San Pasqual - Brisnet

Last updated: 1/8/05 9:00 PM

Congrats swam his way to victory in the San Pasqual
(Benoit Photo)

Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider’s homebred CONGRATS (A.P. Indy) stepped
on a sloppy Santa Anita track Saturday for the $150,000
San Pasqual H. (G2) and
ran away with the 1 1/16-mile test by 5 1/2 lengths. The Richard
Mandella trainee battled right out of the gate with Excessivepleasure (In Excess
[Ire]) for the lead in a relatively rapid pace of :22 2/5 and :45 1/5.

Congrats passed his rival on the outside after the two hit the next marker in 1:09
3/5. Excessivepleasure tired shortly thereafter as Total Impact (Chi) (Stuka)
took his spot for the runner-up position. Congrats had too much momentum, however, and
won in convincing fashion,
finishing out the race in 1:41 4/5 under Tyler Baze.

Leaving the gate at 3-1, Congrats returned $8.20, $3 and $2.20. Unable to
make up any ground on the winner, Total Impact retained second place, giving $2.80
and $2.10 while ending the $9.20 exacta ($1) as the even-money favorite. Sigfreto (Spunky Rascal) left the
final turn wide but managed to bring up the show, paying $2.40 at 12-1 and
rounding out a $37.80 trifecta ($1). Excessivepleasure finished in fourth with Formal
Attire (Formal Gold) trailing. Habaneros (Tabasco Cat) and Lundy’s Liability (Brz) (Candy Stripes) were scratched from the race.

This is Congrats’ first trip to the winner’s circle since having his photo
taken for the Alysheba S. at Churchill Downs in April, also on a sloppy track.
The win here is his first graded score, though he’s placed in two Grade 2s, and increases his line to 16-7-0-3
with a bankroll of $463,390.

Bred in Kentucky, the five-year-old Congrats is out of the winning Praise (Mr. Prospector)
and is a
half-brother to Fete, an unraced two-year-old colt by Horse Chestnut (SAf).