Making his first start since winning last year's Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) exactly one year ago, Misremembered showed little sign of rust in capturing the $80,200 Santana Mile Stakes by three lengths at Santa Anita March 6 (VIDEO).
He was ridden by Martin Garcia, who teamed with 5-year-old son of Candy Ride to win last year's Big 'Cap.
In the Santana Mile, Misremembered came off the final turn four wide and swept to victory in 1:33.50 on a fast track as the 11-10 favorite for trainer Bob Baffert.
Baffert, currently leading the Santa Anita trainer standings, won the 2011 Santa Anita Handicap a day earlier with Game On Dude.
He also bred Misremembered, who is out of the Quack mare Beyond Perfection, in Kentucky. The ridgling is owned by Baffert's wife, Jill, and George Jacobs.
Misemembered started just twice in 2010, finishing second in the Strub Stakes (gr. II) prior to his half-length triumph in the Santa Anita Handicap.
“I’m not sure what I am going to do with him," Baffert said. "I’m just going to see how he comes out of this. We were thinking about Dubai in the back of our mind, but we don’t know. There are so many options.
"He is so much better than he was last year," the trainer added. "He’s filled out. I was sort of upset at myself for not having him ready for the Big 'Cap. The thing about him is that distance is not a problem for him. I feel really fortunate to have some nice handicap horses.”
Misremembered settled mid-pack in the field of seven behind a hot pace (:22.25, :45.11, 1:09.02) as Matto Mondo led. Misremembered ranged into contention in upper stretch and took over at the eighth pole. He powered home convincingly over Kensei, ridden by Garrett Gomez. Honour the Deputy was a length farther back with Rafael Bejarano aboard.
“This horse has been training super and I thought he’d run good, but not THIS good," Garcia enthused. "The way he ran today, I really think if he would have run yesterday (in the Santa Anita Handicap) he would’ve won.”
Misremembered won for the sixth time in 12 starts and he also has four seconds while banking $1,236,709. He won both the Swaps Stakes (gr. II) and the Indiana Derby (gr. II) in 2009.
He carried 117 pounds and paid $4.20, $3.20, and $2.80. Kensei, also on the comeback trail for trainer Steve Asmussen, ran a game race to hold second and returned $4.80 and $4. The exacta was worth $23. Honour the Deputy was $4.20 to show.
Baffert stablemate Indian Firewater, Cigar Man, Matto Mondo, and Arcodoro completed the order. Acclamation and Red Door Drive scratched.
