Runhappy, Birdatthewire star on opening-day program at
Santa Anita
The Malibu (G1) and La Brea (G1), seven-furlong test for three-year-olds and
three-year-old fillies, highlighted the opening day program at Santa Anita on
Saturday.
Presumptive sprint champion Runhappy, a game winner of the TwinSpires Breeders’
Cup Sprint (G1), dominated the Malibu, winning easily on the front end as
the 1-2 favorite. Gary Stevens was up for an injured Edgar Prado and the Super
Saver colt turned 7 furlongs in a sharp 1:21.76.
Birdatthewire rallied determinedly down the middle of the track to overhaul
pacesetter Hot City Girl in the La Brea, scoring a 10-1 upset for trainer
Dale Romans. The daughter of Summer Bird registered her first win since taking
the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) in late March and stopped the teletimer in
1:23.31.
Om rebounded from a third as the favorite in the Hollywood Derby (G1),
scoring as the 6-5 choice in the Mathis Brothers Mile (G2) at Santa Anita.
Gulfstream Park offered a trio of graded stakes on Saturday.
Best Behavior registered her first stakes victory in the $100,000 Sugar Swirl
(G3), taking advantage of a troubled trip from Stonetastic to post a
two-length win over the 2-5 favorite. John Velazquez was up on the Marty Wolfson-trained
5-year-old mare.
After narrowly defeating Palace with a nine-pound weight concession in the
Thanksgiving’s Fall Highweight (G3),
Green Gatto left no doubt to superiority in Saturday’s $98,000 Gravesend at
Aqueduct, dominating on the front end by a 5 3/4-length winning margin.
Trained by Gaston Grant and ridden by Kendrick Carmouche, Green Gatto was giving
runner-up Palace two pounds in the Gravesend and completed six furlongs in
1:09.89 over the fast inner track. The $98,000 Damon Runyon earlier on the
Aqueduct program also resulted in an upset, with the 12-1 Extinct Charm
prevailing by a neck in the one-mile and 70-yard event for New York-bred
juveniles.
Santa Anita will feature the $100,000 Robert J. Frankel (G3) on Sunday and
Glory will look to continue her improving form in the 1 1/8-mile turf affair.
Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, the 3-year-old is among 14 fillies and mares
entered and will be ridden by Mike Smith.