Pilot Commander. (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.—An in-race change in plans entering the stretch by jockey Juan Hernandez helped propel Pilot Commander to his first stakes win in the Grade III, $100,000 San Carlos Stakes going seven furlongs Saturday at Santa Anita.
Breaking from the rail, Pilot Commander (2-5) raced behind horses for the opening half mile as Vlahos (7-1) and jockey Edwin Maldonado set fractions of 22.30 and 45.34 seconds. When the field reached the quarter pole, Pilot Commander remained blocked behind both Vlahos and Spirit of Makena, a two-time graded stakes winner who was making his first start in 10 months. Then Vlahos drifted out slightly. Hernandez and Pilot Commander had their racing room.
“I was on the rail just waiting,” Hernandez said. “My plan was because my horse likes to run in the clear, to wait until the quarter pole and then go around horses. But I saw the horse in front of me was drifting out and I saw my chance.”
Pilot Commander still had work to do in the stretch after the inside move. Spirit of Makena continued to battle on gamely under Kyle Frey as For All Mankind (7-1) was also making up ground to the outside. Pilot Commander responded by holding both at bay and grinding his way to a three-quarter length victory. For All Mankind finished second by a half-length over Spirit of Makena with Fort Bragg (7-2) and Vlahos completing the order of finish.
Pilot Commander is trained by Bob Baffert for owner CSLR Racing Partners. He won in a time of 1:23.98.
“When he drew the one hole, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” Baffert said. “Since we have taken the blinkers off him, he has learned to relax. He needed that today. He was in a tight spot, and I thought, boy, he is really going to have to show his grit. But you can tell the last 100 yards he was not going to be denied. He had his ears pinned.”
A 4-year-old colt by Justify, Pilot Commander improved to 7: 4-2-0 with $240,600 in earnings. In two previous stakes tries, Pilot Commander was fourth in the GI Malibu in December and second in the GII San Vicente in January of 2024. Both were at Santa Anita.
Pilot Commander paid $2.80, $2.10 and $2.10. For All Mankind, ridden by Antonio Fresu for trainer John Sadler, returned $4.20 and $2.40. Spirit of Makena, trained by George Papaprodromou, paid $3.80.
“That was a tough out but he showed a lot of heart. I’m just super impressed and Bob has done an incredible job with the horse. I couldn’t be happier,” said Alex Childs, CSLR Racing Partners.
