Newgrange beats Baffert trainee of Newgate by a length in the GII San Pasqual at Santa Anita an. 27, 2024. (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Never Better At Age 5 Newgrange Moves Past The $1 Million Mark
Mike Willman/Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.—Ridden for the first time by veteran Victor Espinoza, Newgrange successfully defended his title in Santa Anita’s Grade II, $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes on Saturday as he led throughout and prevailed by one length while getting a mile and one eighth in 1:49.26.
Fresh off an authoritative 2 ¼ length score with Irad Ortiz, Jr. up in the Grade II San Antonio Stakes at a mile and one sixteenth here on Dec. 26, Newgrange, a 5-year-old full horse by Violence, is unquestionably at the top of his game for Phil D’Amato, who must now decide if Newgrange, who went over the $1 million mark in career earnings, will go next in the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap on March 2, or ship to the middle east to run in the $12 million Dubai World Cup on March 30.
With seven older horses engaged, four of them were forwardly placed in the run to the first turn, and it was Newgrange taking the lead without being hustled. One length clear of longshot Mixto as the field headed up the backside, Newgrange maintained that lead to the three furlong pole and with Mixto tiring, favored Newgate immediately joined the party turning for home, but he could never get on terms with Newgrange, who was dominant to the wire.
The second choice at 2-1, Newgrange paid $6.20, $4.20 and $3.00.
Owned by David Bernsen, LLC, Little Red Feather Racing and Rockingham Ranch, Newgrange, who was originally trained by Bob Baffert, picked up his fourth win from nine starts for D’Amato, who now leads Richard Mandella through 17 racing days with five stakes wins to Mandella’s four.
With the San Pasqual being run for the 86th time today, the win was no doubt especially sweet for Espinoza. A Hall of Famer with three Kentucky Derby wins (including a Triple Crown in 2015 with American Pharoah) and who at age 51, has ridden sparingly at the current stand, Espinoza had one win from 14 mounts coming into today.
Newgrange, who is out of the Empire Maker mare Bella Chianti, posted his fifth career stakes win today and improved his overall mark to 13-7-0-4. With the winner’s share of $120,000, he now has earnings of $1,007,634.
The 8-5 favorite with Joel Rosario, Newgate loomed ominously around the far turn, wheeled three-deep turning for home and was second-best on the day while returning $3.00 and $2.40.
Mixto, ridden by Antonio Fresu, kept to his task through the lane and finished three quarters of a length behind Newgate. Off at 11-1, he paid $4.00 to show.
Fractions on the race were 23.27, 47.55, 1:12.10 and 1:36.57.
Grade II, $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes Quotes
Jockey Quotes
Victor Espinoza, Newgrange, Winner: “It was great, I wanted to just bounce out of there and see what everyone wanted to do. I knew I had the best horse in the race, I just rode him with confidence. Riding for Phil, I know that his horses are ready to go and they are going to give 100%, there’s not going to be any shortage in the race. I was able to just bounce out of there, go to the lead and control the race and that was it.
“I was pretty confident the whole way around, not just down the lane. In the end, he kind of lifted his head up a bit, but I kept him busy to make sure we hit the wire, it was a nice ride.
“I didn’t (study) much, I believe the more you study, then your brain might start working at 100 miles an hour and then your mind might be a little bit confused, so just enough to get to know him. I worked him last week, and he worked an unbelievable work. It was my first time on him, and I didn’t know if he was that good of a work horse or he just worked good for me, but that gave me more confidence coming into the race.”
Trainer Quotes
Phil D’Amato, Newgrange, Winner: “This was definitely a step up from his last race competition wise. He was coming into this race after probably one of the best breezes he has ever given me, and when Victor breezed him, I had confidence going in and he had confidence going in. It gave me a good feeling that everything was going in the right direction.
“I think we’d been talking about if he had run a race like this, you now maybe taking a big swing at something like Dubai. It’s going to be even tougher there, but the money is incredible, so we can do something like that. We could stay home, but these guys in the Winner’s Circle, I think they are on board for Dubai.”
