Sanagas cruises in Hollywood Turf Cup

Sanagas ran powerfully to claim the Hollywood Turf Cup (Benoit Photo) Displaying his customary high cruising speed all the way to the wire after reaching the front more than three furlongs from home, Andreas Jacobs’ German-bred Sanagas dominated the opposition in Saturday’s Grade 1, $250,000 Hollywood Turf Cup. Under regular rider Rajiv Maragh, the lone East Coast shipper in the seven-horse lineup scored convincingly by 3 1/4 lengths as the 8-5 favorite, returning $5.20, $3.20 and $2.60. Third while in close striking range behind the mare Miss Match for more than nine furlongs, the long-winded Sanagas always traveled comfortably from a three-deep position. Miss Match’s splits were a moderate :25 2/5, :50 2/5, 1:15 4/5 and 1:40 3/5, but neither she nor the pressing Norvsky showed much fight once Maragh asked Sanagas to go between the half-mile and three-eighths pole. Opening up on the far turn over the Chilean import Ashtar, Sanagas clipped off 1 1/4 miles in 2:03 3/5 with a two-length advantage, extended it to 4 1/2 lengths a furlong out, and finished out 1 1/2 miles on the firm ground in 2:27 2/5. “It was pretty straightforward. My horse got into a nice flow right away and was just pulling me around the track,” Maragh said. “I was always in a good position without having to ask him. He made my job very easy. (Ashtar) moved on my outside and that kind of triggered him to go. It was a little earlier than I wanted initially, but he really wanted to go and I didn’t want to dishearten him. He always runs big and we’ve always had high hopes for him.”

Rallying for second was multiple Grade 2 winner Bourbon Bay, the 2-1 second
choice. He had a length on 16-1 chance Falcon Rock, with Ashtar a weakening
fourth. Norvsky, Miss Match and Goldwaki completed the order of finish.

A minor-race performer in Germany, where he won four of five over turf and
non-turf surfaces, Sanagas settled in the Fair Hill Training Center barn of trainer
Graham Motion following his importation. A closely-beaten seventh in his U.S.
debut on July 9 in the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap, Sanagas was gelded following
the loss. Adding blinkers for his next start, the John’s Call Stakes at
Saratoga, he rebounded impressively with an authoritative stretch run to claim
the win by 2 1/4 lengths.

A disappointing fourth as the favorite next out in the Grade 2 Bowling Green
Handicap, Sanagas shook off that loss, too, by next winning the Grade 3 Sycamore
Stakes at Keeneland, a race that was transferred off the turf and run on
Polytrack due to inclement weather. With the Turf Cup triumph, Sanagas now owns
a mark of 10-7-1-0, $282,282.

Bred by Jacobs’ Stiftung Gestut Fahrhof, Sanagas is by Lomitas and out of the
Marju mare Scota. His sixth dam is the outstanding matron Schwarzblaurot, whose
descendants include French champion and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Sagace,
English champion and Derby romper Slip Anchor, American champion and Breeders’
Cup Mile star Steinlen, and Japanese champions Manhattan Cafe and Biwa Heidi,
the dam of reigning Japanese Horse of the Year Buena Vista.