Cabo Spirit, out of Schumer BS purchase Fancy Day, burst through the $1.1 million mark in earnings on Sunday when going gate-to-wire in the Grade 3 American Stakes at Santa Anita.
Previously winner of the Grade 2 California Crown John Henry Turf Championship Stakes, Grade 2 Twilight Derby, Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap for trainer George Papaprodromou, Cabo Spirit was able to dictate matters up front under Mike Smith and coasted clear for a cosy success over King Of Gosford.
With that win, his sixth in 27 starts, the Pioneerof The Nile gelding took his earnings to over $1.13 million.
“He actually ran a great race last time. I thought if I could just get that same effort out of him that he’d be tough,” Smith told Santa Anita’s Michelle Yu alluding to his third in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile. “I might have gotten even more out of him today. He was really comfortable out there and I found the golden egg.”
“I asked him a little bit down the lane; I think it was more for me than him. I just wanted to make sure that they got their money’s worth. If I left him alone, he probably would’ve just done the same thing. I just stayed a little busy on him just because he was out there by himself, and I know there were some closers in there. They were gonna come those last 100 yards to 50 yards—they always come with a big burst—so I just wanted to make sure I kept him focused.”
Fancy Day (pictured), a relation to champion Tiznow, was purchased by Schumer Bloodstock on behalf of Yancy Williams at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale, since when the daughter of Shamardal has produced the stakes horses Convention and Blame Day in addition to Cabo Spirit.
