SAN CARLOS STAKES

Jockey Victor Espinoza returned to the winner's circle March 30 for the first time since he resumed race riding in February following a fractured vertebra from a morning spill last summer at Del Mar. The Hall of Famer pulled a frontrunning upset aboard St. Joe Bay, the first horse he swung a leg over during training hours after recovery, in the $200,000 San Carlos Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park. 

Despite a small stumble out of the gate, Hronis Racing's St. Joe Bay jumped to the lead and ticked off fractions of :22.45, :45.22, and 1:10.41. No one went with the 7-year-old Saint Anddan gelding, and he wrapped up seven furlongs in 1:24.06. 

Oscar Performance
"It feels great to be back in the winner's circle. It's very encouraging to go forward in my career after what happened," Espinoza said. "This has put me on a different level mentally, as well, after what happened. I thought I would never be back to ride. It was not easy not riding (during the past three-week period when Santa Anita suspended racing)."

Dr. Dorr, who last visited the winner's circle 11 months ago in the Californian Stakes (G2), rallied to finish second, three lengths behind St. Joe Bay. Kanthaka, second to two-time Eclipse male sprint champion Roy H in the Jan. 19 Palos Verdes Stakes (G2), finished third. Solid Wager, Ax Man, Zatter, and Touching Rainbows completed the order of finish.

John Sadler, who trains St. Joe Bay, has assigned Espinoza some of Hronis Racing's biggest stable stars, including champions Accelerate  and Stellar Wind. Joel Rosario became the regular rider of Accelerate after Espinoza fractured his C3 vertebra July 22 at Del Mar. Espinoza was aboard Bobby Abu Dhabi during a morning workout when the colt fatally broke down near the wire.

"We're really happy for Victor, who's on his comeback," Sadler said. "He's worked hard, and it's been tough with the calendar. He was ready to go a month ago and he had to stop, so it's good for him to get back to the winner's circle."

Espinoza, who also piloted American Pharoah  to Triple Crown glory in 2015 and rode two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome , did not sit on a horse again until Jan. 5. That morning he rode St. Joe Bay in a 1:00 1/5 five-furlong drill at Santa Anita. 

"He's a different horse since then. He's changed since that work," Espinoza said. "The next time I worked him, he was so positive. He built up with more weight, and he was so happy. The combination changed him for the good. I never thought he would win that easy. This is fun and exciting."

Click Here!
St. Joe Bay was bred in Florida by Bonnie Heath Farm. He is only one of two starters from five foals out of the Honor Glide mare Dream Ride. Her Street Sense  colt sold for $110,000 as a weanling at the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, and she is currently in foal to Bernardini .

After not meeting his RNA twice as a yearling, St. Joe Bay sold for $60,000 at the 2014 Ocala Breeders' Sales June 2-Year-Olds & Horses of Racing Age Sale from the Bobby Dodd consignment. Trainer Peter Miller signed as agent. 

St. Joe Bay picked up graded scores in the 2016 Midnight Lute Stakes (G3) and 2017 Palos Verdes Stakes (G2) when campaigned by Al Tamira Racing Stable and David A. Bernsen. Hronis Racing transferred him to Sadler's barn in May when he ran for a $62,500 tag in an optional-claiming allowance event. He now has a 7-7-6 record from 36 starts and $734,515 in earnings.

He finished second by a head after setting the pace in the 2018 San Carlos, his first start for his new connections. This year, he could not be caught.

"I tried to jump in and open up as much as I could, and he took it from there," Espinoza said. "He wanted to come out of there, but, really, his body was not too capable, so he bobbled a bit. But by the second stride, he picked up nicely, and then I just let him cruise to the lead."