Lukas’ Victory Comes Out of Blue

Trainer Wayne Lukas’ 100th stakes victory at Santa Anita on the first day of 2002 was one of the more surprising of his hall-of-fame career.

Snow Ridge, an 18-1 shot making his first start in California, tracked 4-5 favorite Freespool for the first three furlongs, then took charge into the stretch under jockey Mike Smith to win the $109,500 El Conejo Handicap by 31/2 lengths Tuesday in 1:03 for the 51/2 furlongs.

A winner of seven of 16 lifetime, Snow Ridge, a 4-year-old Tabasco Cat colt owned by Bill Young’s Overbrook Farm, earned the second graded stakes win of his career. He had won the Kentucky Cup Sprint at Turfway Park on Sept. 22 and has now won at five different tracks. Besides Turfway and Santa Anita, Snow Ridge has been successful at Saratoga, Monmouth Park and Churchill Downs.

Second to the late Charlie Whittingham, who had 204 Santa Anita stakes wins, Lukas has gotten off to a good start at the current meet. He has two stakes victories through the first six days after managing only three during the 2000-2001 meet. Lukas won the Sir Beaufort with Orientate on opening day a week ago.

Explicit, the 5-1 third choice in a race reduced to eight starters when Ceeband and Stormy Jack were scratched earlier in the day, finished second, a nose in front of 4-1 second choice Rio Oro.

Jockey Kent Desormeaux, who rode the runner-up, lodged a claim of foul against Snow Ridge for alleged interference at the start, but it was quickly dismissed by the stewards.

Freespool, trying to win the El Conejo for a third time, faded to seventh.

Xtra Heat made it 18 victories in 23 starts with an easy win over five opponents in the $81,925 Interborough Handicap at Aqueduct.

The 125-pound highweight and 3-10 favorite, the 4-year-old Dixieland Heat filly quickly opened up two lengths on her rivals and rolled to a 5 1/2-length win over 5-1 second choice City Fair. In remaining perfect in three starts on the Aqueduct inner track, Xtra Heat completed the six furlongs in 1:11.