Acting upon orders from trainer Peter Miller, Garrett Gomez liked
what he saw at the break and sent
Guidopanzini to the front and never
looked back, winning Santa Anita’s $50,000 allowance feature on Friday
by 3 ¼ lengths, getting the 1 1/16 mile distance in 1:43.39.
“I told Garrett, ‘Play the break, and if you like what you see,
put him on the lead’,” said Miller. “He’s won on the lead before, so
it’s not like it’s totally new to him. At the quarter pole, I wasn’t so
sure, but he finished up well.”
Owned by the Lanni Family Trust, Guidopanzini, off at odds of
8-1, set fractions of 24.14, 48.41, 1:12.38 and 1:36.94. A 3-year-old
Florida-bred gelding by Giacomo, Guidopanzini paid $19.40, $7.80 and
$4.60.
With the winner’s share of $30,000, Guidopanzini boosted his bankroll to $73,930 from an overall mark of 9-2-2-0.
When asked what might be next for his horse, Miller said that
he’d look for a second-condition allowance race at the Betfair Hollywood
Park Fall Meet, which opens Nov. 8.
The race, run as the sixth on an eight-race card, was named for
the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Association, which was
represented by Stanley Cup Champion L.A. Kings announcer Bob Miller and
his wife, Carol.
“I’ve got a lot more time on my hands now,” quipped Miller when
interviewed following the race on HRTV. (The NHL and the players’ union
are currently in the midst of a labor dispute). “I kept my streak
alive in this race. I haven’t picked a winner all day long.”
Liberty Cap, ridden by Joe Talamo, sat second early but could
never threaten the winner, finishing second, 3 ½ lengths clear of 2-1
favorite Planet Sunshine and Victor Espinoza.
Liberty Cap paid $5.00 and $3.60.
Planet Sunshine, who was sixth early in the eight-horse field, had an uneventful trip and paid $2.20 to show.