V is for victory as Velazquez dominates his first day at Santa Anita

ARCADIA — The prima had to enactment harder to support up with John Velazquez connected Sunday. Otherwise, his caller seashore was arsenic wide arsenic his aged one.

Velazquez began his archetypal fulltime Santa Anita conscionable with a come-from-behind triumph connected Blackadder, a 2–year-old maiden.

“That’s the archetypal clip I ever won the archetypal contention of the meet,” trainer Bob Baffert said.

Then Velazquez finished 3rd connected Sumo successful contention 2. Then helium won the 3rd contention connected California Kook. Then helium won contention 4 for Baffert, connected Shaaz.

The San Antonio Stakes was next, and Velasquez had Eight Rings connected the pb going into the stretch, conscionable up of Hot Rod Charlie, the 2-to-5 favorite.

But Victor Espinoza was engaged lighting a occurrence nether Express Train, who charged from the extracurricular and won by a nose. Hot Rod Charlie was 2nd and Eight Rings third.

And successful the eighth, the La Brea Stakes, Velazquez rode Kalypso, Baffert’s second-most prized filly down Private Mission. Velazquez took Kalypso retired gingerly and past powered her down the agelong to triumph by astir 5 lengths, astatine 9-to-1.

“We knew determination was velocity successful the contention and we knew she (Kalypso) had speed, but we didn’t privation to get progressive successful a duel,” Velazquez said. “I got connected her a small spot astatine the three-eighths rod and she spot into the bridle. After that it was beauteous easy.”

“He conscionable got her to relax,” Baffert said. “She ever wanted to spell excessively fast, but she was 1 blessed filly today.”

But adjacent though Velazquez coiled up with 4 wins, a 2nd and 2 thirds, Espinoza wasn’t trading his time for anybody’s.

In his mile and one-sixteenth trip, helium had to find lanes that weren’t determination and got to the extracurricular conscionable astatine the apical of the backstretch.

“From determination you effort to cipher what it’s going to take,” Espinoza said. “I conscionable made it. I was lone going to triumph it close astatine the wire. Sometimes you get it close and sometimes you don’t.”

Express Train appeared to beryllium a Triple Crown-caliber equine arsenic a 2-year-old but took a atrocious nonaccomplishment successful the American Pharoah Stakes, and trainer John Shirreffs started him over. This was his 5th triumph and his archetypal astatine Santa Anita since Jan. 30, erstwhile helium took the San Pasqual.

His past triumph anyplace was astatine Del Mar successful the San Diego Handicap connected July 17. This was besides his 10th consecutive quality successful a Grade 1 oregon 2 stakes race, and possibly the bettors had gotten weary of him. He was 7-to-1 astatine station time.

Espinoza ne'er had raced him before, but helium and Shirreffs person shared a fewer winner’s circles together. They teamed up to triumph the 2017 Santa Anita Derby with Gormley, and won the Robert Lewis Stakes with Uncle Mo. In 2020 they won the San Pasqual with Midcourt.

“We’ve had a batch of luck together,” said Shirreffs, who had astir 25 minutes to savor this one. He saddled up favourite Beyond Brilliant successful the Mathis Mile, and watched her get nosed retired by Law Professor, trained by Michael McCarthy, successful a resistance contention down the stretch.

“John conscionable gives you confidence,” Espinoza said. “I worked this equine a mates of times, and I could spot helium was getting this equine acceptable for this contention existent nice.”

Espinoza sensed Express Train didn’t precisely country similar a sports car. “I had to truly commencement pedaling to travel the different horses,” helium said.

But erstwhile Express Train broke free, helium lived up to his name, and truthful did the eventual runner-up, who had earned his favored presumption by finishing 2nd to Essential Quality successful the Belmont Stakes and 4th successful the Breeders Cup Classic.

“We got bushed a bob,” said Doug O’Neill, Hot Rod Charlie’s trainer. “He ran great. We’re precise optimistic astir the adjacent twelvemonth with him.”

Velazquez finished 4th connected Triple Tap successful the Malibu Stakes, arsenic Flightline again brought societal distancing to thoroughbred racing. Flightline’s 11 ½-length blowout successful the 7-furlong Malibu raised his full cushion to 37 ½ lengths successful 3 wins.

“This is similar being the precocious schoolhouse manager for LeBron James,” said John Sadler, Flightline’s trainer. “He is overmuch the best. You conscionable don’t privation to screw it up.”

The last drawback of the archetypal time of Velazquez’s West Coast discourtesy was a second-place decorativeness connected Nicest.

Eight races, 7 tickets you could cash.

“He’s similar Tom Brady,” Baffert said. “He’s a batch wiser. He doesn’t panic. It didn’t substance what other happened. He conscionable rides his horse.”

The clip quality is the lone difference. Velazquez volition thrust arsenic galore arsenic helium wants.