California Flag romps to an impressive victory.
CALIFORNIA FLAG ROMPS TO VICTORY
By Martin Kelly, Press Association Sport, Santa Anita
Strike The Deal (USA) Profile
J Noseda Profile
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California Flag made every yard of the running under Joe Talamo to run out a hugely impressive winner of the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita on Saturday.
Brian Koriner's grey, sent off the 9-2 favourite, shot out of the stalls and always appeared to be travelling strongly at the head of affairs.
The race was over as a contest when California Flag crossed the all-weather strip and he only had to be kept up to his work to beat Gotta Have Her (10-1), who finished fast to claim the runner-up spot. Cannonball at 7-1 picked up minor honours in third.
Jeremy Noseda's Strike The Deal finished last under Kieren Fallon while former Karl Burke inmate Lord Shanakill was also unplaced.
Earlier in the week California Flag unshipped his work rider and ran loose round the track.
Koriner said: "I thought that might have got him a little bit on edge but the horse has been training super. I didn't think much would affect him and thankfully it didn't.
"He finished 10th last year but this time we used our heads, we just said go before but Joe did a great job today.
"Once they let him get on his own up front I thought 'it's over' as I knew they wouldn't catch him."
Winning jockey Talamo said: "It was great. He made the lead pretty easily, and going right until about the three-eighths pole, I was pretty confident. He had so much in reserve coming down the stretch and really kicked it in the last part. Last year we went :41 for the half, this year we went :43. That was the difference."
Jim Crowley, rider of Lord Shanakill, said: "Everything went fine in the race but perhaps he was a little rusty as he'd been off for a long time."
Noseda said of Strike The Deal: "He had a foot problem on Tuesday night and we did our best to get him here.
"It is easy to say we shouldn't have run but we had him at a level where I felt it was worth giving him a chance."
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