SANTA ANITA : Stevens Wins His Third Stake of Weekend in a Dead Heat

Jockey Kent Desormeaux stole half of a race Sunday at Santa Anita, getting Noble And Nice off to a big early lead and then settling for a dead heat when Annual Reunion caught his mare at the wire in the $164,300 Santa Ana Handicap.

Finishing third, one length behind, was favored Bequest, and it was two lengths farther back to Somethingmerry in fourth place.

Annual Reunion was ridden by Gary Stevens, who won his third stake of the weekend, including Saturday’s $1-million Santa Anita Handicap with Farma Way.

Noble And Nice and Annual Reunion ran 1 1/8 miles on grass in 1:46 3/5, which tied the stake record set by Belle Marie in 1974. Noble And Nice went off at 35-1, but only paid $31 to win because of the dead heat. The win price was $6.80 on Annual Reunion, who was 5-1.

Noble And Nice has given trainer Julio Canani his only two victories of the season. He is winless with 30 other starters.

Horse Racing Notes

Farma Way will see more weight and more competition when the Santa Anita Handicap winner heads to Oaklawn Park for the $500,000, 1 1/8-mile Oaklawn Handicap April 13. Farma Way, who carried high weight of 120 pounds Saturday, might face Jolie’s Halo, the eight-length winner of the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park, and Unbridled, last year’s champion 3-year-old colt. . . . Laffit Pincay Jr., dumped on the far turn by My Boy Adam during the Big ‘Cap, will be sidelined for five to 10 days, according to his agent, Bob Meldahl.