Gift Box Returns with Decisive Win in San Antonio
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Gift Box wins the San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita Park
There's clearly something about Santa Anita Park that brings out the best in Hronis Racing's Gift Box.
The transplanted Easterner raced at Santa Anita for the fourth time in 18 career starts and posted a third win Dec. 28, posting back-to-back victories in the $200,702 San Antonio Stakes (G2). The 6-year-old son of Twirling Candy scored a front-running win by 3 3/4 lengths over 24-1 shot King Abner in this year's edition.
The lone loss in Gift Box's four California starts came in May, when he finished second by a little less than a length to eventual Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Vino Rosso in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1).
"We let him run a little more free today and it was a good result," trainer John Sadler said after the encore victory in the San Antonio.
Whether owner Kosta Hronis will give the OK to ship Gift Box east of the Mississippi River again will be determined at a later date. The owner was non-committal about running Gift Box in the $3 million Pegasus World Invitational Sponsored by Runhappy (G1) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park.
"We'll see," Hronis said. "John has done a fantastic job of managing and handling him. We'll let John and him look forward and we'll go to the next race wherever it is."
The last time Gift Box returned to his eastern roots was June 15 when he traveled to Churchill Downs for the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) and finished fourth as the 2-1 choice.
"He was fighting the track," Sadler said about the Foster.
After that, some minor setbacks kept Gift Box on the sideline until Saturday, but he showed no signs of rust from a six-month layoff.
Breaking sharply under Joel Rosario, he darted to the lead, with King Abner in pursuit.
For the rest of the 1 1/16-mile test, there was no change in that order as Gift Box cruised along through fractions of :23:95 and :47.33 and 1:10.93.
With no one mounting much of a charge from the rear of the seven-horse field, King Abner took a run at Gift Box approaching the quarter pole, but the gray horse proved to be the "Gift" that kept on giving as he pulled away to win comfortably. The final time was 1:42.73 over a fast track.
King Abner, a California-bred son of Hansen, was 3 3/4 lengths clear of C R K Stable's Midcourt, the 2-1 second choice whose four-race win streak came to an end as he settled for third in a strung-out field after experiencing a wide trip.
Bred by Machmer Hall, Carrie Brogden, and Craig Brogden in Kentucky, favored Gift Box ($4.40) won for the sixth time in 18 career starts. Out of the Unbridled's Song mare Special Me, he lifted his career earnings to $1,127,060. Special Me is also the dam of grade 2 winners Stonetastic and Special Forces. She foaled a Medaglia d'Oro filly in 2018 and dropped a daughter of Into Mischief March 23. She aborted on her Quality Road cover for 2020.
Gift Box was acquired in 2013 by W.S. Farish for $135,000 from Select Sales' consignment to The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's mixed sale in Lexington, Ky., and raced 13 times on the East Coast for Farish and trainer Chad Brown before he was purchased privately by his current connections.