O'Neill Wins Santa Anita Title in Last Race

Team O'Neill pulled off a deep closing drive to clinch Santa Anita Park's fall meet training title Oct. 25, bypassing Jerry Hollendorfer in the final race on the final day of the month-long meeting.



Doug O'Neill's title-clinching victory came with favored Cass in Stone ($5.80) in the ninth race Sunday. The 3-year-old Quality Road   gelding dueled for the lead and broke away to win by 4 1/2 lengths in the 6 1/2-furlong maiden claiming event.



Perennial leading rider Rafael Bejarano was aboard for the victory in the last race, and also rode Baruta to a win in the Senator Ken Maddy Stakes (gr. IIIT) Sunday, putting his total at 25 for the meeting. Bejarano finished 10 wins ahead of second-place finisher Mario Gutierrez, who had 15 victories. It was Bejarano's 13th Santa Anita jockey title and 23rd in Southern California.

BALAN: Baruta Goes Out a Ken Maddy Winner



O'Neill was two wins behind Hollendorfer, who had 11, entering the final day, but cut the deficit to one with Kellianne Can Can in the fourth, and tied the contest up with Pay the Fine in the eighth.



"No, no. Hell no," O'Neill's assistant, Leandro Mora, said when asked if he thought they had a chance to pass Hollendorfer on the final day. "I thought we could get one, but when we started riding well, I said, 'OK, let's follow up.'"

Hollendorfer did finish on top in earnings, however, with $806,046. O'Neill was second in that category with $623,230 in earnings.



Reddam Racing and Holly and David Wilson split the owner title with four victories apiece.