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Santa Anita: Collected preps for Pegasus in San Antonio on opening day card
- Updated: December 25, 2017
Live racing returns to Santa Anita the day after Christmas with four graded stakes races
The first of four graded stakes races on the opening day card at Santa Anita kicks off in the third with the G2 San Antonio Stakes for three-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles for a purse of $300,000.
In years past, the San Antonio would appear later in the winter and spring meet at the track. But given that Santa Anita is owned by the Stronach Group, owners of Gulfstream Park, the race was moved to opening day in an effort to attract the attention of local horsemen with the opportunity to run a final prep before the Pegasus. So essentially, the San Antonio will have run twice this year, having also ran on February 4.
The field for the San Antonio from the rail out includes Hoppertunity, Top of the Game, Giant Expectations, Prime Attraction, Accelerate, and Collected.
Heavily favored at 3 to 5 is Collected who’ll be making his final start in preparation for the 2018 Pegasus World Cup on January 27 at Gulfstream Park. Last time out he finished second to current Pegasus Cup and Horse of the Year favorite Gun Runner in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar.
In the Classic, Collected battled Gun Runner throughout the 1 1/4 miles distance but gradually gave way to the superiority of the victor.
Collected is 4 for 4 at Santa Anita and should be at the top of his game for trainer Baffert who also sends out Hoppertunity, winner of the San Antonio earlier in the year, and will be the better value in here.
