The Big Cap and other weekend action

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Maybe this has been covered already - but the top three finishers in the Santa Anita Handicap had never won on a natural dirt surface - in fact, only Go Between has ever run over one before.

The top three finishers also had an Irish flavor to them - as the winner Heatseeker was bred in Ireland and the dams of 2nd and 3rd place finishers Go Between and Champs Elysees were both bred in Ireland.

Isn't it about time that they just spraypaint those synthetics green?

And in Big Cap undercard news - Mike Mitchell and his magical 'hop' was on display again - as Ever A Friend (who opened up at an alarmingly short price in the early betting before drifting) totally dominated the Kilroe Mile.

What do the Big Cap winner Heatseeker and Kilroe winner Ever A Friend have in common? Among many things, they both lost allowance turf sprints at Belmont in September of '06. They also both won Grade 1's on differing variations of turf courses on Saturday at Santa Anita.

The beloved Sham Stakes is a race that should be dear to all of our hearts. That is so because it always features a comically slow early pace - as any March 1st Derby prep at a 9 furlong distance should.

In a 3 year span from 2003-to-2005, such dog biscuits as ('03) Man Among Men, ('04) Master David and ('05) Going Wild have won circumstantial pace and trip aided runnings of the Sham over the likes of Empire Maker ('03) Borrego ('04) and Giacomo ('05) - that stellar trio of defeated plodders have won such classic distances races as the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, Pacific Classic, and Jockey Club Gold Cup.

As for this years running of the Sham Stakes - once again we saw a VERY slow pace - once again we saw a dream trip winner beat a 2nd place finisher who was really best.

The problem is that the race was run over a mock worthy surface .. I have serious doubts that El Gato Malo is really a true classic distance closer on natural dirt ... he also certainly doesn't have the very stout routing pedigrees like Empire Maker, Borrego, or Giacomo had either.

As for the Davona Dale Stakes.... the only horse in the race who wants to run further than six furlongs won the race. Favorite Game Face was a bad trip 2nd - she worked an unblinkered furlong in 10 flat at OBS March '07 and contrary to her big perfect trip 7f win last out, she showed distance limitations when the trip wasn't so easy.

And finally - The Stymie at AQU ... Daaher took real early pressure again - and Malibu Moonshine won with the kind of once in a lifetime dream trip that Daheer had for his style in the Cigar Mile.