Mullins Clicks With Glick, Clinches Title

Robert Bone's dependable 8-year-old Glick inched away in the stretch and held off Cayoke by three-quarters of a length to win Sunday's $107,300 San Simeon Handicap (gr. IIIT) for older horses on Santa Anita's hillside turf course.

Winning trainer Jeff Mullins clinched the 2004 Santa Anita training title with his 44th victory. He held a two-win edge over Doug O'Neill, who had only one starter still to run Sunday.

The even-money favorite in a field of six, Glick, the bay son of Theatrical ridden by Alex Solis, edged to the front with a sixteenth of a mile to go and held on gamely as Cayoke and Tyler Baze mounted a charge. The final time for the about 6 1/2-furlong grass distance was 1:11 2/5, two-fifths of a second off the course mark. Four lengths behind in third place was Summer Service.

Glick has won over the course twice previously, both times this year in 1:11 1/5.

Australian-bred Grandiser forged the solid early fractions of :22 for the quarter and :44 for the half as Glick pressed from the outside. The winner reached the front coming out of the stretch and gradually pulled away. Cayoke, stalking behind the frontrunners while in striking distance in fourth, swung out for the drive and finished driving.

"He was galloping right there next to the other horse (Grandiser), so I just had to be patient after that," Solis said. "He's a gutsy little horse. I got down on him only on the last part and he flew home."

Glick collected $64,380 for his 14th career victory in 36 tries. He also has six second-place finishes and three thirds with total earnings of $579,611.

Bone, who is from Shingle Springs, Calif., claimed Glick from Michael Gill for $40,000 at Hollywood Park on Dec. 20. Since then, Glick has won three of four. The San Simeon was his second victory in a row.

He paid $4, $2.60 and $2.20. Cayoke returned $3.20 and $2.60. Summer Service was $2.80 to show.

Grandiser, Van Rouge and Island Light completed the order of finish. Scratched were Echo Eddie, De La Costa and Sinelessjellyfish.

(Chart, Equibase)