Santa Anita Weekend Magic
The Santa Anita Racecourse was opened in the year 1934, and the very next year the Santa Anita Handicap was inaugurated. It has remained a very popular horse racing event for horses that are four years old and older, and is held annually by the Santa Anita Racecourse in the month of March. Run over a distance of ten furlongs, the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap offers a purse amount of$750 000, of which Misremembered took home his fair share for his breathtaking victory.
On Saturday, 8 March 2010, Misremembered joined the elite class of horses, such as Lava Man, Milwaukee Brew, John Henry and Seabiscuit, by winning the 2010 Santa Anita Handicap. Misremembered was bred, and is trained, by Bob Baffert, a Hall of Fame trainer. Martin Garcia was chosen to pilot Misremembered on Saturday, which turned out to be a winning partnership. In his previous career starts, Misremembered had Victor Espinoza as his jockey. He is co-owned by a number of racing enthusiasts, amongst which are Jill Baffert, Lynn Jacobs and George Jacobs. For Jacobs, a rooky racehorse owner, the victory has come as a pleasant and much needed surprise.
Fourteen worthy competitors stepped into the starting gates at Santa Anita, of which Misremembered proved to be the most determined on the day. Neko Bay also delivered a breathtaking performance, but was not able to catch Misremembered who won by half a length. Neko Bay had to settle for second place, followed home by Dakota Phone in third and Jeranimo in fourth. Garcia was elated over the victory, commenting to the media after the race: “This is the first time I rode in the Big ‘Cap and I had the opportunity to make it to the winner’s circle. Bob told me to give him a clear break and just not fight him. When my horse got to the lead, I knew I still had a lot of horse.” It seems that a small change in tactics is all that Misremembered needed, to prove to the horse racing community that he is a formidable competitor, and a horse to look out for.
