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Daytona racks up third in a row in San Gabriel In what is rapidly becoming a familiar scenario, DAYTONA (Ire) (Indian Ridge) employed his tactical speed to good effect en route to a three-quarters of a length score in Sunday's $150,000 San Gabriel H. (G2) at Santa Anita. The only variation on the plot was that the Dan Hendricks charge, who had defeated fellow sophomores in the Oak Tree Derby (G2) and Hollywood Derby (G1) in his last two outings, meted out the same front-running treatment to older stakes rivals for the first time. With none of his five opponents particularly eager to set the pace, jockey Mike Smith gave Daytona the cue entering the first turn. The chestnut gelding slipped through along the rail to take command, and the race was effectively over. Daytona dictated comfortable splits of :47 1/5 and 1:11, opened up a safe margin turning for home and kept on resolutely from Proudinsky (Ger) (Silvano [Ger]) to bag his third straight graded score. The 2-1 second choice stopped the teletimer in 1:47 2/5 for 1 1/8 miles on the firm turf to pay $6.60, $3.80 and $2.80. Proudinsky emerged as a momentary danger in deep stretch, but his rally stalled and he crossed the wire in second, giving back $4.20 and $3.20 at 3-1. Medici Code (GB) (Medicean), who came within a half-length of Daytona in the Hollywood Derby, wasn't able to get as close this time around. The 9-2 shot settled for third, 1 3/4 lengths adrift of Proudinsky, to return $3. The $1 exotics were worth $11.70 (exacta) and $35.90 (1-3-5 trifecta). It was another 1 3/4 lengths back to Storm Military (Arg) (Bernstein) in fourth, trailed by Lang Field (Langfuhr) and Sensational Humor (Distorted Humor). Daytona is now three-for-three with Smith, who began their partnership with a 4 1/4-length triumph in the Oak Tree Derby prior to masterminding his narrow Hollywood Derby coup. Earlier in the season, Daytona was third in the El Cajon S. on the Polytrack at Del Mar. Campaigned by Davenport, Lenner, Ravich and Murray, he sports a mark of 11-5-2-2 with $553,862 in earnings. The chestnut gelding was bred in Ireland by the Irish National Stud, and as a yearling, he commanded a bid of $432,360 at the 2005 Goffs Orby sale. Daytona began his racing career sporting the colors of Sheikh Mohammed in England, breaking his maiden on the Polytrack at Lingfield in his third start. Offered shortly thereafter at Doncaster Bloodstock Sales' Lincoln sale in March, Daytona brought the auction's top price of $115,200. His buyer was listed as the Wales-based jumps trainer Peter Bowen, so hurdling appeared to be very much in his future. But that never materialized, and Daytona surfaced with Hendricks in California. Daytona is out of the unraced Kyka (Blushing John), a half-sister to French classic heroine Madeleine's Dream (Theatrical [Ire]) and Grade 3 victress Miss Lenora (Theatrical [Ire]). Kyka is a daughter of dual classic queen L'Attrayante (Fr) (Tyrant), who captured the 1983 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (Fr-G1), Irish One Thousand Guineas (Fr-G1) and E.P. Taylor S. (Can-G2). Daytona has an unraced juvenile half-brother named Kyka Magic (Touch of the Blues [Fr]).
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