Ventana guts out win in Potrero Grande

Ventana just got up in the Potrero Grande (Benoit Photos) It was not the prize owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman wanted most at Santa Anita on Saturday, but after Lookin at Lucky’s troubled third in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) the $150,000 Potrero Grande H. (G2) was an acceptable consolation. The partnership’s four-year-old VENTANA (Toccet) pressed leader Eaton’s Gift (Johannesburg) through splits of :22 1/5 and :44 4/5, emerged with the lead inside the eighth pole, and gamely held off the stalk-and-pounce rally of Gato Go Win (City Place) for a nose decision as the 8-5 favorite. Under Garrett Gomez, Ventana completed 6 1/2 Pro-Ride furlongs in 1:15 and paid $5.20, $2.80 and $2.40. Gato Go Win, who was third early, actually got his head in front of Ventana before hanging a bit and allowing the favorite to come back for the win. The 2-1 second choice gave back $3.20 and $3, after finishing three parts of a length ahead of 6-1 third choice E Z’s Gentleman (Yankee Gentleman), who returned $3.60. The $1 exotics were worth $7.60 (exacta), $29.80 (trifecta) and $183.50 (6-8-3-7 superfecta). The order of finish was completed by Gallant Son (Malabar Gold), Sangaree (Awesome Again), Off Kilter (Marino Marini), Eaton’s Gift and Rush With Thunder (Tribal Rule). Kanan Dume (Malibu Moon) was withdrawn.

Ventana had ruled himself out of classic contention when finishing off the
board in three of four juvenile stakes attempts, placing only in the Hollywood
Prevue S. (G3), and it took him another full year to pass his first allowance
condition, finally doing so at Santa Anita this past December 27. However, the
colt has improved leaps and bounds over his early career form, preceding his
Potrero Grande win with solid runner-up efforts in the Palos Verdes H. (G2) and
San Carlos H. (G2), the former to eventual Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1) winner
Kinsale King (Yankee Victor) and the latter to the now-retired Bob Black Jack.
His bank balance swelled to $256,517 after this victory and advance his
scorecard to 14-3-4-2.

Trainer Bob Baffert said Ventana would likely point toward the May 1
Churchill Downs S. (G2).

Produced by the winning Full Figure (Polish Numbers), Ventana is a
half-brother to the stakes-winning filly Miss Challenge (More Than Ready), the
unraced juvenile colt Full Acquittal (Purge) and an unnamed yearling filly by
Silver Train. Full Figure is herself a a half-sister to stakes winners Harriman
(Lord Gaylord) and Dixie Accent (Dixieland Band), and is from the family of 1980
juvenile colt champion Lord Avie, Grade 2 winners Jolly Johu (Restless Native)
and Minneapple (Riverman), and Grade 3 winners Baroness Direct (Blushing Groom
[Fr]) and Primitive Hall (Dixieland Band).

Ventana was a $410,000 Barretts March two-year-old in training purchase and
was bred in Kentucky by Joe Mulholland Sr., Joe Mulholland Jr., John Mulholland
and Karen Mulholland.