Colonel John held off the closing charge of El Gato Malo to win the $200,000 Sham Stakes for 3-year-olds by a half-length Saturday at Santa Anita. Ridden by Garrett Gomez, Colonel John covered 1 1-8 miles under a light drizzle in 1:50.15 on the all-weather surface and paid $5, $2.40 and $2.10. Trained by Eoin Harty, Colonel John hadn't run since Dec. 22, when he finished second to In Mischief in
Colonel John out-clawed the bad cat as he held off El Gato Malo by less than half a length to win the Sham Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita Park in Southern California.
Colonel John stalked a leisurely pace, seized command entering the stretch, and held off previously unbeaten runner-up El Gato Malo by a half-length to win the $200,000 Sham Stakes (G3) on Saturday at Santa Anita Park.
El Gato Malo (3 for 3) takes on Colonel John, who hasn't raced since finishing second as the favorite in the $1 million CashCall Futurity on Dec. 22. Garrett Gomez, who finished second on Colonel John in the Tiznow colt's first race at Del Mar, regains the mount with Corey Nakatani hurt.
Two of the Derby Dozen's top-ranked colts staged a barn-burner Saturday in the Grade 3, $200,000 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita, with Colonel John holding off the late charge of previously undefeated El Gato Malo to score by a half-length. They ran the
ARCADIA - Nothing, not a 10-week layoff or the previously unbeaten El Gato Malo, could keep Colonel John from victory in the $200,000 Grade III Sham Stakes, one of three graded stakes races Saturday at Santa Anita.
ARCADIA, Calif. ( Map , News ) - Colonel John held off the closing charge of El Gato Malo to win the $200,000 Sham Stakes for 3-year-olds by a half-length Saturday at Santa Anita.