Wild Dude Shows Speed in San Carlos Win

Wild Dude may not have fired his best shot against Conquest Two Step last time out, but he did so in the $250,000 San Carlos Stakes (gr. II) March 7 at Santa Anita Park .

Five weeks after finishing 3 1/2 lengths behind Conquest Two Step in the six-furlong Palos Verdes Stakes (gr. II), the 5-year-old horse by Wildcat Heir   took control of the seven-furlong test at the top of the stretch and held on gamely to top second-place finisher Kobe's Back by three-quarters of a length.

Favored at 4-5, Conquest Two Step finished another three-quarters of a length back in third.

Owned by trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and Green Smith, Wild Dude went off as the 9-5 second choice and sat a head off the pace of 19-1 El Nino Terrible through a quarter-mile in :23.26 and a half-mile in :46.11 before exiting the turn with the lead at the request of jockey Rafael Bejarano.

"I didn't think we'd be that close early, but the horse broke really well and I'm glad Rafael went on with him," Hollendorfer said. "He was in between horses (and) I was a little worried about that, but turning for home, it seemed like he still had a lot left and he opened up on them."

Out of the Doneraile Court mare Courtly Choice, the Florida-bred covered three-quarters of a mile in 1:09.79 and finished the seven furlongs in 1:21.91 on a fast track.

"I took a position and I didn't have any pressure from the outside," Bejarano said. "I just picked my spot and went from there. I was close to the pace and he normally doesn't like that, but he proved he can do it today."

Wild Dude paid $5.80, $3.80, and $2.20. Kobe's Back delivered $5.40 and $2.40, while Conquest Two Step returned $2.10 to show.

Bred by Versatile Thoroughbreds, Wild Dude last won a graded stakes in 2014 when he captured the Palos Verdes. He improved his record to 5-3-2 in 12 career starts and pushed his earnings to $494,220 with the victory Saturday.

After Conquest Two Step came Outside Nashville, Majestic City, Blues Blaster, and El Nino Terrible to complete the order of finish. Bob Baffert-trained Chitu and Midnight Hawk were both early-morning scratches.

Wild Dude was purchased as a 2-year-old for $42,000 in 2012 by agent Christina Gelm for Hollendorfer and Smith.