Si Sage Speeds to Whittingham Victory

Red Baron's Barn, Rancho Temescal, and Vayaconsuerte's Si Sage has sure taken a liking to the 1 1/4-mile distance at Santa Anita Park.

After winning the 2015 Last Tycoon (gr. IIIT) at the distance by 3 1/4 lengths at odds of 42-1, the 6-year-old son of Sageburg wowed again at 10 furlongs May 29 in the $200,000 Charles Whittingham Stakes (gr. IIT).

With jockey Mike Smith aboard for the first time, Si Sage set the pace with swift fractions of :23.15, :47.02, and 1:11.23 through six furlongs, and was pressed by 7-5 favorite Bal a Bali in the backstretch. He put that rival away through a mile in 1:35.36 and showed no signs of stopping in the stretch. Bal a Bali moved alongside Si Sage in the final turn, but could not put a head in front.

"We went a bit quicker than I wanted to go, but in doing so, he was well within himself, was comfortable, very relaxed, and sometimes you've just got to let a fast horse be fast," Smith said.

Off at 11-1, Si Sage hit the wire in 1:59.48 on firm turf, 2 1/2 lengths ahead of longshots Patentar and Montego Bay, to complete the $3,812.70 trifecta.

"That :47 half made me think we might be in trouble," winning trainer Jim Cassidy said. "If he didn't impress anybody today, shame on them. He certainly impressed me."

The winner paid $25, $11.80, and $9.40 across the board. Patentar brought $25.40 and $11.80, and Montego Bay delivered $10.60 to show.

Bal a Bali tired to finish fourth, followed by grade I winner Finnegans Wake, Royal Albert Hall, Quick Casablanca, Blingo, A Red Tie Day, and Play Hard to Get to complete the order of finish.

Bred in France by Ecurie D, Si Sage now has a 5-6-2 record from 26 starts and $381,795 in earnings. Since relocating to the U.S. from France in 2013, Si Sage is 0-for-12 in his races that aren't 1 1/4 miles on the Santa Anita turf.

"I don't think there's any problem with him, no matter the distance," Cassidy said. "He's just a very honest horse."

"I couldn't believe the morning line today (of 15-1)," added Red Baron's owner Jed Cohen. "He won a race here last year at the same distance and I thought he beat a better group of horses than he was facing today. ... It's nice to have a nice horse, and for him to be able to show it."

It was Cassidy's first victory in the Whittingham.

"It brings tears to your eyes to win a race named after such a great man, Charlie Whittingham," the trainer said. "It brought a tear to my eye."