ARCADIA, Calif. (March 29, 2015) — Blue Tone sat just off a lively pace and registered an impressive 2 ¾ length win in Sunday’s $75,000 Santana Mile at Santa Anita, covering the distance in 1:36.11 under Kent Desormeaux.
With Appealing Tale, Storm Fighter and Ankeny Hill slugging it out through fractions of 23.13, 46.14, 1:10.39 and 1:22.80, Blue Tone, who is trained by Bob Hess, Jr., eased just off the threesome turning down the backside and rallied four-wide turning for home.
“Full credit to Kent,” said Hess. “They were going pretty quick up there and the race was really over turning for home.”
Off at 9-2 in a field of eight older horses, Blue Tone paid $11.60, $6.00 and $4.40. A 6-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding by Birdstone, he came off a 12-length defeat in the Grade I Donn Handicap at Gulfstream and registered his fifth win from 14 career starts. Owned by Beverly Engelberg, Schroeder Farms, LLC and Jan Steeper, Blue Tone picked up $47,400 for the win, increasing his earnings to $338,150.
“He’s a quirky horse,” said Desormeaux. “He doesn’t like to be on the inside. I had Joe Talamo and Ankeny Hill on my shoulder around the first turn and they hung there, so I had to get him out of that situation and then I had clear sailing…The company made all the difference today, he’s a really good horse.”
Interviewed by TVG following the race, co-owner Cathy Schroeder had similar sentiments.
“I just knew he was going to win on the backside,” said Schroeder. “I can’t tell you how happy I am.”
Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, Edge of Reality rallied from off the pace and outran Ankeny Hill by a half length for second money. Off at 9-1, Edge of Reality paid $9.40 and $6.20.
Off at 15-1, Ankeny Hill finished one length in front of favored Galicado and paid $9.00 to show.
Ridden by Mike Smith, Argentine-bred Galicado, who was off at 8-5, was next to last early but lacked any substantive rally in his U.S. debut.
