California-trained horses, shut out during the 2023 event at Santa Anita Park, rebounded by capturing three of the 14 Breeders’ Cup races Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar, and others performed well with runner-up finishes.
Citizen Bull , an Into Mischief 2-year-old colt, got California in the win column by leading throughout in Friday’s Juvenile (G1) for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, and then on Saturday, Straight No Chaser took the Sprint (G1) for trainer Dan Blacker and Full Serrano took the Dirt Mile (G1) for trainer John Sadler.
Citizen Bull appears likely to be honored in late January as champion 2-year-old male for owners SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Bob Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan. Similarly, MyRacehorse’s Straight No Chaser will be on the shortlist for many Eclipse Award voters as champion male sprinter after a short but rewarding campaign.
Sitting outside his barn Sunday morning, Blacker described the narrow victory from Straight No Chaser, a 5-year-old son of Speightster , as surreal.
“The whole team put so much work into these things, as every barn does in the country,” he said. “Just to be rewarded like that was very special. He’s just a really talented, really fast horse, and he was born that way.
“We’re just lucky to have him in the barn and thankful to the guys that picked him out of the sale, and we’re just thankful to the owners for being so patient and allowing us to kind of get him ready and in his own time. And I think when you’re patient like that, occasionally it will work out in your favor.”
He indicated he would wait a week before focusing on upcoming goals for Straight No Chaser.
Sadler was joined barnside Sunday by his owners, Stephanie and Kosta Hronis of Hronis Racing, as they savored Full Serrano’s triumph with a cutback in distance in Saturday’s Dirt Mile. He had previously faded to second in the 1 1/4-mile Pacific Classic (G1).
Along with Sadler, Kosta and Stephanie Hronis have now enjoyed three Breeders’ Cup victories, owning horses solely in their stable name or in partnership. They previously won the Classic (G1) in 2018 with Accelerate and that same race in 2022 with Flightline .
“Accelerate was special,” Kosta Hronis said. “A lot of grade 1s. That was our first. To be part of that was a dream come true. To me, the Classic is the World Series inside the Super Bowl. It’s the race of the races. But Full Serrano, since he’s come here (to the United States) has been a great horse. Loves working out. Loves being on the track. So it’s very satisfying because he’s such a pro.”
“For me, the last one is always great,” Sadler noted. “Flightline was a generational horse, so this one a couple years later is great also.”
Full Serrano, a 5-year-old son of Full Mast , was scheduled to return to Santa Anita later Sunday morning.
“We’ll check him out up there over the next week or so, then we’ll start to map out some plans,” Sadler said.
Though there was one equine fatality Saturday when Turf (G1T) competitor Jayarebe died of a suspected heart attack, track veterinarian Brent Cassady told Del Mar publicity he did not hear one report of any sore horses returning to their stalls after the race aside from Believing, who flipped in the gate before the Turf Sprint (G1T) and was scratched. Believing was said to be a little sore but otherwise fine, per Del Mar publicity.
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