CAPTAIN SCOTTY HOLDS OFF FAVORED FLAGSTAFF LATE TO REGISTER NECK WIN IN GRADE II PALOS VERDES STAKES

By Mike Willman —-

CAPTAIN SCOTTY HOLDS OFF FAVORED FLAGSTAFF LATE TO REGISTER NECK WIN IN GRADE II, $200,000 PALOS VERDES STAKES; CEDILLO & MILLER TEAM FOR SIX FURLONG SCORE IN 1:09.46

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 25, 2020)—In a race reduced to four horses as the result of a pair of program scratches, trainer Peter Miller’s Captain Scotty went to the front and never looked back as he registered a neck victory over heavily favored Flagstaff in Santa Anita’s Grade II, $200,000 Palos Verdes Stakes. Ridden to victory by Abel Cedillo, who recorded his third win on the day, Captain Scotty got six furlongs in 1:09.46.

With Ax Man scratched and scheduled to run in Sunday’s Clockers’ Corner Stakes on turf, Captain Scott broke running from the inside and carved out splits of 22.39, 45.22 and 56.87 as Flagstaff tracked him in second position. A quarter mile out, Victor Espinoza was asking Flagstaff to get on terms with Captain Scotty, but Cedillo had plenty left in the tank and was not headed until they hit the wire.

“Pete told me to try to go to the lead, when I saw the race was a two horse, two-speed type of race, I tried to slow it down,” said Cedillo, who had never ridden the 6-year-old Quality Road gelding. “He was trying to run off, but I got him to relax pretty good and he finished pretty good.”

Most recently fifth, beaten 1 ¾ lengths by stablemate Texas Wedge in the Grade II Joe Hernandez Stakes at 5 ½ furlongs on turf Jan. 1, Captain Scotty was off at 7-2 and paid $9.80 and $3.00 with no show wagering.

“We brought him back from Kentucky (after running third in a six furlong allowance at Churchill Downs on Nov. 28) and sent him to San Luis Rey Downs,” said Ruben Alvarado, assistant to Miller. “He came back in good shape and we decided to run him on the grass and the horse that won that day, (stablemate) Texas Wedge, came back to win today at Gulfstream, so he got beat by a good horse. He handled the grass okay, but not like the dirt, so we tried the main track today and we got lucky.”

Owned by Gary Barber and Wachtel Stable, Captain Scotty, who is out of the Aggressive Chief mare She Is Raging, registered his first graded stakes win today and improved his overall mark to 13-4-4-2. With the winner’s share of $120,000, he increased his earnings to $321,095.

Flagstaff broke alertly but was out-footed early and was a length off the winner at the quarter pole. With Espinoza doing his best, Flagstaff hit his best stride late and just missed in a big effort. Off at 4-5, he finished six lengths clear of Speed Pass and paid $2.20 to show.

Cedillo rung up his fourth winner on the day in the ninth and final race and moved into a tie atop the rider standings with Joel Rosario, who was away to ride today at Gulfstream, with 16 wins each through 15 racing days.

First post time for an eight-race card on Sunday is at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

PALOS VERDES STAKES (GII) $200,000 QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES
ABEL CEDILLO, CAPTAIN SCOTTY, WINNER: “Pete (Miller) told me to try to go to the lead, when I saw the race was a two horse, two speed type of race I tried to slow it down. He was trying to run off, but I got him to relax pretty good, he finished pretty good.

“(Captain Scotty) was fighting with Victor’s horse (Flagstaff), he was tough. I said we have to beat that horse.

“It feels great to be here, I’m really happy, I thank God, trainers, owners and Santa Anita. They all help me a lot.”

TRAINER QUOTES
RUBEN ALVARADO, ASSISTANT TO PETER MILLER, CAPTAIN SCOTTY, WINNING TRAINER: “We brought him back from Kentucky (after running third in a six furlong allowance on Nov. 28) and sent him to San Luis Rey Downs. He came back in good shape and we decided to run him on the grass (a close fifth in the Grade II Joe Hernandez Stakes) and the horse that won that day, (stablemate) Texas Wedge, came back to win today at Gulfstream, so he got beat by a good horse. He handled the grass okay, but not like the dirt, so we tried the main track today and we got lucky.”

GARY BARBER, OWNER CAPTAIN SCOTTY, WINNER: “The key with this horse is to keep him (running) short. He didn’t run bad on the grass, but I think he’s a little better on dirt. He’s a nice horse and he’s consistent all the time. He’s proven he belongs in stakes.”

NOTES: The winning owner is Gary Barber and Wachtel Stable.

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, real estate and 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 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 in Maryland; 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 horseracing content to a global audience through Monarch Content Management and XBTV.