A competitive field of older horses lines up for Saturday's Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita, with veteran Midnight Mammoth and Sunland Derby winner Getaway Car among the top contenders. The 1 1/8-mile race carries a $200,000 purse and features several runners returning from strong recent efforts. Trainers like Craig Dollase and Bob Baffert have prepared their charges for this key early-year test.
The San Pasqual Stakes highlights an evenly matched group of seasoned thoroughbreds competing over 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita Park. Leading the entries is Midnight Mammoth, a 7-year-old gelding under trainer Craig Dollase. He recently posted a career-high 99 Beyer Speed Figure in a seven-furlong allowance victory on January 16 at the track, marking his return after an off-the-board finish in the August Pacific Classic. Owned by Jeffrey Sengara, the horse boasts a record of 9 wins from 38 starts, with earnings of $460,380. Jockey Armando Ayuso retains the mount.
Getaway Car, a 4-year-old Curlin colt trained by Bob Baffert, enters after capturing last year's Sunland Derby in February. He followed that with a fourth-place finish as the favorite in the Virginia Derby the next month at Colonial Downs. After an eight-month absence, he competed on November 30 at Del Mar in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance but did not place; notably, that race's winner, Bartholdy, joins him here. Owned by a partnership including SF Racing and Starlight Racing, Getaway Car will be ridden by Juan Hernandez.
Pony Express, trained by John Sadler, returns following a three-month break. His most recent outing on November 22 at Santa Anita saw him finish second by three-quarters of a length in the one-mile Tokyo City Cup. This 5-year-old Gun Runner gelding is owned by Hronis Racing, Three Chimneys Farm, and West Point Thoroughbreds, with Hector Berrios in the saddle.
Bartholdy, seeking his first stakes success, comes off a third-place effort in the December 28 Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes behind Nysos and Nevada Breach. The 20-start veteran, with 4 wins and $251,720 in earnings, is trained and co-owned by Steve Knapp, alongside John R. Haagsma and John Robert Vanderdussen. Tyler Baze rides.
Rounding out notable entrants is Westwood, who placed third in the Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar, trailing Nevada Beach and British Isles—the latter of whom competed in the Pegasus World Cup on Saturday. Trained by John Shirreffs for C R K Stable, Westwood gets a new jockey in Kazushi Kimura as he pursues his initial stakes win.
This race serves as an early indicator for older horses aiming to build toward spring campaigns, with the field's form suggesting a tightly contested affair.
