Well Armed Gears Up For San Pasqual Handicap

by Patricia Woo | Jan 6 2009

Our race of the week is the $150,000 Gr. 2 San Pasqual Handicap for 4-year-olds and up, which will take place on Saturday, Jan. 10 at Santa Anita Park.  This 1 1/16 mile race over a Pro Ride track is considered a prep for the upcoming $1M Santa Anita Handicap and will give you a sneak peek at some of the hopefuls. Here is a look at some of the top contenders for the San Pasqual Handicap, including favorite Well Armed, Mostacolli Mort and Past the Point.

Despite a disappointing ninth place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in October, Well Armed goes into the San Pasqual Handicap as the race favorite. This 6-year-old WinStar Farm gelding had to settle for the runner-up position last year, one length behind Zappa on a very fast track, and he will be gunning for top spot in 2009. Well Armed is the reigning Gr. 1 Goodwood Stakes champion, a title he won at Santa Anita in September; Santa Anita was also the site of his San Antonio Handicap win in February. This son of Tiznow enjoys a front-running style, made all the more devastating by his early speed; regular rider Aaron Gryder will be aboard on Saturday.

Top jockey Garrett Gomez gets the mount on Mostacolli Mort, a Kentucky-bred who was recently claimed for $80,000 from Everest Stables and now joins the stable of trainer John Stadler, who trained last year’s winner. Mostacolli Mort was second to the wire in his latest outing, an allowance optional claiming race at Hollywood Park in November. He’s also faced Well Armed three times before and fell short all three times; his closest was a third place finish in the San Diego Handicap in July. Look for Gomez to add his expertise to this promising 4-year-old’s ride.

Past the Point will be putting his skills to the test on synthetic Pro-Ride once more. Trainer Eoin Harty has had his doubts about his charge’s affinity for the synthetic track before – prior to the Gr. 3 Native Diver Handicap at Hollywood Park in December, Harty voiced his apprehension: "My concern is I've run him twice [in 2008] on synthetic tracks, and he did not run well either time.” But this 5-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding managed a second place finish in the Native Diver, and will try to score his first win since an allowance race at Saratoga in August.  Look for Past the Point to show off his front-running style under regular jockey Rafael Bejarano.

Other possible contenders include Magnum, Racketeer and Ferneley.

Who do you like for the San Pasqual Handicap? Bet on horse racing at the Bodog Racebook!