Exciting Finish to an Exciting Meeting at Santa Anita – 18,000 plus Fans witness one of the most exciting races of the year
Juniper Pass, finishing strongest of all on the extreme outside, bested Imponente Purse by a mere bob of a head Sunday to ultimately conclude the mile-and-three-quarter turf journey of Santa Anita’s historic Grade II, $150,000 San Juan Capistrano Handicap that consumed 2:47.74.
With Celtic New Year another one-half length back in the driving finish, it was one of the closest results in the rich 72-year-history of the marathon that annually completes Santa Anita’s racing season.
An on-track crowd of 18,018 thrilled to the blanket finish. It was the tightest in the distance fixture since Red Bishop nudged Special Price by a like margin in 1995, which came two years after Kotashaan’s memorable nose victory over Bien Bien.
Sunday’s result provided jockey Rafael Bejarano with his second successive victory in the marathon classic after he had won in 2010 aboard Bourbon Bay as well as in 2008 with Big Booster.
Winning trainer Ray Bell heaped credit on Bejarano for the outcome. “It’s like Bobby Jones said about competitive golf,” commented Bell. “Jones said, ‘It’s not the length of the course they play on; it’s the distance between their ears that matters.’”
Directing the second choice at 3-1 behind 5-2 favorite Haimish Hy in a field of nine, Bejarano settled the 4-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid into fifth place early while tracking the leisurely early pace dictated by 11-1 Power Series.
“The pace was a concern for me in the beginning,” Bejarano said. “I was wandering a bit in the beginning, but I wanted to make sure I was on the outside and not lose too much ground on the turns.”
Recent British-import Power Series took the marathoners through pedestrian early fractions that included a half-mile in 48.97, six furlongs in 1:13.39 and a mile in 1:40.91.
“I got more comfortable with my horse,” Bejarano continued, “then I saw the No. 6 (Imponente Purse with Chantal Sutherland in the saddle) make a good move from the three-eighths pole. She (Sutherland) looked like she had a lot of horse so I decided to follow her.
“As soon as I hit the stretch, I let her make the first move. I made the second move and it worked out because my horse always shows me a good kick in the end. He definitely improved on the grass today.”
Juniper Pass had come into the San Juan following his first stakes victory, but it wasn’t over Santa Anita’s grass surface as had been scheduled. The bay colt owned by Betty and Robert G. Irvin won the Grade II San Luis Rey Stakes at 1 ½ miles after wet conditions had prompted its move to a sloppy main track.
Favored Haimish Hy, who had beaten third-place Juniper Pass by a neck when victorious in the Grade I Hollywood Derby last November at 1 ¼ miles on turf, never made an impression on Sunday while failing to get closer than sixth. He wound up seventh.
Juniper Pass paid $8.80, $5.40 and $3.40. Brazilian-bred Imponente Purse returned $12.60 and $6. Celtic New Year, handled by Victor Espinoza, paid $6.20 to show. The victory by Juniper Pass was worth $90,000 to the Irvins. The winning purse boosted the career earnings of the $170,000 sales purchase to $284,380 from an overall record of 4-1-2 in 12 races.
With the local racing circuit moving to Hollywood Park on Thursday, Santa Anita will operate as a simulcast center until live racing returns to The Great Race Place in late September.
