Unbeaten El Gato Malo Takes San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita Park
The 2008 West Coast Triple Crown campaign got underway at Santa Anita Park as unbeaten El Gato Malo beat Indian Sun by 6 1/4 lengths in the $150,000 San Rafael Stakes (gr. III) on Saturday, January 12.
Ridden for the first time by David Flores for horse trainer Craig Dollase, the Kentucky Derby prep race of one mile was covered in a record time of of 1:37.37. Making his graded stakes debut, El Gato Malo paid $6.80, $4.40 and $2.60.
Indian Sun, coming off a 5th place finish in the CashCall Futurity for trainer Dan Hendricks and ridden by jockey Alex Solis, came second and returned $6.20 and $3. The 3-2 favorite Massive Drama under jockey Rafael Bejarano finished third and paid $2.20 to show.
“I’m still dreaming,” said Jeff Bloom, executive vice president for West Point Thoroughbreds. “After the great year we just had, to start off this season with a horse like this is so special. That first Saturday in May is looking pretty promising.”
Completing the lineup of horses that ran in Santa Anita’s San Rafael Stakes are: Sierra Sunset, Talk of a Cat and Overbid. Spinning Sound was scratched.
"Unbeaten El Gato Malo Takes San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita Park" was posted on 12 January 2008 8:09 PM under Horse Racing News, Horses, Kentucky Derby, Stakes Races
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