Get Her Number stamped his Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) ticket with a front-running victory in Saturday’s $300,000 American Pharoah (G1) at Santa Anita, turning back a bid from runner-up Rombauer to score by nearly of a length. With Flavien Prat in the saddle, the Peter Miller-trained colt switched from turf to dirt to earn his first stakes tally.
Gary Barber owns the 2-year-old son of Dialed In, and Get Her Number will head to the Nov. 6 Juvenile at Keeneland after taking the “Win & You’re In” event. The 1 1/16-mile American Pharoah also served as a Road to the Kentucky Derby series qualifier, awarding 17 points (10-4-2-1) to the top four finishers.
A debut winner on Del Mar’s turf in mid-August, Get Her Number was exiting a close fourth in the Sept. 7 Del Mar Juvenile Turf S. He flashed speed from the gate Saturday as the 8-1 fourth choice, showing the way into the first turn before conceding the advantage to 32-1 outsider Dyn O Mite to his inside, and closely tracked in second through splits of :23.12 and :47.07.
Get Her Number seized the lead before the completion of the far turn and edged away into the stretch, reaching the mile mark with a 1 1/2-length advantage. Turf maiden winner Rombauer, who was off at 11-1 following a sixth in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf, launched a wide move on the far turn and tried to reel in the winner in deep stretch, but had to settle for second.
“I thought it was a great move (switching to dirt),” Prat said. “He was a bit disappointing in the last race — I thought I had good race, easy pace and he didn’t really show a turn of foot. I thought running on the dirt was a good move.
“We had a good trip; he broke well and he put me in the race. He reacted well on the backside and by that point I felt in control.”
Spielberg, who was bet down to 11-10 favoritism after a second in the Del Mar Futurity (G1), wound up another 4 3/4 lengths back in third and is now winless from three starts. Waspirant came next in fourth, and Dyn O Mite, Touchdown Brown, and Notable Exception rounded out the order.
Bred in Kentucky by Philip and Brenda Robertson, Get Her Number was purchased for $45,000 at the OBS 2-year-old sale earlier this year. He hails from the Bernstein mare Fancier.
