By Steve Sherack
Go ahead and crown him.
Wathnan Racing's Subsanador (Arg) (Fortify) sat the trip of the race and came out on top by a head in a blanket, three-horse finish in the inaugural $1-million GI California Crown Stakes at Santa Anita. The Bob Baffert-trained duo of National Treasure (Quality Road) and 'TDN Rising Star' Newgate (Into Mischief) were second and third, respectively.
'TDN Rising Star' Muth (Good Magic), a perfect three for three for Baffert this season, led by a win in the GI Arkansas Derby, was last of six as the 3-2 favorite.
The 1 1/8-mile California Crown, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, replaced the Awesome Again Stakes on the Santa Anita stakes calendar.
Subsanador, off at odds of 6-1, tracked in an inside fourth beneath the ageless Hall of Famer Mike Smith through a half-mile in :47.19. He was tipped out to take on the pacesetting GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes and GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap winner National Treasure as they straightened for home and rallied gamely down the lane in between the Baffert duo to take down the Crown in an absolute thriller.
Subsanador and jockey Mike Smith (white shadow roll) win the inaugural California Crown Stakes |
Benoit Photo
“I knew my horse could handle the pocket,” Smith said. “I knew National Treasure would be the speed and Muth was outside, so I knew to lay back. Once we got by Newgate, he thought the race was over and I had to gather myself and get him going again. He has a tendency to think the race is over. These horses from Argentina are younger horses. I've got to give Richard Mandella all the credit. He's got this horse so confident, he thinks he owns the place.”
Subsanador, champion 2-year-old colt and a three-time top-level winner in his native land, recorded his first graded stakes victory on these shores in the GIII Philip Iselin Stakes at Monmouth Park last time Aug. 17.
Subsanador made his two first starts in this country for Stud Facundito and trainer John Sadler, including a painful second, beaten only a head by Newgate, in the GI Santa Anita Handicap Mar. 3.
Carrying the colors of Wathnan Racing for the first time, Subsanador faded to fourth after a freshening while making his first attempt for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella in the GII Hollywood Gold Cup May 27.
Mandella's success with South American imports has been well-documented. He famously trained the world-class trio of Siphon (Brz), Sandpit (Brz), and Gentlemen (Arg) to a one-two-three finish in the 1997 GI Santa Anita Handicap. He has also campaigned fellow GISWs Malek (Chi), Puerto Madero (Chi) and Redattore (Brz).
“We've never been in a tight situation like that and at Monmouth, he never had a straw in his path,” Mandella said. “Everything went well. This was tight and he was cooped up a little bit, and I didn't know how he'd react. I was very proud that he kept trying.”
Pedigree Notes:
Subsanador is one of 42 graded/group winners worldwide for the Darley-bred and Godolphin-campaigned Fortify, who finished third in the 2012 GI Champagne Stakes and fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He is the first foal out of his unraced dam. She is also responsible for the 2-year-old filly Blind Date (Arg) (Nicholas {Arg}).
Incredible! Three horses hit the wire together and the horse in the middle #2 SUBSANADOR ($14.20) gets the nose down first to win the inaugural $1M California Crown Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita. @mikeesmith10 was in the irons for Richard Mandella. Congrats to all the connections! pic.twitter.com/npyQqTLN6d
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) September 28, 2024
Saturday, Santa Anita
CALIFORNIA CROWN S. PRESENTED BY SIRDAVIS AMERICAN WHISKY-GI, $1,000,500, Santa Anita, 9-28, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:48.68, ft.
1–SUBSANADOR (ARG), 124, h, 5, by Fortify
1st Dam: Save the Date (Arg), by Hurricane Cat
2nd Dam: Satarain (Arg), by Salt Lake
3rd Dam: Sa Torreta (Arg), by Southern Halo
O-Wathnan Racing; B-El Mallin (ARG); T-Richard E. Mandella;
J-Mike E. Smith. $600,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2-year-old
colt-Arg, MG1SW-Arg, 17-9-2-1, $1,003,124. Werk Nick
Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–National Treasure, 126, c, 4, Quality Road–Treasure,
by Medaglia d'Oro. ($500,000 Ylg '21 FTSAUG). O-SF Racing
LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E.
Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber,
Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Peter E.
Blum Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $200,000.
3–Newgate, 124, c, 4, Into Mischief–Majestic Presence,
by Majestic Warrior. 'TDN Rising Star' ($850,000 Ylg '21
KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables
LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A.
Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan;
B-Town & Country Horse Farms, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert.
$120,000.
Margins: HD, NO, 7. Odds: 6.10, 1.60, 7.30.
Also Ran: Katonah, Senor Buscador, Muth. Scratched: Indispensable.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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