Snow Ridge Completes a Triple With Grade I Victory

Successful in Grade III and Grade II stakes in his first two starts in California, Snow Ridge completed the natural progression on Sunday at Santa Anita.

The son of Tabasco Cat earned his first Grade I win with a 11/2-length victory over 19-1 shot Alyzig and four others in the $150,000 San Carlos Handicap.

An 18-1 shot when he won the El Conejo on New Year’s Day and 8-1 when he surprised Squirtle Squirt in the Palos Verdes on Jan. 27, Snow Ridge was the 3-5 favorite in the San Carlos when he won for the ninth time in 18 starts under jockey Mike Smith.

Owned by Bill Young’s Overbrook Farm and trained by Wayne Lukas, Snow Ridge became the first horse since Debonaire Junior 17 years ago to win the Palos Verdes, El Conejo and San Carlos in the same meet.

Lukas indicated after the colt’s wire-to-wire win that he could return in the $200,000 Potrero Grande Breeders’ Cup Handicap on March 30 before heading east. If he doesn’t run here, Lukas mentioned the Commonwealth Breeders’ Cup Handicap on April 14 at Keeneland and/or the Churchill Downs Handicap on the Kentucky Derby undercard on May 4.

“Winning his first Grade I was important,” said Lukas, who had won the San Carlos with Farma Way in 1991. “I think he is a quality horse, but all these quality horses need to get it on their resume at some point. Once you get it behind you, it is there forever.

“I told Mr. Young and the Overbrook family today, ‘We need to get this. It’s sitting out there in front of us and we need to jump on it and get it.

“What I liked about him was the way he relaxed through the first half-mile. He wasn’t rank for Mike or anything and Mike was cruising up there [23 and 45 2/5 fractions for the first half-mile]. It may give us a dimension to try something like the [Metropolitan Handicap at one mile in May at Belmont Park] or something where he is going to go a little bit further.”

Alyzig, the longest shot in the field and making his first start on dirt, finished a length in front of Grey Memo, then came Stormy Jack, Ceeband, the 2-1 second choice who raced coupled with last-place finisher Hasty Kris.

Services are pending for Eddie Garcia, 49, who died Saturday night of an apparent heart attack. Garcia was the agent for jockey Fernando Valenzuela. Earlier Saturday, Valenzuela broke his left arm after being unseated by Ceelinctive in the 11th race at Santa Anita. He is expected to be sidelined several months. ... Parade Leader, a 10-1 shot, rallied from far off the pace and drew away late to win the $500,000 New Orleans Handicap at the Fair Grounds. Owned by Will Farish and E.J. Hudson and trained by Neil Howard, Parade Leader, a 5-year-old, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50 2/5 under jockey Corey Lanerie.