ARCADIA, CA – Multiple graded stakes winner Accelerate was ultra impressive in winning Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes at Santa Anita Park.
The event turned into a match race up front with Dr. Dorr and favored City of Light going at each other up front while Hronis Racing’s Accelerate rated kindly in third after a sharp break from the gate. After patiently waiting for the right time jockey Victor Espinoza asked Accelerate to make a move, and he unleashed a powerful stretch run to win the race by four and a quarter lengths. Trained by John Sadler, Accelerate ran the mile and one quarter in 2:01.38.
“He broke good, I think Victor wanted to put him up in the race and then see what everybody else did, so he let him run out of there and when Joe (Talamo on Dr. Dorr) went to the front, he just sat in behind him and gave him a really beautiful ride. He had a lot of patience, a lot of confidence in the horse. He was riding confidently in the sense that he knew his horse could get the distance.”
After winning the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in March, Accelerate was recently second in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap to City of Light. In that race City of Light was able to sit the perfect trip while Accelerate set the early pace, but today it was the opposite. Accelerate also won the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes in February at Santa Anita.
The Gold Cup is Accelerate’s second Grade 1 win of the year and his fourth overall graded stakes triumph, he’s now 19-7-5-5. His earnings are now up to $1,712,480 with the win on Saturday.
“I helped him out of the gate, which was my job today. If I let him break by himself, he can be a little bit slow out of the gate so I encouraged him. I shook his neck a little bit and I was able to get him in a good position.”
Accelerate returned $5.80 to win, $3.00 to place, and $2.10 to show. Dr. Dorr brought back $4.20 to place and $2.60 to show, while City of Light paid $2.20 to show.