Wise Mandate scores the upset at 36-1
A 36-1 upset by Wise Mandate in the $94,675 Jack Goodman Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita earned the 2-year-old a third start before the Oak Tree meet concludes in two weeks.
Mel Stute, who trains the Perfect Mandate colt for owner Sataporn Tongchantra’s Archa Racing Inc., indicated the $12,000 yearling purchase will return for the $125,000 California Cup Juvenile on Nov. 3.
Seventh in the Cavonnier on Oct. 8, Wise Mandate responded to the addition of blinkers and a jockey change to Corey Nakatani to win for the second time in seven starts in the ungraded race.
Sitting behind a wicked speed duel between Gone Grand and Whatever Whenever, Wise Mandate, whose only previous victory had come versus maidens in July at Hollywood Park, drew clear into the stretch and won by three-quarters of a length over 19-10 favorite Guns On The Table. The final time for the six furlongs on the speedy Cushion surface was 1:08.42.
“We thought blinkers would make him try a little more,” Stute said. “The jockey [Tyler Baze] last time said he was kind of goofing around. He’s always shown speed and Corey got him to relax.”
The choice in the Goodman even though a maiden, Guns On The Table finished one length ahead of 11-1 shot Remember Boffi. It was the third time in a row Guns On The Table, who is trained by Bob Baffert, has lost as the favorite.
There will be a pick six carry-over of $142,777 when racing resumes Wednesday at Santa Anita.
The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile lost a contender when Majestic Warrior was declared out of the race because of a minor injury to his left foot.
Owned by George Steinbrenner’s Kinsman Stable, John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor, the 2-year-old son of A.P. Indy, who was a disappointing sixth in the Champagne this month at Belmont Park, has won two of three for trainer Bill Mott, including the Grade I Hopeful on Sept. 3 at Saratoga.
Cloudy’s Knight, an 18-1 shot, won his second consecutive race over the grass at Woodbine, capturing the $2,073,698 Canadian International by a nose over Ask on Sunday in Toronto.
In another Grade I earlier on the card, Mrs. Lindsay, the 7-5 favorite, won the $1,052,484 E.P. Taylor, defeating Sealy Hill and eight others.
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