Missed the Cut Doesn't Miss in San Luis Rey
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Missed the Cut is a decisive winner of the San Luis Rey Stakes at Santa Anita Park
Missed the Cut is progressing well through the series of long distance graded turf stakes at Santa Anita Park. He added the 1 1/2-mile San Luis Rey Stakes (G3T) March 23 to his earlier victory in the 1 1/4-mile San Marcos Stakes (G3T) Feb. 10 after beginning the meet with a second in the 1 1/8-mile San Gabriel Stakes (G2T) opening day.
Facing four others in the San Luis Rey, Missed the Cut went off as the even-money favorite while piloted by Antonio Fresu for the first time. Balladeer ambled to the early lead, completing the first quarter-mile in :24.45, but as the field passed the stands for the first time, Missed the Cut ranged up to his outside to close the gap.
Balladeer stretched out again, and Fresu was content to let him do so behind a half-mile in :48.66 as the field headed into the first turn. Missed the Cut raced in second down the backstretch, while Planetario and Offlee Naughty ran head and head in third and fourth.
Planetario challenged Balladeer for the lead at the three-eighths pole and got it in the upper stretch. But Missed the Cut was ready when Fresu angled him outside of Balladeer, catching the leaders to score by 1 1/4 lengths over Planetario in 2:26.98. Offlee Naughty, the 2023 San Luis Rey winner, got up for third, with Balladeer fourth and Resultant fifth.
"He's a very cool horse to ride, and the pace wasn't really strong," Fresu said. "When I pulled him out, I thought he won really easy."
John Sadler trains Missed the Cut for the partnership of Bee Zee, Lanes End Racing, St. Elias Stables, Edward Babington, Edward Hudson Jr., and Lynne Hudson. Missed the Cut started six times in Europe and once in Saudi Arabia, with four wins, before Sadler began training him in California. The horse loves classic distance and longer, having also captured the 1 1/2-mile Tokyo City Cup Stakes (G3) on the dirt at Santa Anita last year.
"It's fun to have these long-distance turf horses," Sadler said. "This horse is doing really well. I didn't necessarily plan to run him, but he's so good you want to keep him busy."
Trainer John Sadler and jockey Antonio Fresu enjoy Missed the Cut's victory in the San Luis Rey Stakes at Santa Anita Park
Framont bred Missed the Cut in Kentucky. The 5-year-old horse is by Quality Road , who stands for $200,000 at Lane's End in Central Kentucky, and is out of the stakes-winning Sea The Stars mare Beauly . Missed the Cut was a $400,000 weanling at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in 2019.