With no established front-runners in Monday’s Grade II San Gabriel
Stakes, the question is, who will set the pace in the mile and one
eighth turf race?
Could it be favored Jeranimo, or will it be The Usual Q.T., who will be making his first start in more than seven months?
“We’ve got some speed if we want to use it, but it’s a mile and
an eighth,” said Jim Cassidy, trainer of The Usual Q.T. “But being off
since last May, he’s going to be fresh, so he’ll be pulling early. As
the race draws a little closer, I’ll examine the past performances a
little closer.
“Somebody will inherit the lead. I don’t necessarily think it
will be me, but somebody will be out there. Somebody’s going to try and
steal it.”
Victor Espinoza, who has ridden The Usual Q.T. 15 times in his
22-race career, the last 14 in a row, was not committed to pre-race
strategy.
“We’ll see what happens when the gates open,” Espinoza said. “He
hasn’t run for a while and I don’t know how the race is going to set up
but I just want to let him do his thing and go from there.”
The field for the San Gabriel: Sandor, Corey Nakatani; Ashtar,
Kevin Krigger; Norvsky, Rafael Bejarano; Jeranimo, Martin Garcia; The
Usual Q.T., Victor Espinoza; and Imponente Purse, Chantal Sutherland.