McCarron Returns to Win the Feature

Chris McCarron, returning to the races for the first time since Nov. 22, rode The Medic to a head victory over Bello Horizonte in Friday’s $50,000 feature race at Santa Anita.

McCarron had been sidelined following surgery to remove a steel plate that had been inserted in his leg to mend a shattered bone. He had broken his femur in a spill in October 1986. McCarron had one other mount Friday, finishing ninth in the fifth race aboard Provipout.

The Medic was clocked in 1:49 4/5 for 1 1/8 miles on the turf and paid $4.20, $3.20 and $2.60. Bello Horizonte, ridden by Sandy Hawley, returned $6.20 and $4.40. Putting, ridden by Gary Stevens, paid $5.20 to show.

McCarron kept The Medic close to the pace in the early going, then began moving his mount toward the front heading into the stretch. Bello Horizonte, seventh in the nine-horse field early, closed strongly and just missed catching the winner.