SAN CARLOS S. (gr. II ), Santa Anita Park , February 23, 2013 , $200,000 Guaranteed , value of race $200,750 , 4 yo's & up , 7 furlongs , 1:21.28 Dirt FT .

Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who is known for discerning talent in young horses, purchasing them privately off the track and racing them in partnership with others, did just that with Sahara Sky, who notched a come-from-behind victory Feb. 23 in the San Carlos Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita Park, the second consecutive graded stakes triumph for the 5-year-old son of Pleasant Tap. He came into the race off a length score in the Jan. 19 Palos Verdes Stakes (gr. II), which he won at the California track off a seven-month layoff.

The dark bay or brown horse is also trained by Hollendorfer, who campaigns him with Kim Lloyd’s Claremont, Calif.-based Sweetwater Stable. Having finished in the money in 12 of his 14 starts, Sahara Sky now has career earnings of $356,680.

“This horse is a different horse this year,” said Lloyd. “He’s run well all the time, but he would put so much into his races when he was fresh that he didn’t seem to have that same finish in his subsequent races. He’s matured now, though, and he’s firing back to back. He might be a pretty good horse.”

Sahara Sky, who made his career debut for A.C. and Jane Hebert and trainer Jeff Hebert, caught the eye of Hollendorfer after winning that initial race by 41/4 lengths at Delta Downs. He has raced each of his subsequent starts for Hollendorfer and Sweetwater.

Bred in Florida by Eddie Martin’s Martin Stables, Sahara Sky is out of the Storm Cat mare Seeking the Sky, who won a division of the 2000 Interborough Handicap (gr. III) at Aqueduct and earned more than $140,000.

The mare was most recently purchased in a dispersal of the Martin Stables horses at the 2009 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s October mixed sale. In foal to Spanish Steps, she was bought for $10,000 by Potrero and Eduarda Stables from Perrone Sales, agent.

Seeking the Sky’s dam Seeking Regina captured the 1994 Adirondack Stakes (gr. II), and her second dam, stakes winner Fulbright Scholar, is a half sister to grade I winner Bachelor Beau.

All of Seeking the Sky’s five foals to race are winners, including her last reported foal, a 3-year-old half brother to Sahara Sky named Animal Style.

Pleasant Tap, the sire of 59 stakes winners, stood at William S. Farish’s Lane’s End Farm near Versailles, Ky., until he was euthanized due to laminitis in 2010 at age 23.—E.M.