Redattore Spoils Lido Palace's Return

Already a grade I winner on turf, Redattore added a grade II win on dirt Sunday at Santa Anita in the $250,000 San Antonio Handicap (gr. II). Under Alex Solis, Luis Alfredo Taunay's Redattore completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.66 on a fast track.

Redattore tracked Euchre and Irisheyesareflying, before launching his winning bid.

"He won by a half-length, but he did it very easy," said Solis. "I waited until the eighth pole, I wanted to make sure I had enough horse because I was expecting Lido Palace to be coming at the end. I had a lot of horse the whole way. It was a good race."

Euchre finished second, 1 1/2 lengths clear of Irisheyesareflying, with 4-5 favorite Lido Palace another length back in fourth. Seinne, Straight Flush, and Gander completed the order of finish.

Winning trainer Richard Mandella previously ran the proven turf horse in a main-track stakes race last year, and though Redattore finished fourth that day, Mandella wanted to try the experiment again.

"We made a little mistake (in his previous start on the dirt, the seven-furlong Triple Bend at Hollywood Park last July 1)," the conditioner said. "I was afraid of him being up on the pace sprinting that day and I gave too many instructions to Alex (Solis) and he ended up maybe 20 (lengths) out of it down the backside and was beat two (actually 3 1/2) at the end. It really was a good fourth, not a bad fourth, and it made me anxious some day to try him back again (on dirt). Today, I told Alex to just let him place himself because on the turf, he's always the speed of the race, but on the dirt there's a faster pace and I figured that he wouldn't have any problem with it, that he'd relax off of somebody going a little bit quicker. We just kind of let him place himself in third there and then waited till the last quarter."

Redattore is from the 1995 crop of Brazil's leading sire of 2000, Roi Normand. Roi Normand also sired Riboletta, who won seven graded stakes on dirt after racing for most of her career on turf. Both of those Brazilian horses were bred by Haras Santa Ana do Rio Grande.

Redattore earned $150,000 for the win, his 10th in 20 career starts.

With favored Lido Palace finishing out of the money, the show pool prices were extremely high. Redattore returned $25.40, $9.20, and $32. Euchre, sent off at just over 5-2, paid $4.60 and $11.80. Irisheyesareflying returned $26.40. The $1 exacta paid $58.80.

Trainer Bobby Frankel said he didn't think Lido Palace liked the Santa Anita racing surface.

"I really didn't think (Lido Palace) he handled this track very well," said Frankel, who also trains runner-up Euchre and Saturday's Strub Stakes winner Mizzen Mast. "That's what I was scared of, you know. It was a little too quick for him. I'll put him away till New York. Euchre, I'm going to run him (in the Santa Anita Handicap, gr. I). He runs hard all the time. I don't think he'll beat Mizzen Mast, though."

Redattore has won a group I race in Brazil and the grade I Eddie Read Handicap in the States, both on turf. His most recent race prior to the San Antonio came in the Oak Tree Breeders' Cup Turf Mile Stakes (gr. IT), after which he was sidelined with an abscessed foot.

Mandella said it's too early to decide if Redattore will start next in the Santa Anita Handicap or Dubai World Cup (UAE-I).

"The next few weeks at least will be interesting," said Mandella, who was happy to get the win. "It hasn't been that interesting the last few weeks in my barn." (Chart, Equibase)