From Santa Anita Publicity
ARCADIA, Calif. (Apr. 5, 2025) – Racing outside and with clear sailing under Santa Anita leading rider Juan Hernandez, Style Cat surged to the front at the top of the stretch and continued on gamely to the wire to score by 2 ¼ lengths in the $125,000 Echo Eddie Stakes for Golden State Series-eligible 3-year-olds going 6 ½ furlongs at Santa Anita.
Sent off as the 7-2 third choice, Style Cat was returning to dirt and was also reunited with Hernandez following a try against open 3-year-olds in the Baffle Stakes on the hillside turf course, Feb. 16. He sat just off the pace down the backstretch as multiple horses battled for the lead. Style Cat ranged up to the leaders while widest of all on the turn, and when he reached the quarter pole, the race was down to just himself and Drop Um (9-2) with Kyle Frey aboard.
In a two-horse sprint to the wire, Style Cat would finish best to earn his first stakes win for trainer Peter Miller and owners-breeders Kirk and Judy Robison. The winning time for 6 ½ furlongs was 1:16.88 following fractions of 21.85, 44.48 and 1:10.44.
“This horse always tries and runs good for me. I like this horse a lot,” Hernandez said. “I could really tell he was ready in the post parade. I let the speed go and he really picked it up turning for home. He switched leads and he took off again.”
A 3-year-old gelding by Curlin to Mischief, Style Cat improved to 11: 3-2-2 with $229,990 in earnings. In the Baffle, Style Cat set the pace before weakening in the stretch to finish sixth in a seven-horse field. Previously, Style Cat tried the 1 1/16-mile California Cup Derby on dirt where he again set the pace before being overhauled late to finish third by just one length.
“Kirk Robison’s father was one of my first supporters 20 years ago and they are just great,” Miller said. “Kirk bred the horse and he owns the whole family. He is a big supporter of California racing and racing in general around the country.”
Style Cat paid $9.80, $4.60 and $3.00. Drop Um, trained by Felix Rondan, returned $5.40 and $3.80. R Heisman, also trained by Miller and ridden by Antonio Fresu, paid $3.20.
Favored I’m a Bad Boy, who broke through the starting gate and had to be reloaded, led early but faded to fourth.