That number marks the seventh consecutive season when attendance topped the million mark - exclusive of 2020 when the gates were closed due to COVID-19. That was 10 percent better than 2021.ġ.075 million fans accounted for the paid attendance. On-track handle, a category that could be re-named because it includes New York state residents betting off-track through their NYRA Bets accounts, totaled $152 million. His whole team, they did a great job and they had him ready.The average daily handle of $21.9 million is the highest in the storied history of the Spa. The victory was There Goes Harvard’s third consecutive following a pair of wins in optional claimers at Santa Anita. I mean, a mile and a quarter, he ran a big race. “Today, I just left him there, I was not fighting with him at all and he tried really hard. “He was pretty strong early today,” he said. You hope you’re lucky enough to participate, let alone win.”Ĭedillo, who has ridden Defunded in his past five races, was proud of the 4-year-old gelding’s effort. “These are the kinds of races you get up for in the morning. “I got a little emotional, but things just worked out properly. “I was pretty excited when I saw him stick his head in front coming to the three-sixteenths pole,” the 51-year-old Ohio native said. McCarthy, a former Todd Pletcher assistant, is well aware of the historic nature of the Gold Cup, which was run for the 84th time Monday. Santa Anita Derby should provide clarity for Kentucky Derby hopefuls There Goes Harvard, last after the first quarter-mile, had moved into fourth by the half-mile pole and was second, taking dead aim on Defunded, at the head of the stretch. Spielberg, longest shot in the field at 19-1, brought up the rear, 10 lengths behind Stilleto Boy. It was another three-quarters of a length back to 3-2 shot Stilleto Boy. Defunded, third choice in the wagering at 5-1 with Abel Cedillo aboard, held second by 3 1/4 lengths over even-money favorite Royal Ship. It was his fourth lifetime win and he more than doubled his earnings ($455,090) with the first-place check for $240,000.įinal time for the mile and a quarter was 2:02.66 after Defunded carved out rapid fractions of 22.76, 46.13 and 1:10.99 but couldn’t hold off the hard-charging There Goes Harvard. The second-longest shot in the five-horse field, There Goes Harvard collared pacesetter Defunded in the final sixteenth of a mile and drew off to a one-length victory. “The horse is doing well and sometimes you just have to take a chance.” “It was a short field, and sometimes you just gotta take a shot,” McCarthy said. He finished second in his only stakes before Monday, finishing second in the Ellis Park Derby last summer in Kentucky. I enjoy it.”There Goes Harvard, a 4-year-old Will Take Charge colt, was making his graded-stakes debut in his 12th career start. The victory was Ortiz’s first in the Gold Cup and gave trainer Michael McCarthy his first in the historic race that was run at Hollywood Park before the track closed up shop in 2013. He won four of the afternoon’s first five races and finished second in the race he didn’t win. The 29-year-old native of Puerto Rico flew to Southern California from New York after Sunday’s card at Belmont Park and made himself at home in warm and sunny Southern California.Ī winner of three Eclipse Awards as the nation’s top jockey (2018-20), Ortiz won two of the three Grade I stakes Monday at Santa Anita, including the $400,000 Hollywood Gold Cup aboard 8-1 shot There Goes Harvard.

Irad ortiz