race, went from fifth at the top of the stretch to win by a halflength over Express Train. Maxfield finished third. Idol was the fourth betting choice and paid $12.80 to win.
Idol is now the only horse eligible for a $1 million bonus if he also wins the Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita on May 31 and the Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 21.
“It’s unbelievable, I’ve been coming here since I was a 13-year-old,” said Richard Baltas, the 59-year-old winning trainer. “Before I even got to be a horse trainer, I saw all the greats run here in the Big ’Cap but you never think that you’re going to be here but you keep working hard and God blessed you.”
Joel Rosario was the winning jockey.
The other Grade I race on the card was the $400,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile for older horses running on the turf. It was one of the best races of the day with three horses crossing the line in close formation. It was Hit the Road ($10.40) who snuck through on the inside to win by a neck under jockey Florent Geroux. The win was a milestone for trainer Dan Blacker, who won his first Grade I.
The Grade II San Carlos was won easily by a Cal-bred. Brickyard Ride ($12) went to the front and stayed there to win the 7-furlong race by 4 lengths for trainer Craig Lewis and jockey Alexis Centeno.
O’neill suspended
Two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Doug O’neill was suspended for a minimum of 10 days and fined $7,500 for a medication violation that occurred on Oct. 9, 2020, at Santa Anita. The horse Howbeit tested positive for the pain reliever Lidocaine after finishing second in a claiming race.
Elsewhere
Weyburn ($95.50) had plenty of built-in excuses to wilt in the stretch when making both his stakes — and 3year-old — debut at New York’s Aqueduct Racetrack, but he didn’t. Weyburn proved his mettle in the longest race of his young career, running eye-to-eye with Crowded Trade in a stretch duel before edging his rival by a nose to win the Grade III, Gotham Stakes at 1 mile to earn 50 Kentucky Derby points.
Helium ($32.80) had not started for 4½ months leading into the Grade II Tampa Bay Derby, and had never raced on any surface but the synthetic of Woodbine, but he took to the dirt for trainer Mark Casse to beat Hidden Stash by three-quarters of a length to jump into the Kentucky Derby picture.