Whittingham-Trained Horses Dominate Race at Santa Anita

Irish-bred Claire Marine led a 1-2-3 finish of Charlie Whittingham-trained stablemates Sunday in the $154,300 Santa Anita Budweiser Breeders’ Cup Handicap in front of a crowd of 40,321.

Fitzwilliam Place, another Irish-bred horse, finished second, 1 3/4 lengths behind the winner, in the second running of the one-mile race for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up.

The French-bred mare Daloma was third, another three-quarters of a length back in the international field of six.

The first three finishers were coupled in the wagering and paid $4.60 and $3. There was no show wagering on the race.

Fitzwilliam Place, ridden by Corey Black and carrying high weight of 120 pounds, set a slow early pace with Daloma, ridden by Fernando Valenzuela and carrying 115 pounds, in second place.

They stayed there until the turn for home, when Claire Marine, ridden by Chris McCarron and carrying 116 pounds, moved to the outside for a stretch rally.

Claire Marine’s time of 1:36 1-5 was a fifth of a second faster than Galunpe’s winning time in the first running of the race last year.

Finishing behind the Whittingham trio came the French filly Maria Jesse.

Maria Jesse, ridden by Gary Stevens and carrying 119 pounds, could not find a clear path to overhaul the first three finishers.

Pen Bal Lady was fifth and Double Wedge last. Carmanetta was scratched.

Owned by Whittingham and Sydney L. Port of Chicago, Claire Marine earned $84,865 in her fifth race in the United States and boosted her career earnings to $187,888. She has started 10 times with three victories, four seconds, two thirds and a fourth.

Success in the Pick Nine eluded fans at Santa Anita Sunday, so there will be a mandatory payout in this form of wagering when racing resumes here on Wednesday, opening day of the final week of the meeting at the Arcadia track.

Five tickets came close to collecting on nine winners, however. There were five tickets picking eight winners to be worth $4,041.60 each.

Santa Anita makes a mandatory payout of the Pick Nine pool on the day after the carryover exceeds $500,000. Any tickets picking all nine winners share in the entire net pool. When nobody selects all nine winning horses, $250,000 of the pool is carried over to the next racing day and the rest of the pool is distributed 70 percent to tickets with the most correct picks, and 15 percent each to the next two levels.

After Sunday’s races, the Pick Nine pool reached $577,027.92, prompting a mandatory payout on Wednesday.