Megahertz Pulls Off a Costly Maneuver

Megahertz might have been the best horse Saturday at Santa Anita, but after a lengthy inquiry into interference in the stretch, the stewards disqualified trainer Bobby Frankel’s mare, resulting in a victory for second-place finisher Katdogawn in the $150,000 Santa Ana Handicap.

Favored at 7-10 and ridden by Victor Espinoza, Megahertz crossed over in front of five horses in mid-stretch and finished the 1 1/8-mile grass race on the rail, one length in front of Katdogawn. The horses most compromised by Megahertz’s move were Arabic Song and Sweetshew, who finished last. Megahertz was dropped to last place.

It was a tough day also for Frankel in Saturday’s biggest race. His Medaglia d’Oro ran second to Pleasantly Perfect in the Dubai World Cup. But at Golden Gate Fields, Frankel’s Snorter won the $100,000 Berkeley Handicap.

“I tried to straighten [Megahertz] as much as I could,” Espinoza said. “I thought I was clear, because she was really kicking it in and maybe was a length and a half in front of everyone else, but I guess not.”

Katdogawn, ridden by Mike Smith, is trained by Jim Cassidy. She paid $12.60.

“The move that Megahertz made scared me to death,” Cassidy said.

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Trainer Patrick Biancone is considering skipping Saturday’s Santa Anita Derby with Lion Heart and running instead in the Blue Grass at Keeneland on April 10.... Some of the 3-year-olds who won’t be running in the Santa Anita Derby ran on the undercard. Courageous Act won the San Pedro Stakes and Boomzeeboom held off Minister Eric in an allowance race.... The owners of Sweet Stepper, fourth in a race at Del Mar on Sept. 7, were ordered by the stewards to forfeit the $3,700 purse after the horse tested positive for Promazine, which can be a tranquilizer. California racing regulations list Promazine as a Class II drug. Sweet Stepper’s trainer, Mike Mitchell, was fined $5,000.... The Magna pick five had 15 winning tickets, each worth $29,776.

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Speedy Falcon won the WinStar Oaks at Sunland Park after Yearly Report, the morning-line favorite, was scratched because of muscle cramps.... At Aqueduct, Storm Flag Flying finished third as Randaroo won the Distaff Breeders’ Cup Handicap.... Speightstown won the Artax Handicap at Gulfstream Park.