San Antonio

Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Moss may not have won Saturday's Strub S. (G2) with

Giacomo (Holy Bull), but their SPELLBINDER (Tale of the Cat) made amends by

taking Sunday's $250,000

San Antonio H. (G2)

at Santa Anita. The Richard Mandella charge displayed his finest battling

qualities for rider Martin Pedroza to land his first stakes victory by

three-quarters of a length, finishing the 1 1/8-mile event in 1:48 4/5 on the

fast track.

With Distinction (Storm Cat), coming off six straight sprints, showed speed

early, carving out splits of :22 4/5, :46 3/5 and 1:10 3/5. Spellbinder was

lapped onto his outside just a head back, pressing him intently, and the two

staged an all-ought battle right through the stretch. With Distinction was the

first to crack ever so slightly, and Spellbinder kept on doggedly to gain a slim

advantage over his rival. Meanwhile, Wilko (Awesome Again), momentarily caught

in traffic at the top of the lane, found a clear pathway on the outside and

looked set to deliver a dangerous challenge, but he could not overhaul the top

pair.

"He's a gutsy horse for as little as he is," Pedroza said. "He's built like a

Quarter Horse, and he keeps getting better and better."

"He showed a lot of courage through the lane," Mandella said. "He's turned

into a real racehorse, hasn't he?"

Mambo Train (Kingmambo) crossed the wire in fourth, 2 1/2 lengths adrift of

Wilko, followed by Bully Hayes (Sultry Song); Turnbolt (Deputy Minister), who

faded after holding a promising position exiting the turn far turn; Stratostar

(Pulpit); and the inexplicably disappointing 5-2 favorite, Buckland Manor (Bien

Bien), reporting home 9 1/2 lengths behind Stratostar. Capitano (Belong to Me)

scratched.

"I had no excuse," said Victor Espinoza of Buckland Manor's trip. "For some

reason, he was not in the race today. He never picked up the bridle. I was

finished at the three-eighths pole. He had blinkers on today, and maybe they

affected him."

As the 4-1 third choice, Spellbinder returned $10.60, $6 and $4.40 while

spearheading $1 exotics of $54.80 (exacta), $357 (trifecta) and $2,163.80

(2-1-5-3 superfecta). The 10-1 With Distinction rewarded his loyalists with

payoffs of $10.80 and $6.80, and Wilko yielded $4.60 for his 4-1 odds. Mambo

Train, dispatched at 9-1, added to the value of the superfecta.

Spellbinder had come close to earning graded stakes success in his last two

efforts, finishing third in both the San Pasqual H. (G2) and Native Diver H.

(G3). By breaking through in the San Antonio, the five-year-old dark bay

improved his record to 18-5-1-4 and boosted his bank account to $348,129.

Bred by James E. Jones in Kentucky, Spellbinder was purchased by the Mosses

for $375,000 at the 2002 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Out of the winning

Quiet American mare Thorough Fair, he is a half-brother to 2002 Futurity S. (G1)

winner Whywhywhy and an unnamed yearling filly by Vindication. This is the

family of Fred W. Hooper H. (G3) winner and Belmont S. (G1) runner-up

Andromeda's Hero (Fusaichi Pegasus) and Whirling Ash S. victor Superfly (Fusaichi

Pegasus), one of this year's Kentucky Derby (G1) hopefuls. Tracing the female

line further back, we find Equal Venture, a full sister to 1946 Triple Crown

hero Assault, and still further back, Masda, a full sister to the legendary Man

O'War.

Moss is uncertain if his winner will advance to the March 4 Santa Anita H.

(G1).

"It's really up to Dick (Mandella), but it looks like the winner of this race

goes on to something like that," Moss said. "If he can carry his speed a mile

and a quarter, that would be something."