12/26-27 (SA): Malibu, La Brea, Oaks (G1's); Frankel (G3), Logan

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

I was trying but failed to understand why the announcers were pointing out that Idol would be the first 3yo to win the San Antonio and pointing out that the race has been run since 1935. I don't know the history of the race before 1986 but as far as I knew, it was always a race for 4yo and up. It wasn't until the last few years that they moved it to the end of December and made it for 3yo and up.

Anyway, Kiss Today Goodbye took it in an upset. I thought Idol might be done around the turn but he fought on well and came back to run second.

The announcers don't actually follow the sport as far as I can tell and even if they did, Santa Anita is so schizophrenic with their stakes schedule that it would be hard to keep track anyways. This was only the 4th edition of the San Antonio run on this spot on the calendar.

The traditional Big Cap series was the San Pasqual (8.5f, mid-Jan); San Antonio (9f, early Feb); Big Cap (10f, early Mar). The geniuses at the Stronach Group decided they needed a cross-country prep for their bloated Pegasus Faux Cup and inexplicably plucked out the San Antonio and pushed it back to December and shortened it.

Why they didn't simply move the San Pasqual which was already 8.5f and only a couple of weeks past opening day is one for the record books IMO.

At any rate, good to know that most of the horses I mentioned in my earlier post were indeed in top form and should have run in the Malibu.