Isotherm Jumps Up in San Marcos

Matthew Schera's Isotherm hadn't found the winner's circle since September of 2015, but on a red-hot afternoon for jockey Flavien Prat at Santa Anita Park, he was under the right man for the job.

Making the first start of his 4-year-old season Feb. 4 and with Prat aboard for the $200,000 San Marcos Stakes (G2T) after winning two straight allowance races and the San Antonio (G2) aboard Hoppertunity, Isotherm charged home a half-length winner at 7-1 odds. His last victory dated back to the 2015 Pilgrim Stakes (G3T), won following his maiden score for trainer George Weaver, but on Saturday his victory made it a sweept of the late Pick 4 for his rider. 

Off alertly from post 11 in a field of nine, the son of Lonhro (AUS) settled in the second tier behind pacesetter A Red Tie Day and Itsinthepost, as those two raced a head apart through fractions of :24.34, :49.07, and 1:13.71 in the 1 1/4-mile turf event. Fifth as the frontrunners went a mile in 1:37.14, Isotherm quickened handily off the final turn and ran down Itsinthepost, who had taken the lead.

That rival held the runner-up spot behind a final time of 2:00.23 on firm ground. Flamboyant finished third, two lengths back, edging Hi Happy by a nose. A Red Tie Day, 2-1 favorite Texas Ryano, Twentytwentyvision, Power Ped, and Perfectly Majestic completed the order of finish.

"I was hoping he would break well, and he did, so I kind of used that to my advantage," Prat said. "We didn't go that fast so I was sitting just behind the pace and thought he'd have a good shot. It worked out well."

Isotherm, bred in Kentucky by H. Allen Poindexter out of the More Than Ready   mare Game for More, came off a fourth in the Dec. 26 Mathis Brothers Mile Stakes (G2T) to land his first grade 2 score. He improved his record to 3-2-1 from 12 starts for earnings of $399,629 while returning $17.20, $10.40, and $7.20 across the board.

Itsinthepost paid $9.40 and $6.60 at odds of 8-1, while Flamboyant brought $5.20.

"At the end of the day, George Weaver entrusted me here with one horse," said assistant Austin Trites. "It's just us and we've had a great time. The horse has done nothing but improve.

"Most of his trips wind up with us wanting to pull our hair out so this was amazing. Flavien Prat has a nose for the pocket and managed to get a perfect trip today."