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A. P. Warrior noses out Porto Santo in La Jolla Stan E. Fulton's A. P. WARRIOR (A.P. Indy) earned his second win of the year with a game nose victory in Saturday's $150,000 La Jolla H. (G2) against tough rival Porto Santo (Fr) (Kingsalsa). While A. P. Warrior was content to settle just in behind the top two leaders, Porto Santo fell back to next to last, but both came with the same game rush at the end. When the photo was finally revealed, A. P. Warrior was shown to have his nose down on the line to stop the clock in 1:40 3/5 for Del Mar's 1 1/16-mile firm turf feature. Sent off the 5-1 fourth choice in the seven-horse field, A. P. Warrior paid out $13, $4.80 and $3.40 while starting the $19.90 exacta ($1). Porto Santo tried to save ground along the inside, but was forced to split horses on the final turn and come three wide into the stretch. He gave back $3.40 and $2.60 as the 6-5 favorite, and it was another three parts of a length back to pacesetter Get Funky (Straight Man), who returned $3.40 at 7-1 after setting splits of :48, 1:11 4/5 and 1:34 4/5. The $1 trifecta was worth $98.50. Arson Squad (Brahms), Caribbean (GB) (Sadler's Wells), The Five J's (Lost Soldier), who got the opening quarter in :23 3/5, and Icy Ridge (Ire) (Orpen) completed the order under the wire. A. P. Warrior was making his first start on the turf in this race, and previously captured the San Felipe S. (G2) in March. In his past two, the dark bay colt was second and third, respectively, in the Affirmed H. (G3) and Swaps Breeders' Cup S. (G2), and earlier this year, he placed in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). Trained by John Shirreffs, the sophomore has now accumulated $530,595 in lifetime earnings to go along with his 12-4-2-2 career mark. Bred in Kentucky by Jim Fleming, A. P. Warrior sold for $1.3 million as a Keeneland September yearling and is out of Warrior Queen (Quiet American), who was named an English highweight and Irish co-highweight in 2000 and has unnamed juvenile and yearling fillies by Storm Cat. A. P. Warrior's second dam is a half-sister to Soundings (Mr. Prospector), who produced, among others, French highweight and sire Green Tune (Green Dancer) as well as Group 1 winner and French highweight Pas de Reponse (Danzig). This is the family of champion and influential sire Storm Bird.
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