Anthony's Cross wins, Tapizar fades at Santa Anita
February 12, 2011ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) - Anthony's Cross beat Riveting Reason by a nose Saturday to win the $250,000 Robert B. Lewis for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita, as overwhelming favorite and early Kentucky Derby prospect Tapizar pulled hard early, weakened late and finished a distant fifth.
Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Garret Gomez, Tapizar, who trounced the competition in the Jan. 3 Sham Stakes and was considered by some the early Derby favorite, dashed to the lead on the backstretch but wouldn't cooperate as Gomez tried to take control of him.
Anthony's Cross and jockey Joel Rosario sat second in the early going, took the lead at the top of the stretch and held off the late charge from Riveting Reason for the victory and a step toward the Derby, covering 1 1-8 miles in 1:48.63.