Favored Sir Beaufort Delivers in La Puente

Once again, Sir Beaufort was well supported in the $82,800 La Puente Stakes Wednesday at Santa Anita. He was the 11-10 favorite, marking the seventh time in eight career starts that he has been the public choice. Never have the odds on the Pleasant Colony colt been longer than 9-5.

For a change, Sir Beaufort didn’t disappoint his fans. He won for only the second time, beating 5-2 second choice Shapiro’s Hero by three-quarters of a length in 1:49 1/5.

Originally scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on the turf, the La Puente was moved to the main track because of wet weather, and the field was reduced from 13 to eight after the scratches of Cove Way, Green’s Leader, Short Timer, College Green and Predecessor.

In a race devoid of pace, Sir Beaufort and Shapiro’s Hero weren’t separated by more than a half-length for the first six furlongs, but the former was outside, which was the place to be Wednesday. The rail was dead all afternoon.

The winner, trained by Charlie Whittingham, opened up a 1 1/2-length lead at the eighth pole, but the margin was being narrowed at the wire by Shapiro’s Hero and Oh Wow, the 3-1 third choice, who was another half-length back in third place.

Although he has had several fast workouts, Sir Beaufort had only an eight-length maiden victory to his credit before the La Puente. Otherwise, he had finished second at 9-5, 4-5 and 8-5 twice, fourth at 3-2 and fifth at 6-5.

“It never felt like he was trying to run,” said Chris McCarron, who has been aboard for four of the short-price failures. “I’ve come to the conclusion that when he works in the morning, he’s probably going as good as he can go.

“I’ve just sat there on him in the morning and let him run the last sixteenth or so and he’s always accelerated real well. In the afternoon, he just has one steady lick. There’s no real turn of foot, just that steady lick.

“But he got there today. That’s the main thing. I was disappointed they took it off the grass. He had breezed real well on the turf.”

Fresh off an allowance victory on March 31, Shapiro’s Hero is his own worst enemy, according to Pat Valenzuela.

“If he tries a little bit, he wins,” the rider said. “I had to ride him every step of the way. He has tons of talent. He’s learning every time. I think he just needs to learn more. He was unlucky to lose today.”

Horse Racing Notes

Julio Garcia, the leading apprentice at Santa Anita in 1984, didn’t take long to find the winner’s circle in his return to Southern California. Garcia, whose agent is Tony Matos, won with his first mount, 8-1 shot Son of One, in Wednesday’s second race. Garcia, 24, won a record 321 races in Puerto Rico last year and was Mister Frisky’s regular rider. . . . Do You Mind, bidding for a record-tying sixth victory at Santa Anita, finished third at 4-5 in the third race. . . . Gorgeous paid $5.20 to win at Santa Anita for her upset of Bayakoa in the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park.