From Santa Anita Publicity
ARCADIA, Calif. (April 21, 2018)–Veteran California-bred gelding What a View liked what he saw on the front-end in Saturday’s Grade III, $100,000 American Stakes at Santa Anita and he proceeded to lead six rivals on a merry chase all the way to the finish line, taking the one mile turf fixture by a neck under Stewart Elliott. Trained by Kenny Black, the 7-year-old son of Vronsky got the distance in 1:33.80.
“He broke great and he made an easy lead,” said Elliott. “He was comfortable and he took care of business. I thought the six (Sawyer’s Hill) would show speed…I didn’t see him around, it worked out good.”
Well beaten after setting a fast pace in the Grade I Frank E. Kilroe Mile (turf) on March 10, What a View had been winless in three starts since taking the one mile turf Crystal Water Stakes here on May 20 of last year.
Off at 6-1, he paid $14.20, $7.80 and $4.20.
“From everything he’d been showing me, I thought he’d run his race today,” said Black, who was among the nation’s top apprentice jockeys in the early 1980s. “But, you don’t know until they do it. If you look at all of his good races, when he’s able to go 46 and change, (one) 10 and change, he’s run his best.
“He runs those turns really good, without having to use him…That’s a big key to his success. We’ll look at both the Shoemaker Mile (Grade I on turf May 28) and the Crystal Water (Cal-breds, mile turf on May 20). We might be ducking a few of the Grade I’s this year…We’d be 1-5 in the Crystal Water and 15-1 in the Shoemaker.”
Owned by Finish Line Racing, LLC, the Ellwood Johnston Trust and Taste of Victory Stables, What a View was bred in California by the Johnston family’s Old English Rancho and Patsy and Sal Berumen and he’s out of the Manila mare Oceans N Mountains.
With the winner’s share of $60,000, What a View increased his earnings to $885,361. A Grade I winner, he improved his overall record to 24-8-5-0.
Next to last after the first quarter mile, Colonist had dead aim on the winner with a furlong to run, but came up a neck short while finishing 1 ½ lengths in front of Kenjisstorm. With Drayden Van Dyke up, Colonist was off at 5-1 and paid $5.80 and $3.20.
Ridden by Flavien Prat, Kenjisstorm was the second choice in the wagering at 2-1 and paid $2.80 to show while finishing 1 ¼ lengths in front of 3-2 favorite Blackjackcat, who stalked the winner early but had nothing to offer the final quarter mile.
Fractions on the race were 23.13, 46.42, 1:10.08 and 1:22.00.
First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday is at 11:30 a.m. Admission gates open at 10 a.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com.