WITH REPLACEMENT RIDER FRANCO UP, NEXT SHARES IS JUST UP TO WIN GRADE II SAN GABRIEL STAKES BY A NOSE

By Mike Willman —-

Next Shares and jockey Geovanni Franco, outside, outleg Liam the Charmer (Kent Desormeaux), middle, and Cleopatra’s Strike (Rafael Bejarano), inside, to win th eGrade II, $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes, Saturday, January 5, 2018 at Santa Anita Park, Arcadia CA.
© BENOIT PHOTO

NEXT SHARES
BENOIT PHOTO

WITH REPLACEMENT RIDER FRANCO UP, NEXT SHARES IS JUST UP TO WIN GRADE II, $200,000 SAN GABRIEL STAKES BY A NOSE; TRAINED BY BALTAS, WINNER GETS 1 1/8 MILES ON TURF IN 1:48.61

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 5, 2019)—With top jockey Joel Rosario sidelined due to illness, a new “Iceman” appeared on a cold, wintery day at Santa Anita, as replacement rider Geovanni Franco cleverly guided favored Next Shares to a thrilling nose victory in the Grade II, $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes. Just up in the last jump, Next Shares, who is conditioned by Richard Baltas, got a mile and one eighth on turf in 1:48.61.

“This is a very, very, very good horse,” said Baltas. “I said earlier that he likes a little more cut in the ground, but he obviously handled this well. Geo rode a great race…He was a little far back, but this guy doesn’t panic.”

Next to last in a field of nine older horses with three furlongs to run, Franco stepped on the gas around the far turn and Next Shares, a 6-year-old Archarcharch gelding, made an eye catching move while caught four deep turning for home. With plenty of work to do three sixteenths from the wire, Next Shares sustained a resolute win that resulted in the closest of victories.

Most recently 13th in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Mile Nov. 3, Next Shares was off as the 8-5 favorite and paid $5.20, $3.60 and $2.80.

Owned by Michael Iavarone, Jules Iavarone, Jerry McClanahan, Christopher Dunn, William Marasa, Ritchie Robershaw and Mark Taylor, Next Shares, who is out of the Evansville Slew mare Two Dot Slew, picked up his third win in his last three starts, which included a victory in the Grade I Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland Oct. 6.

With the win, he’s now 22-6-4-2 and with the winner’s share of $120,000, he has earnings of $1,187,697.

“He broke out of there and we kind of got left a little bit, but Richard told me not to hurry, so I didn’t,” said Franco. “Down the lane the other horses were very game, but I think Next Shares heard everyone screaming and pulling for him and he got it done.

“I thought I won because I thought my horse had his nose down at the wire, but I knew it was close. This is the biggest pick-up mount I’ve ever had, for sure.”

The win, understandably, had Next Shares sizeable ownership contingent feeling giddy in the Winner’s Circle.

“Yeah, he’s going to the Pegasus,” said Iavarone, in reference to the inaugural $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational going a mile and three sixteenths at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 26. “It’s all about the Pegasus right now. It’s what we wanted and what we were hoping for. We tried to stretch him out with that in mind and it worked amazingly well. I told Geovanni to make sure to save a little for the Pegasus…”

Cleopatra’s Strike, who stalked the pace throughout with Flavien Prat up, did everything but win while finishing one length in front of Liam the Charmer. Off at 6-1, “Cleopatra” paid $5.80 and $4.20.

Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Liam the Charmer, who was off at 7-2, paid $3.20 to show.
Fractions on the race were 24.09, 48.36, 1:12.46 and 1:36.44.

SAN GABRIEL STAKES QUOTES, $200,000

JOCKEY QUOTES
GEOVANNI FRANCO, LATE RIDER CHANGE FROM JOEL ROSARIO, WHO WAS OFF HIS MOUNTS, NEXT SHARES, WINNER: “My horse was so good today. He broke out of there and we kind of got left a little bit but Richard told me not to hurry, so I didn’t. He told me that if we had to go wide to go ahead and go wide, because it wouldn’t matter. He said the horse will run. Down the lane the other horses were very game but I think Next Shares heard everyone screaming and pulling for him and he got it done.
“I thought I won it because I thought my horse had his nose down at the wire, but I knew it was close. This is the biggest pick-up mount I’ve ever had, for sure.”

TRAINER QUOTES
RICHARD BALTAS, NEXT SHARES, WINNER: “This is a very, very, very good horse. I said earlier that he likes a little more cut in the ground, but he obviously handled this well. Geo rode a great race…He was a little far back, but this guy doesn’t panic.”

PHIL D’AMATO, CLEOPATRA’S STRIKE, SECOND: “I’ve had two of these (photo finishes) in the last week. We know he fits with Grade I horses…We’ve got a lot to work with here.”

MICHAEL IAVARONE, PART-OWNER, NEXT SHARES, WINNER: “Yeah, he’s going to the Pegasus. It’s all about the Pegasus Turf Cup Invitational (Grade I, $7,000,000 going 1 3/16 miles on Jan. 26 at Gulfstream Park) right now. It’s what we wanted and what we were hoping for. We tried to stretch him out with that in mind and it worked out amazingly well. I told Geovanni to make sure to save a little for the Pegasus.
“When I first saw the race I thought we won. Then, when I watched the replay seven times I thought we got beat. Either way I thought we ran well enough to show we could get the distance so I was happy with it either way but that nose was huge.”

NOTES: The winning owners are Michael Iavarone, Jules Iavarone, Jerry McClanahan, Christopher T. Dunn, William Marasa, Ritchie Robershaw, and Mark Taylor.

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