Omega Code Victorious in San Miguel Stakes

Making his Santa Anita debut on Sunday, Omega Code showed he could win at a place other than a county fair.

Owner of a maiden win at Fairplex Park and a stakes victory at Fresno, the 3-year-old son of Elusive Quality beat pacesetter Only The Best by a length to win the $107,800 San Miguel Stakes.

Owned by Dan Butler, Mike Moore and trainer Wesley Ward, the 9-5 second choice was ridden by Martin Pedroza and completed the six furlongs in 1:08 3/5. In his two previous starts on big league tracks, the Florida-bred had finished second against maidens at Del Mar and third in a stakes at Arlington Park.

“It didn’t matter that [Only The Best] broke on top,” said Pedroza, who had scored his only previous win in the San Miguel with longshot Mr. Cooperative in 1994.

“I was never worried. He can win from anywhere, the lead, the back or the middle of the pack. I’ve never been on one like him. And believe me, I needed this win.”

The victory was only the second of this meet in 43 mounts for the veteran rider.

There’s a possibility Omega Code could come back in the Sunshine Millions Dash on Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park.

“If he bounces back out of this, we might go,” Ward said. “I’ll have to talk it over with my partners and my assistant and kind of go from there.

A winner of the Sunny Slopes Stakes over this track last fall, Only The Best finished five lengths clear of Jimmy O, then came Echeverria and Bossanova. Red Apache was scratched earlier in the day.

“My horse ran a great race,” said Patrick Valenzuela, who was aboard the runner-up. “They were going very fast and he just could not outfinish Martin’s horse.”

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Due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday a week from today, there will be a six-day week at Santa Anita beginning Wednesday. The long week will begin with a pick six carryover of $156,552.

One of the stakes over the long weekend is the $150,000 Santa Catalina, the first real prep for the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 5.

A small field is expected for the 1 1/16-mile race, including the unbeaten Scrimshaw. The son of Gulch has won both of his sprint starts at Santa Anita.

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Harmony Lodge, a 6-1 shot, made his Gulfstream Park debut with a win in the $100,000 First Lady Handicap on Sunday.

Owned by Eugene and Laura Melnyk and trained by Todd Pletcher, the 5-year-old Hennessy mare beat Fly Me Crazy by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:10 1/5. Ridden by John Velasquez, Harmony Lodge earned her fifth win in 11 starts. Forest Heiress, the 9-10 favorite, finished fifth.