SANTA ANITA STAKES RECAPS: BOLO IN ARCADIA; VALE DORI WINS SANTA MARIA

By Mike Willman —-

SMITH GUIDES COMBACKING BOLO TO DRAMATIC HEAD VICTORY IN GRADE II, $200,000 ARCADIA STAKES WHILE GETTING ONE MILE ON TURF IN 1:34.51

ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 11, 2017)—They call him “Big Money Mike” and anybody who saw him orchestrate an improbable come from behind win aboard the Carla Gaines-trained Bolo in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Arcadia Stakes at Santa Anita will readily attest Mike Smith is aptly named. Rank under the wire the first time around, Smith somehow got the 5-year-old horse by Temple City to relax and unleash a powerful late rally that resulted in a head victory over an unlucky What a View while getting one mile over a “good” turf in 1:34.51.

“It’s his first race back (since the Grade II Eddie Read Stakes on July 17) and it’s his first time wearing a rubber bit,” said Smith, who had just guided Vale Dori to victory in the Grade II Santa Maria Stakes one race earlier. “I had a bit of trouble. He’s so strong, it’s like pulling on the barn. If you give him daylight, he’ll just run off, which he’s done before.

“I thought I had a good shot through the lane. When Graham Motion’s horse (Ring Weekend) came up on the outside of us, it was like Talladega Nights, time to ‘Shake ’n’ Bake baby!’ He helped me push by What a View.”

Off at 6-1 in a field of five older horses, Bolo paid $14.60, $4.60 and $2.80.

Owned by Keith Brackpool’s Golden Pegasus Racing and Earle I. Mack LLC, Bolo, who also won last year’s Arcadia, notched his fifth win from 13 starts and with the winner’s share of $120,000, he increased his earnings to $614,045.

“He’s something else, this horse,” said an elated Brackpool. “Carla and I were saying ‘Get third, get third,’ then ‘Get second, get second.’ I didn’t think we had won until I saw the replay, amazing. We’ll take a look at the Kilroe (Grade I, mile on turf, March 11) next.”

California-bred What a View, who along with Conquest Enforcer, opened up two lengths on the winner at the top of the lane, prevailed by three quarters of a length for the place and paid $5.00 and $3.00.
“I just can’t beat Smith!” said Tyler Baze, who rode What a View and who was also second to Smith in the previous race, the Grade II Santa Maria Stakes. “(My horse) ran good, really good…I thought I had it once I fought off Conquest Enforcer, which I thought was the horse to beat. He came head to head with my horse and my horse dug in hard. Especially that last sixteenth of a mile. I thought, ‘Good, we’re home free. Then Bolo…It’s frustrating.”

The 6-5 favorite with Flavien Prat aboard, Conquest Enforcer held Ring Weekend off by a nose and paid $2.10 to show.

Fractions on the race were 23.74, 46.92, 1:10.98 and 1:23.22.

HEAVILY FAVORED VALE DORI TAKES GRADE II, $200,000 SANTA MARIA STAKES BY 1 ¾ LENGTHS AS SHE WINS FOR THE FOURTH TIME IN A ROW; SMITH & BAFFERT POSE FOR PICTURES FOLLOWING 1 1/16 MILES IN 1:43.19 OVER WET FAST TRACK

—Chalk players had an anxious moment prior to the start of Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes, as 1-5 favorite Vale Dori reared, ejecting jockey Mike Smith out the back of the starting gate in the process, but their fears were soon allayed, as the brilliant Argentine-bred mare made short work of five rivals, winning by 1 ¾ lengths while negotiating 1 1/16 miles over a wet fast Santa Anita main track in 1:43.19.

Breaking from the far outside, the Bob Baffert-conditioned Vale Dori was away alertly and sat a close second to pacesetter Midnight Toast to the far turn where she took command with three furlongs to go and with a staggering $558,490 bet to show on her (out of a total show pool of $608,355), the Santa Maria was hers.

“She got a little excited in the gate today,” said Smith. “I’m not really sure what happened in the gate, something spooked her. She just reacted to it and almost went all the way over…She was aggravated for a good eighth of a mile before I talked her out of it. After that, she was well within herself.

“She’s gotten good. There’s not a Songbird or Stellar Wind in there, so that certainly helps. But she’s climbing the ladder. As some point she’s going to deserve a chance at them. If anyone had hooked up with her today, she would have sat off of them no doubt, just no speed today.

In registering her fourth consecutive win (her last three Grade II stakes), Vale Dori, a 5-year-old, paid $2.60, $2.10 and $2.10.

Owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum, Vale Dori improved her overall record to 12-7-3-1. With the winner’s share of $120,000, she increased her earnings to $694,943.

“She was a little fresh today,” said Baffert. “I missed some time with her during the rains, so she was coming in here a little bit fresh today. I missed a lot of days (training) when it was raining, so we just took it easy with her. These races (most recently the Grade II La Canada on Jan. 14) have been keeping her fit so I don’t have to do too much in between…We’re definitely looking at the Santa Margarita (Grade I, 1 1/8 miles on March 18).”

Show Stealer, who was taken back to last early by Tyler Baze, ran a big race from off the pace and finished second, 3 ¾ lengths clear of Autumn Flower. Off at 6-1, Show Stealer, who is trained by Art Sherman, paid $3.40 and $2.40.

Ridden by Flavien Prat, Autumn Flower was off at 31-1 and paid $4.00 to show.
Fractions on the race were 23.66, 47.35, 1:11.68 and 1:36.73.

Cover Photo: Vale Dori; Benoit Photo

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