Jimmy Creed's Kanthaka Rallies to Upset San Vicente

 

Kanthaka became just the second graded stakes winner for his young sire Jimmy Creed with a late running score in the GII San Vicente S. Saturday. Fifth in his Del Mar unveiling Nov. 11, the $140,000 BARMAR buy charged by late to graduate by a neck next out over this track and trip Dec. 26 and was given a 10-1 chance in this six-horse affair. Away alertly, the chestnut settled back in a three-wide fifth as heavily favored Ax Man (Misremembered) and longshot Mr. Jagermeister (Atta Boy Roy) duked it out through a sharp first quarter in :22 flat and a half in :44.25 with $950,000 FTSAUG purchase Nero (Pioneerof the Nile) close behind in third. Swiftly advancing up the backstretch run, Kanthaka exploded in the lane, flying clear to win by 3 1/4 lengths. Nero was the only one attempting to chase after the leader and finished second, 12 lengths clear of third-place finisher All Out Blitz. Favored Ax Man faded to fourth.

“We thought we had a good chance because we thought a lot of speed would be in there, which there was,” said winning trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who also saddled Saturday's GII Santa Maria S. winner Unique Bella (Tapit). “They went :22 and :44, so we thought we might have a chance to close them down, especially the way he broke his maiden. He got in trouble, and then still won, so that was pretty impressive.”

The San Vicente was the 100th stakes win for ownership group West Point Thoroughbreds.

“This feels great,” West Point's Jeff Lifson said. “It never gets old. We were hoping that he can rate and not get too far behind the speed and Flavien [Prat] just rode him perfectly. He responded well in the stretch and we knew he tries really hard and he lived up to what we thought he would do. So, we're really happy. We're hoping that he can stretch out. We'll find that out but I have a feeling we'll try two turns and will see how it goes.”

Pedigree Notes:

Kanthaka is the second graded stakes winner to come from the first crop of Spendthrift's GI Malibu S. winner Jimmy Creed, following GII Sorrento S. heroine Spectator. The winner is the first foal out of the unraced mare Sliced Bread, who is a half-sister to Japanese MSW Red Chili Pepper (Unbridled). She produced another colt by Jimmy Creed in 2016 and a Hampton Court (Aus) filly in 2017. The 7-year-old mare was bred back to Hit It a Bomb.

SAN VICENTE S.-GII, $200,345, SA, 2-10, 3yo, 7f, 1:22.62, ft.
1–KANTHAKA, 120, c, 3, by Jimmy Creed
1st Dam: Sliced Bread, by Noonmark
2nd Dam: Raise a Carter, by Dr. Carter
3rd Dam: Raise an Heiress, by Raise a Native
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($38,000
RNA Ylg '16 FTKJUL; $140,000 2yo '17 BARMAR). O-West Point
Thoroughbreds; B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-Jerry
Hollendorfer; J-Flavien Prat. $120,000. Lifetime Record:
3-2-0-0, $153,440. Click eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A.[bullet ad=”kings-equine-single-bullet”][bullet ad=”vinery-sales-grad”]2–Nero, 120, c, 3, Pioneerof the Nile–Ocean Goddess, by
Stormy Atlantic. ($950,000 Ylg '16 FTSAUG). O-M. Tabor, M.
Magnier, D. Smith & Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Thor-Bred
Stables, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $40,000.[bullet ad=”stonestreet-trainingalum”][bullet ad=”thorbred-bredraisedby”][bullet ad=”gainesway-consigned-by”]3–All Out Blitz, 120, c, 3, Concord Point–Smart and Single, by
Smart Strike. O/B-Kaleem Shah, Inc. (KY); T-Simon Callaghan.
$24,000.[bullet ad=”hillndale-foaled-raised”]Margins: 3 1/4, 12, 3/4. Odds: 11.10, 9.10, 9.00.
Also Ran: Ax Man, Kris' Rocket Kat, Mr. Jagermeister. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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