In a blanket finish, it was Barber and Barber’s GERONIMO (Chi) (Gold Tribute)
who proved victorious in the $100,000
Morvich H. (G3)
over Santa Anita’s
downhill turf course on Saturday. The John Sadler trainee followed near the back
as Mighty Beau (Rainbow
Prospect) set speedy fractions of :21 1/5, :42 2/5 and 1:05 4/5 before
surging between horses late to get in front by a head for the win, stopping the clock in
1:12 for the about six-furlong affair under jockey Kent Desormeaux.
Sent off as the 2-1 favorite, Geronimo gave back $6.40, $3.20 and $2.40. King
Robyn (Robyn Dancer), who had been in contention for the entire contest,
got second by a nose over Jungle Prince (Sir Cat) and paid $3.80 and $3
at 5-2, ending the $11.30 exacta ($1). Show returned $4.60 at 17-1 with a $74.20
trifecta ($1). Courageous King (Elusive Quality) ended the 4-6-5-2 superfecta
($1) which paid $301.10. Next in order was Mighty Beau, Royal Place (Out of
Place), Tsigane (Fr) (Anabaa) and Shadow of Illinois (Illinois Storm).
Bred in Chile by Haras Don Alberto, the six-year-old Geronimo is out of the
unraced mare Mrs. Lily (Mocito Guapo). The victory moves geldings’s record to
36-11-10-5 with $443,450 in earnings.