Later Than Planned outlasts his rivals to take the John Shear Stakes, Benoit Photo
Santa Anita Press
ARCADIA, CA —Later Than Planned edged clear of pacesetting favorite Track Tiger in the stretch to earn his second stakes win in the $100,000 John Shear Stakes for 3-year-olds going about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course.
Ridden by Hector Berrios for the first time, Later Than Planned (9-5) followed pacesetter Track Tiger in second when descending the hill, collared that rival on the dirt crossing and then finished best of all to prevail by 1 ½ lengths. Track Tiger, ridden by Emisael Jaramillo for trainer Doug O’Neill, held second by a neck over Caro Buono (7-1).
“I thought the outside horse (Track Tiger) would want the lead, so I tried to put a little pressure on him early so it wouldn’t be too easy. Then I just tracked him,” Berrios said. “On the turn, my horse moved right up to him very easily and finished strong.”
Later Than Planned is trained by Phil D’Amato for owners Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables and Marsha Naify. He won in a time of 1:12.92 following splits of 22.76, 44.64 and 1:06.73.
“He seems much more effective at one turn at this point,” D’Amato said. “Not to say he can’t be a miler down the road, which we might try again, but this seems to be his bread and butter.”
Bred in Ireland, the colt by Cotai Glory made one start in his native country before being imported last year. He won last year’s Speakeasy Stakes sprinting five furlongs on turf at Santa Anita prior to a fifth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. In two previous starts this year, Later Than Planned was third in the Baffle in January, also sprinting down the hill, and fifth in the one-mile Pasadena Stakes most recently on Feb. 22.
“I definitely think there’s more ahead of him,” D’Amato said. “He’s a horse that I think is still developing. He has a frame that is still filling out. He should be even better as a late season 3-year-old and beyond.”
Later Than Planned paid $5.60, $2.40 and $2.10. Track Tiger returned $2.40 and $2.10. Caro Buono, with Armando Ayuso up for trainer Leonard Powell, paid $2.60.
JOHN SHEAR STAKES QUOTES
JOCKEY QUOTES
HECTOR BERRIOS, LATER THAN PLANNED, WINNER: “I thought the outside horse (Track Tiger) would want the lead, so I tried to put a little pressure on him early so it wouldn’t be too easy. Then I just tracked him. On the turn, my horse moved right up to him very easily and finished strong.”
TRAINER QUOTES
PHILIP D’AMATO, LATER THAN PLANNED, WINNER: “He seems much more effective at one turn at this point. Not to say he can’t be a miler down the road which we might try again. But this seems to be his bread and butter.” “I definitely think there’s more ahead of him. He’s a horse that I think is still developing. He has a frame that is still filling out. He should be even better as a late season 3-year-old and beyond.”
NOTES: The winning is Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables LLC and Marsha Naify.
