Raging Bull shipped West to take the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita and earn a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile later this year
In a race that looked oh-so-close on paper, French-bred Raging Bull turned Monday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Shoemaker Mile into a grassy walk in the Santa Anita Park, as he wheeled six-wide turning for home en route to a comfortable 2 1/4-length score under Joel Rosario. Trained by Chad Brown and owned by Peter M. Brant, the 5-year-old full horse by Dark Angel got the distance in 1:32.73 over a firm turf course in Arcadia, Calif.
Breaking from post position seven in a field of nine 3-year-olds and up, Raging Bull, in his Santa Anita debut, had two horses beat around the clubbouse turn and up the backside to the far turn. With longshot Voodoo Song ensuring a legitimate pace, Raging Bull was on the move and Rosario had no intention of getting him stopped as he made an eye-catching move past the quarter pole.
“He broke well and it looked like there was a good pace, he was very controlled,” said Rosario, who had ridden Raging Bull 10 times prior to today’s race. “He just came with his run like he does all the time. He put in a nice run. It’s beautiful, nice to be back here and be back in action.”
Although winless since taking the G1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar in December of 2018, Raging Bull had been close in five consecutive G1 stakes since, his most recent appearance resulting in close fourth place finish in the Woodbine Mile on Sept. 14.
The second choice in the Shoe Mile wagering at 5-2, Raging Bull paid $7.80, $5.40 and $3.40.
Out of the Mr. Greeley mare Rosa Bonheur, Raging Bull notched his fourth graded stakes win and improved his overall mark to 13-6-2-2. With the winner’s share of $180,000, he becomes racing’s newest millionaire, with earnings of $1,100,750.
“He ran a super race and he always runs good,” said Juan Hernandez, assistant to Brown. “He had trained well here and he was acting good. He’s just a very special horse.”
A very unlucky Next Shares, who was bumped hard out of the gate by War of Will, was able to recover and mount a solid late rally of his own, finishing second by a half length over favorite Without Parole.
Ridden by John Velazquez, Next Shares was off at 18-1 and paid $14.20 and $7.80.
“The plan was to be mid-pack with this horse, but we got wiped out at the start, so we were way back,” said Velazquez, who was one of several eastern-based riders on the local scene this weekend. “He still ran a great race.”
The 2-1 favorite, Without Parole, who is also trained by Brown and was ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., was also unlucky, as he had to wait for racing room a furlong from home at the rail and surged late to just miss the place.
Off at 2-1, he paid $3.00 to show.
Last year’s Preakness Stakes winner, War of Will, who was ridden by Flavien Prat, was disqualified from fifth and placed sixth for interference at the start.
Fractions on the race were 22.16, 44.75, 1:08.56 and 1:20.93
The Shoemaker Mile serves as the first Breeders’ Cup “Win & You’re In” Challenge Race qualifier of the year, with the winner provided an automatic, fees-paid berth, along with travel expenses, into the G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.
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