The good news for Ron McAnally these days is, his horses are in
better shape than he is. But the 80-year-old Hall of Fame trainer is
soldiering on anyway.
McAnally registered his first winner of the meet last Friday
when Special Charm, owned and bred by his wife, Debbie, posted a
three-quarter length win in the fifth race. Not one to rest on his
laurels, McAnally sent out Suggestive Boy to win Saturday’s Grade II
Arcadia Stakes.
It was the 699th career win at Santa Anita for McAnally, who
ranks third behind two late Hall of Fame greats, Bobby Frankel (917) and
Charlie Whittingham (869).
McAnally, recently back at Santa Anita after undergoing surgery
on his left knee, hopes to continue his winning ways when he sends out
turf marathoner Interaction in Saturday’s Grade II San Marcos Stakes at 1
1/4 miles on turf.
“I think a mile and a quarter is more suitable for him than a
mile and a half, although he won the Pellegrini at that distance in
Argentina,” McAnally said of the 7-year-old Argentine-bred son of Easing
Along, who missed by three-quarters of a length in the Grade II, mile
and a half Hollywood Turf Cup last out on Dec. 15. “The horse is
training well,” McAnally added.
Interaction will be looking for his first stakes win in the U.S.
in the San Marcos. He is coming off five straight stakes, a Grade I in
the Eddie Read in which he finished second to champion Acclamation,
followed by four straight Grade II outings.
The field for the San Marcos, race nine of 10: Interaction, Joe
Talamo, 7-2 ; Juniper Pass, Rafael Bejarano, 6-1; All Squared Away,
Garrett Gomez, 10-1; Temple’s Door, Tyler Baze, 8-1; Richard’s Kid,
Edwin Maldonado, 6-1; Dreamcatcher, David Flores, 12-1; Golden Itiz,
Victor Espinoza, 12-1; Bridge of Gold, Julien Leparoux, 20-1; Fast
Track, Orlando Mojica, 30-1; Smart Ellis, Flavien Prat, 12-1; Fire With
Fire, Martin Garcia, 10-1; Shaun Washington, Brice Blanc, 20-1; Slim
Shadey, Gary Stevens, 9-2; and Huntsville, Corey Nakatani, 15-1.
McAnally called the No. 1 post position for Interaction “perfect.”
In other San Marcos news:
Doug O’Neill on Richard’s Kid, who worked six furlongs in company
with Russdiculous on Santa Anita’s fast main track last Saturday
morning in 1:12.40 under jockey Kevin Krigger: “He finished up really
strong. He looked really good.”
Trainer Patrick Biancone on Bridge of Gold, who makes his second
American start and his first since last August: “I’ve had him for three
months. He seems to have acclimated well. He worked good, but when we
run him, we’ll see where we are. Hopefully he adapts well to American
racing.”