Santa Anita: Midnight Transfer to go long in San Felipe
January 25, 2012ARCADIA, Calif. Midnight Transfer has run in his last sprint race for the foreseeable future after winning Sundays San Pedro Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita.
Benoit & AssociatesMidnight Transfer is being pointed to the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes.Trainer Carla Gaines said after the race that Midnight Transfer will make his next start in the $300,000 San Felipe Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on March 10. The Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes is the final major prep for the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 7.
He just loves this track, Gaines said.
Owned by Warren Williamson, Midnight Transfer, by Hard Spun, has won 2 of 5 starts and is unbeaten in two starts at the current Santa Anita winter-spring meeting. On the Dec. 26 opening day, Midnight Transfer won a six-furlong maiden race by 4 3/4 lengths.
In the San Pedro Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs, Midnight Transfer closed from last in a field of six to win by a head over pacesetter Got Even. Ridden by Joel Rosario, Midnight Transfer was stuck on the rail on the turn, but weaved his way between runners to find sufficient room in early stretch.
He had a lot of horse and nowhere to go, Gaines said. He didnt have any place to get out.
The disappointment in the San Pedro field was Drill, winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity last September. The 8-5 favorite, Drill was last of six on the backstretch and finished a well-beaten fifth by 3 1/4 lengths under jockey Martin Garcia.
I thought hed be up closer, trainer Bob Baffert said. He was too far back, then he made that big wide move. You just cant do that.
The San Felipe Stakes is expected to draw Out of Bounds, winner of the Grade 3 Sham Stakes over a mile on Jan. 7. Trained by Eoin Harty, Out of Bounds worked a half-mile in 48.40 seconds at Hollywood Park on Monday.
Porfido gets 11th win at age 10
Harty won Sundays seventh race for $25,000 claimers on turf with the 10-year-old Porfido, who won for the 11th time in his 50th start.
Porfido was previously trained by Humberto Ascanio, who suffered a stroke in late December and has disbanded his stable. Ascanio was stabled adjacent to Harty at Hollywood Park. Ascanio is continuing to recover from the stroke.
Harty said that Porfido is an easy horse to care for.
He is so cool, he said. He gets in the round pen for 10 minutes twice a day, and he acts like a 3-year-old.
Vamo a Galupiar eyes Buena Vista
Vamo a Galupiar won her first stakes in the United States in Saturdays $78,500 Megahertz Stakes over a mile on turf and may have earned a start in the $150,000 Buena Vista Handicap over a mile on turf Feb. 20.
Going into the Megahertz, trainer Neil Drysdale had considered waiting for the $150,000 Santa Ana Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on turf for fillies and mares on March 25 with Vamo a Galupiar, a Group 1 stakes winner in Chile in 2010.
In the Megahertz, Vamo a Galupiar chased a fast pace and closed from last under jockey Joe Talamo to win by 3 1/4 lengths.
In my mind, I was thinking farther, but after watching that Ill have to think about it, Drysdale said. I know the pace scenario was strange, but she won pulling away.
Owned by Robert Evans, Vamo a Galupiar, 5, has won 4 of 6 starts and $100,512. The Megahertz was her second start in the United States and first since last April.
Killer Graces drills for Santa Ysabel
Killer Graces, winner of the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet Stakes last month, worked a half-mile in 47.20 seconds at Santa Anita on Monday. Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Killer Graces starts in Saturdays $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
The Grade 3 Santa Ysabel also will attract Charm the Maker, runner-up in the Starlet and winner of the Sharp Cat Stakes at Hollywood Park in November.