Casino Drive Wins At Santa Anita Park To Prep For 2008 Breeders’ Cup Classic
Casino Drive prepped for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on October 25 at Santa Anita Park with a victory Sunday in a $52,000 race.
Ridden by jockey Victor Espinoza, Casino Drive ran 1 1/16 miles on the track’s synthetic surface in 1:42.14 to remain undefeated.
The 3-year-old Japanese colt Casino Drive had not raced since winning the Peter Pan Stakes at New York’s Belmont Park on May 10. Casino Drive missed the Belmont Stakes because of a bruised foot and had been sidelined ever since.
“We had a slow pace early and I kind of let him go at the three-eighths pole,” said jockey Victor Espinoza, who will ride Casino Drive in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. “At the eighth-pole, I wanted to see how much horse I had. I had plenty, believe me.”
Casino Drive paid $2.80, $2.20 and $2.10. Dakota Phone, three-quarters of a length back, returned $5.20 and $3.20. Sensational Score paid $2.40 to show.
“Victor did a great job on him,” said Nobutaka Tada, racing manager for Casino Drive’s owner. “The horse saved plenty of energy for the Breeders’ Cup. It was really a perfect prep race. He was ready to run, we knew, but he’s not at the top of his form. So we hope that after this race, he’s going to improve.”
On Monday, 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and reigning Horse of the Year Curlin is scheduled to work at Santa Anita between the fourth and fifth horse races in preparation for a possible start in the $5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The 2008 Breeders’ Cup will be run on October 24-25 at Santa Anita.
Tags: Casino Drive, Dakota Phone, Sensational Score
"Casino Drive Wins At Santa Anita Park To Prep For 2008 Breeders’ Cup Classic" was posted on 12 October 2008 10:07 PM under Horse Racing News, Horse Racing Results & Payouts, Horses, Race Tracks, Stakes Races
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