Mario Gutierrez was back working horses at Santa Anita Sunday
morning, hours after he registered the biggest win of his career with a 2
¾-length victory on 43-1 shot I’ll Have Another in Saturday’s Grade II
Robert B. Lewis Stakes, a major steppingstone to the Grade I, $750,000
Santa Anita Derby on April 7.
“I had worked the horse (for trainer Doug O’Neill) at Hollywood,
so I knew he was a good horse,” said Gutierrez, a 25-year-old native of
Vera Cruz, Mexico, who made his bones at frigid outposts like Hastings
Park in Canada. Gutierrez is represented by octogenarian agent Ivan
Puhich.
“I wasn’t really expecting to ride him, because there are so
many good jockeys here. But then I saw my name on him when the entries
were out and I was very happy. Doug just told me rate him if another
horse wanted to go out there, but if no one wanted to take the lead, to
take it myself.”