One succinct admonition from winning jockey
Rafael Bejarano summed up
the winning strategy in Thursday’s $60,000 Truckee River Purse at Santa
Anita: “When you are on the best horse in the race, come around, don’t
get stopped.”
And so it was as Bejarano guided 9-5 favorite Causeithertz, a
6-year-old gelded son of the diminutive, multiple graded stakes winning
mare, Megahertz, to an easy 2 ½ length victory, wheeling three-deep off
the turn for home en route to covering one mile on turf in 1:34.85.
Bejarano, who picked up his third win on the card, sized up the
Truckee pace scenario shortly after the field of six broke from the gate
and began their run into the Club House turn.
“My horse has speed, but I could see the number one (Innocent
Man, with Julien Leparoux) and the number three (Royal F J, with Martin
Pedroza) were showing a lot of speed, so I took a little hold into the
first turn and put him in a comfortable position at the rail. At the
half mile pole, I moved him out and he was just running comfortably.”
Innocent Man set fractions of 22.76, 46.76 and Causeithertz set the remaining interior splits of 1:10.74 and 1:22.62.
Causeithertz provided Bob Baffert with his second win on the day
and paid $5.80, $3.40 and $2.20. With the winner’s share of $36,000,
he increased his earnings to $189,150. Owned by his breeder, Michael
Bello, Causeithertz is a Kentucky-bred son of Giant’s Causeway. His
record now stands at 16-3-5-4.
“He’s finally showing the spark of his mother,” said Baffert.
“He has to be up near the lead, but Rafael knows him well so he had him
where he was comfortable. I try not to give too many instructions. The
top riders know what to do.”
Gab Power, off at 5-1 with Joe Talamo, finished second, a neck in front of Innocent Man. He paid $4.40 and $3.00.
Innocent Man was dispatched at 7-2 and finished a nose in front of Royal F J. Innocent Man paid $3.80 to show.
There were three winning tickets in Thursday’s Pick Six, with
each paying $15,283.60. With Santa Anita’s 20 percent on-track bonus of
$3,056.72, the lucky singleton winner will collect a total of
$18,340.32.
In order to be eligible for Santa Anita’s on-track Pick Six
bonus, fans must swipe their Thoroughbreds Club card prior to making
Pick Six wagers on non-carryover days.