Westwood wins San Pasqual Stakes to earn Big ’Cap try
ARCADIA — Last year, the late-developing gelding named Westwood played a supporting role in California’s racing drama, helping his stablemate Baeza to become one of the year’s top 3-year-olds.
Saturday, Westwood finally had his own day in the sun, and may have set himself up for more.
Westwood and jockey Kazushi Kimura took advantage of a potential front-runner’s scratch to grab the early lead and hold it for 1-1/8 miles in winning the San Pasqual Stakes by 2-3/4 lengths over Getaway Car while favorite Midnight Mammoth ran last.
The 4-year-old’s win in the Grade II, $200,000 race was his second in 10 career starts and his first in four tries at the stakes level for owners Lee and Susan Searing of Claremont. He returned $8.40 to $2 win bettors.
“I think this was his afternoon,” trainer John Shirreffs said.
Next for Westwood, a son of 2020 Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Authentic, could be the March 7 Santa Anita Handicap, where he’d try to record the first San Pasqual-Big ’Cap double since Shirreffs’ Express Train did it in 2022.
In sunny, 82-degree weather, Westwood caught a break in being able to set a comfortable pace after the morning scratch of morning-line favorite and a fellow early-speedster, Pony Express.
He earned good luck. Little-known to most fans, but appreciated by the Searings and Shirreffs, Westwood was a sometimes workout partner who helped Baeza get ready to run second in Journalism’s Santa Anita Derby and third in Sovereignty’s Kentucky Derby and Belmont before breaking through in the Pennsylvania Derby. Westwood ran third in the Santa Anita Derby, and his mere presence was crucial to Baeza – he was entered to keep the field at five horses, making the race worth enough points to qualify Baeza for Churchill Downs.
“(Westwood) had a physical problem (at age 2). He’s overcome that, he’s sound, he’s hard-trying,” Lee Searing said. “He deserved it (the San Pasqual win).”
That was one of two well-earned stakes victories at Santa Anita Saturday.
Princesa Moche, a 6-year-old mare from Peru who has been on the rise for trainer Doug O’Neill, won at the stakes level in the United States for the first time by holding off Vibez and Will Then in a three-way photo finish in the $100,000 Megahertz.
“She is a lovely-hearted filly,” said jockey Mirco Demuro, who got his first stakes win of 2026.
ON THE DERBY TRAIL
At Gulfstream Park in Florida, Nearly ($5.40) put away narrow favorite Cannoneer in an early speed duel and pulled away from Bravaro to win the Holy Bull Stakes for 3-year-olds.
The Centennial Farms-owned son of Not This Time becomes a new contender for the May 2 Kentucky Derby for jockey John Velazquez and trainer Todd Pletcher, who saw 2-year-old champion Ted Noffey sidelined Thursday by bone bruising.
Cold weather forced postponements – from Saturday to next Friday – of two Derby steppingstones, the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas and the Withers at Aqueduct in New York.
A small field is expected for the Saturday, Feb. 7, Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita. Jeff Mullins-trained Intrepido is the most accomplished horse, looking certain to run. Bob Baffert nominated Litmus Test, Buetane, Desert Gate, Kristofferson and Plutarch, but the first two are entered in the Southwest.
FINISH LINES
• Potente ($3.20), a 3-year-old son of Into Mischief bought for $2.4 million as a yearling by Speedway Stables, sprinted to victory in his racing debut for Kimura and Baffert. After the Robert B. Lewis, Santa Anita’s next stakes for 3-year-olds is the March 7 San Felipe.
• Cornucopian ($3), the colt scratched from the opening-day Malibu Stakes after a mishap in the saddling paddock, overcame traffic to win an allowance-level sprint with Juan Hernandez Saturday in his 4-year-old season debut for Baffert.
• The Santa Anita jockey standings have new leaders after a triple by Kimura (now with 18 wins) and a double by Hernandez (16) pushed them past injured Umberto Rispoli (15). O’Neill kept a big lead in the trainer standings with 15 wins to Baffert’s 11.