From Santa Anita Publicity
ARCADIA, Calif. (Dec. 26, 2023) — Watsonville, a Kentucky-bred son of California stallion Jack Milton, would not be denied in Tuesday’s Grade II, $200,000 Mathis Mile, as he bested heavily favored Almendares by a nose, providing trainer Mark Glatt with an opening day Hat Trick and jockey Antonio Fresu with a riding double as Watsonville got the one mile turf affair in 1:34.55.
Naturally quick from his outside post, Watsonville sat just off of longshot Calm Sea into the first turn and stalked him up the backside, eventually gaining the advantage midway around the far turn, however Calm Sea battled back gamely turning for home, at which point Almendares put a head in front a sixteenth of a mile out.
From there, Watsonville seemed to relish the fight, battling back gamely with the favorite to his outside and prevailing narrowly on the money in his first stakes triumph.
Fourth in the Grade I Hollywood Derby Dec. 2, Watsonville, who in his only other start at one mile on turf broke his maiden four starts back on July 29, was off at 9-2 and paid $11.00, $3.80 and $2.60.
Owned by Pine Racing Stables and Saints or Sinners, Watsonville, a 3-year-old colt by the War Front stallion Jack Milton, picked up $120,000 for the win and now has three wins from seven starts.
Ridden by Flavien Prat, English-bred Almendares, off at 3-5, lost a heartbreaker and returned $2.80 and $2.10 while finishing three quarters of a length in front of Irish-bred Dandy Man Shines.
Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Dandy Man Shines was off at 5-2 and paid $2.20 to show.
Fractions on the Mathis Mile were 23.77, 48.20, 1:11.76 and 1:23.16.