Tarabilla Farm's Melatonin (Kodiak Kowboy) stepped up to Grade I company in style, cruising to a front-running 4 1/4-length victory in Saturday's GI Santa Anita H. The 5-year-old gelding, second over the downhill turf course in the GIII Eddie D. S. last October, made his first start over a mile a winning one, with a 3 3/4-length victory over the Santa Anita main track in a Feb. 5 optional claimer. Looking to make it three-for-three over the Arcadia dirt, Melatonin was dismissed at 16-1. Joe Talamo hustled the bay gelding out to the early lead and battled General A Rod (Roman Ruler) through an opening quarter in :22.82. Donworth (Tiznow) raced eagerly in third along the rail behind the eventual winner and favored Effinex (Mineshaft) was just to his outside. Melatonin assumed command after a half in :46.28 and Donworth repeatedly rushed up on heels with nowhere to run as General A Rod and Effinex tried to derail the pacesetter. Melatonin was still running easily nearing the stretch, skipped clear at the top of the lane and never looked back in a dominant victory.
“This is huge,” Talamo said of his first Big 'Cap victory. “I had goose bumps when I crossed the wire. Ever since coming to California, aside from winning the GI Santa Anita Derby, this was a huge, huge goal of mine. This is one of the biggest races in California and to do it at Santa Anita in front of a crowd like this, is just icing on the cake.”
Winning trainer Dave Hofmans gave credit to Talamo for the decision to make the big class jump with Melatonin.
“Joe was instrumental in running in this race,” Hofmans said. “Joe and his agent, Scotty [McClellan] were insistent that we go. After his last race he said we have to run here. Joe was convinced after his last race. He said he loves this racetrack, he's so strong and he had so much horse left, I think he wants to run even farther, and I was convinced he was a miler. I breezed him seven-eighths the other day with Joe and was convinced to go here. Without California Chrome, it opened it up. We expected to be on the lead.”
Of his trip, Talamo said, “He broke real sharp and I just put him up there and fortunately he was going so easily. When I got to the first turn, they backed off him a bit so I was able to give him a breather and he opened up turning for home. I was pretty excited.”
Melatonin broke his maiden in an off-the-turfer at Santa Anita in February, 2014 in his final start for trainer Jeff Bonde and owners John Cavalli and Mersad Metanovic. He returned 18 months later to win a Del Mar optional claimer for David Hofmans and Susan Osborne's Tarabilla Farms and was fifth in the Sept. 7 Pirate's Bounty S. at Del Mar before his runner-up effort in the Eddie D. He concluded his 2015 campaign with a third-place effort in Nov. 7 Del Mar optional claimer. He scored by 3 3/4-lengths while making his 2016 debut going 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita Feb. 5.
Melatonin's dam, the stakes-placed Yanquee Reign, in foal to Yes It's True, sold for $22,000 at this year's Keeneland January sale. Her yearling filly by Runaway and Hide brought $18,000 at that same sale.
Saturday, Santa Anita
SANTA ANITA H.-GI, $1,001,035, SA, 3-12, 4yo/up, 1 1/4m, 2:02.01, ft.
1–#@&MELATONIN, 115, g, 5, by Kodiak Kowboy
1st Dam: Yanquee Reign (SP), by Yankee Victor
2nd Dam: Quarteira, by Vice Regent
3rd Dam: Double Set, by Resurgent
($20,000 Ylg '12 KEESEP; $15,000 RNA 2yo '13 BARJAN).
O-Tarabilla Farms Inc.; B-S. D. Brilie L.P. (KY); T-David Hofmans;
J-Joseph Talamo. $600,000. Lifetime Record: 11-4-2-3,
$768,552. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A+.[bullet ad=”mersadmetanovic-selected”][bullet ad=”59831″][bullet ad=”feld-famfind”][bullet ad=”59829″][bullet ad=”denali-stud-sold-by”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″]2–Hard Aces, 118, h, 6, Hard Spun–All in With Aces, by Quiet
American. O-Hronis Racing LLC; B-Dreamchaser Thorobreds
(KY); T-John W. Sadler. $200,000.[bullet ad=”metanovic-private-purchase”][bullet ad=”kempton-private-purchase”]3–Effinex, 123, h, 5, Mineshaft">Mineshaft–What a Pear, by E Dubai.
O-Tri-Bone Stables; B-Russell S. Cohen (NY); T-James Jerkens.
$120,000.[bullet ad=”best-a-luck-farm-shell”][bullet ad=”nytb-ny-bred-why-breed-anywhere-else”]Margins: 4 1/4, HF, 1HF. Odds: 16.30, 22.80, 1.40.
Also Ran: Imperative, Point Piper, Class Leader, Donworth, Cyrus Alexander, General a Rod. 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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