IN A THRILLER, GIFT BOX DEFEATS McKINZIE BY A NOSE IN GRADE I SANTA ANITA HANDICAP

By Mike Willman —-

Gift Box; Benoit Photo

IN A THRILLER, GIFT BOX DEFEATS McKINZIE BY A NOSE IN GRADE I, $600,000 SANTA ANITA HANDICAP; RIDDEN BY ROSARIO, HE GIVES SADLER HIS SECOND BIG ’CAP VICTORY IN A ROW, COVERING 1 ¼ MILES IN 2:03.02

ARCADIA, Calif. (April 6, 2019)—On a stunningly beautiful day at Santa Anita, the 82nd running of the iconic track’s signature race for older horses, the Grade I, $600,000 Santa Anita Handicap, developed into a thrilling stretch battle between the two principles in today’s affair, John Sadler’s Gift Box and Bob Baffert’s McKinzie. In the end, it was Joel Rosario and Gift Box by a nose over Mike Smith and McKinzie, with the gray Gift Box stopping the clock in 2:03.02 for a mile and a quarter.

With longshot Prime Attraction showing the way into the Club House turn, Gift Box and McKinzie were in close attendance, no more than a length and a half off the early lead. Mid-way around the far turn, Rosario, who had his mount well in-hand, cruised to the lead past Prime Attraction a quarter mile out and was immediately engaged to his outside by McKinzie.

From the three sixteenths pole home, it was a classic head and head battle that had all 30,713 on-track fans enthralled and yes, if even for a couple minutes, maybe far removed from the weight of an onslaught of bad news primarily wrought by a wet winter.

“It was a good race,” said Rosario. “He broke perfect out of there and John told me to keep him close and when he wants to go, maybe follow someone…It was a good race turning for home. I knew McKinzie was coming for us in the last part…He showed a lot of heart today and I have to thank Hronis Racing for the opportunity and to John.”

For Sadler and owner Hronis Brothers Racing, LLC, it was their second Big ’Cap win in a row, having won it last year with eventual Older Horse of the Year Accelerate.

Originally based in New York, Gift Box, a 6-year-old horse by Twirling Candy, out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Special Me, had been idle since his first Southern California start, a half length win in the Grade II, 1 1/16 miles San Antonio Stakes on Dec. 26.

“This is very special,” said Sadler. “I grew up with this race, to win it two years in a row is incredible. I came here as a kid with Lou Rowan (owner/breeder and original board member of the Oak Tree Racing Association) when Quicken Tree won the Big ’Cap (1970), so it means a great deal to me.

“Joel rode a great race, you could see he had a lot of horse around the turn and he was just sitting on him. To beat a top horse like McKinzie in a photo like that…We needed it because we lost that tough photo last week (with Catapult, who was beaten a nose by longshot Ohio in the Grade I Frank E. Kilroe Mile). This was the plan when we bought this horse and it happened. We couldn’t be happier.”

Off as the 2-1 second choice in a field of six, Gift Box, in his first Grade I win, paid $6.20, $2.40 and $2.20. With the winner’s share of $355,000, he hiked his earnings to $879,160 and improved his overall mark to 15-5-5-2.

For his part, McKinzie lost nothing by way of stature in defeat as he was 3 ¾ lengths clear of longshot Mongolian Groom. Off as the 2-5 favorite, 4-year-old McKinzie, who carried top weight of 123 pounds while spotting the winner one pound, paid $2.10 and $2.10.

Ridden by Geovanni Franco, Mongolian Groom, off at 53-1, paid $3.40 to show.

Fractions on the race were 24.24, 49.03, 1:13.70 and 1:38.37.

Although Baffert was denied his sixth Big ’Cap win, he took his record ninth Grade I Santa Anita Derby two races earlier, as Roadster upset his stablemate Game Winner by a half length in a thrilling stretch run that barring something unforeseen, should propel both colts to center stage in next month’s Kentucky’s Derby.

Racing resumes with a nine-race card on Sunday. First post time is at 1 p.m. and admission gates open at 11 a.m.

SANTA ANITA HANDICAP GI $600,000 QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES
JOEL ROSARIO, GIFTBOX, WINNER: “It was a good race he broke perfect out of there, John told me to keep him close and when he wants to go maybe just follow someone. He did great and it was a good race turning for home. I knew McKinzie was coming for us in the last part. (Gift Box) is a cool horse, he was very tough in the end. He showed a lot of heart today and I have to thank Hronis Racing for the opportunity and to John.”

MIKE SMITH, MCKINZIE, SECOND: “It was a tough beat, I don’t know. I think I was in front I just didn’t get the bob, you know. There’s not a whole lot you can do about that. It’s part of the game.”

TRAINER QUOTES
JOHN SADLER, TRAINER GIFT BOX, WINNER: “This is very special. I grew up with this race, to win it two years in a row is incredible. I came here as a kid with Lou Rowan (owner/breeder and original board member, Oak Tree Racing Association) when Quicken Tree won the Big ’Cap (1970), so it means a great deal to me. Joel rode a great race, you could see that he had a lot of horse around the turn and he was just sitting on him. To beat a top horse like McKinzie in a photo like that…We needed it because we lost that tough photo last week (with Catapult, who was beaten a nose by longshot Ohio in the Grade I Frank E. Kilroe Mile). This was the plan when we bought this horse and it happened. We couldn’t be happier.”

OWNER QUOTES

HRONIS RACING, GIFTBOX, WINNER : “The crew really loved Gift Box, the barn, the exercise riders, John (Sadler), they really like this horse so we took a shot and he proved himself, we are really proud of the last two races. I really thought Gift Box was going to win easy but then McKinzie came flying, I didn’t see that coming so I was grateful we got the bob. The Santa Anita Handicap is a big race for us. We grew up coming to this track and we love everything that Santa Anita stands for and to have this race get rescheduled and everything, Gift Box acted like a professional and waited patiently and it turned out great. It’s really good that we didn’t have to travel with him and he could stay home and win this race. This was a very important race to us. He’s exactly who we think he is and I had no doubt. It is exceptional the trust with John and the team and their decision making. It is always special and it means a lot.”

NOTES: The winning owner is Hronis Racing LLC.

ABOUT SANTA ANITA PARK
Santa Anita Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is North America’s premier supplier of virtual online horseracing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.
ABOUT THE STRONACH GROUP
The Stronach Group (TSG) is a world-class entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred horse racing at the core. The company’s mission is executed through the distinct but interconnected pillars of Racing and Gaming, Entertainment, Technology and Real Estate Development. TSG is dedicated to delivering the best in class Thoroughbred horse racing content and operations. The company holds some of the greatest brands in the industry including, Southern California’s Santa Anita Park, “The Great Race Place”; South Florida’s Gulfstream Park, home to the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series and retail destination, The Village at Gulfstream Park; Pimlico Race Course, home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Laurel Park and Rosecroft Raceway in Maryland; Oregon’s Portland Meadows; and the San Francisco Bay Area’s, Golden Gate Fields. TSG is a leader in digital and mobile wagering technology through its subsidiaries AmTote and Xpressbet and is a major distributor of horse racing content to a global audience through Monarch Content Management. The award winning Adena Springs is the breeding and training facility of The Stronach Group with stables in Kentucky, Florida and Ontario.