Santa Anita Handicap (G1)

Once the most prestigious race on the West coast memories of old will be somewhat revived at Santa Anita with todays running of the Big Cap. It’s attracted three of America’s big guns for a mouth-watering clash. It’s goes off at 11.59 GMT but it’s got a high noon feel.

A nose separated Mucho Macho Man and Will Take Charge here in the Breeders Cup Classic in November. The favourite that day Game On Dude, the defending champion and twice a winner of this, never got into the mix that day but in the Clark Handicap at the end of November he did when he went down a head to Will Take Charge at Churchill Downs.

Now they all meet again.

Kathy Ritvo gave Mucho Macho Man a tune up in January when at Gulfstream Park he won by 14 L. There was never a question of him fluffing his lines and that run will have tightened him up nicely for this.

D Wayne Lucas gave Will Take Charge a run at Gulfstream Park also but surprisingly he didn’t win when going down a 1 1/2 L to Lea. It wasn’t a bad run but he was always being held. Maybe the excretions of the Breeders Cup and the Clark runs just caught up.

Bob Baffert gave Game On Dude his traditional prep for this in the San Antonio Stakes. Already a winner twice of it he went off a long odds on favourite. He broke well but ended up in an early battle with Blueskiesnrainbows in the first half of the race and by the time he reached the turn the energy sap left him a spent force and he trailed in 6 L behind. The beneficary was Blingo who came with a sweet turn of foot to pick off the tiring horses coming back to him and get the better of Imperative by 1/2 L with American Blend 4 1/4 L back in third.

The current form would give Mucho Macho Man the edge not having blotted his copybook as the other two have but the San Antonio was run in a quick time and it would be foolish to ignore the claims of the winner. Blingo recorded his first pattern win at Grade 2 level and he might just step up on that here.

Recommendation : Blingo 16/1 ew