NEWS
Potrero Grande Breeders' Cup Handicap preview: Pistol shoots again
Posted: Friday, April 07, 2000
The three top finishers in the March 4 San Carlos Handicap (G2)—Son of a Pistol, Kona Gold, and Old Topper—will make up half the six-horse field in the $200,000 Potrero Grande Breeders' Cup Handicap (G2) at Santa Anita Park on Saturday.
An eight-year-old gelding, Son of a Pistol will be making his third outing in the Potrero Grande. He set a track record of 1:13.71 for 6 ½-furlongs when he won the 1998 Potrero—a record that still stands—and he returned to finish third in last year's race. Owned by the partnership of Asistio, B. B. C. Stables, and Davenport, Son of a Pistol is trained by Bruce Headley and will carry 118 pounds.
Kona Gold, also trained by Headley, was second to Son of a Pistol in the San Carlos after winning the Palos Verdes Handicap (G2) in January. The six-year-old Java Gold gelding has proved to be a hard-knocking sprinter, placing second and third in the last two runnings of the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), respectively.
Kona Gold, who has been assigned top weight of 122 pounds, set a track record at Santa Anita when he won the 1999 El Conejo Handicap, getting 5 ½ furlongs in 1:01.74.
Old Topper, trained by Noble Threewitt for owner Barbara Hunter, has not won a stakes race since 1998, when he won three, including the Pat O'Brien Handicap (G3), over Son of a Pistol. The five-year-old horse by Gilded Time was laid off after winning an allowance race at Santa Anita on February 12, 1999, and did not return until January 2, when he finished third in the El Conejo Handicap.
Since then, Old Topper has been fourth in the Palos Verdes and third in the San Carlos.
The field, in post-position order, with jockeys and weights:
Your Halo, Corey Nakatani, 115;
Elaborate, Chris McCarron, 115;
Kona Gold, Alex Solis, 122;
Lexicon, Kent Desormeaux, 117;
Son of a Pistol, Joe Steiner, 118; and
Old Topper, Eddie Delahoussaye, 115.
