Smith admits 'bad ride' as Collected fails to meet Expectations

Report: USA, Tuesday

Santa Anita: San Antonio Stakes (Grade 2) 1m½f | dirt | 3yo+

Honesty is the best policy, so they say – and in that respect, jockey Mike Smith could not be faulted after odds-on shot Collected suffered a shock defeat in his Pegasus World Cup prep race at Santa Anita on Boxing Day.

Otherwise, however, the rider had a few questions to answer when the Breeders' Cup Classic runner-up, sent off 30-100 favourite for the Grade 2 San Antonio, was beaten more than three lengths into third by all-the-way winner Giant Expectations (Peter Eurton/Gary Stevens).

Habitual front-runner Collected, unbeaten in five previous starts at Santa Anita, raced last of five for much of the race, behind even his slowcoach Bob Baffert-trained stablemate Hoppertunity, a confirmed come-from-behind performer.

To his credit, Smith held his hands up. "It was a bad ride – it was my fault. I slipped leaving the gate. We should have been on the lead. Then they were going too slow and we couldn't get there in the end."

Baffert did not seem overjoyed. "We should have been on the lead and the other horse [Hoppertunity] was too close," he said.

In the event, 13-1 chance Giant Expectations was allowed to set surprisingly easy fractions under his veteran rider. "I was pleasantly surprised at the opening fractions," said Stevens.

"I thought I was going to have to use him pretty good, but my plan was to put him on the lead or close to it. I just didn't want to have dirt in his face. I had a big smile on my face going around the first turn – the race was won going into that first turn.

"We covered the first quarter in 24 and change and the half at almost 50, and the race was pretty much over. He's a really good colt."

Full result

Also on Tuesday

Santa Anita: La Brea Stakes (Grade 1) 7f | dirt | 3yo fillies

A race billed as a clash between two top-class west-coast fillies delivered the goods as Unique Bella (Jerry Hollendorfer/Mike Smith) got the better of Paradise Woods by three-quarters of a length after a battle down the stretch.

After his Collected debacle, Mike Smith was seen to better effect here, as he settled his grey filly behind the front rank before moving out wide in the back straight. The big two cleared their rivals on the far turn and it was Unique Bella, sent off 13-10 favourite, who had more to give in the closing stages as she atoned for her Breeders' Cup disappointment.

"She broke really well today and I got her going but I was concerned about going too fast early," reported the jockey. "That was the problem in the Breeders’ Cup (Filly & Mare Sprint). She has been training very aggressively in the mornings, so that was my concern. She relaxed and rated and was happy with the pace she had to run today. She gave it all she had to get the job done."

Unique Bella, who has now won six of eight career starts, was landing her first Grade 1 success, her summer having been interrupted by shin problems. She stopped the clock in a speedy 1m21.49s.

Full result

Santa Anita: Malibu Stakes (Grade 1) 7f | dirt | 3yo

Some big reputations were smashed here as 15-2 shot City Of Light (Mike McCarthy/Drayden van Dyke) made all from the inside draw to score by a couple of lengths from outsider Edwards Going Left. Previously undefeated CZ Rocket could finish only sixth.