ARCADIA — Trainer John Shirreffs won a big race Saturday, just not the biggest race.
In the Kentucky Derby, Shirreffs’ 3-year-old Baeza ran well but settled for a close third behind winner Sovereignty and favorite Journalism as the place and show horses gave California fans a thrill.
Meanwhile, at Santa Anita, Shirreffs’ 4-year-old Atitlan gave the barn a victory, prevailing in a three-way photo finish in the Charles Whittingham Stakes in front of a Derby Day crowd of 15,122.
Does it count as a consolation prize when the $120,000 winner’s purse for the $200,000, Grade I Whittingham is a fraction of the $500,000 third-place purse for the $5 million, Grade I Kentucky Derby? Whether it does or not, the associates of Shirreffs and Atitlan owner John M.B. O’Connor in the winner’s circle looked thrilled. And Atitlan jockey Hector Berrios was smiling.
“This horse has been getting very confident,” Berrios told a track TV interviewer.
Atitlan (who paid $3.20) has produced both of Shirreffs’ three graded-stakes victories in 2025 and two of Berrios’ three.
The son of The Factor now has four wins in 10 starts, including a 1½-length win in the Grade II Twilight Derby last October at Santa Anita.
He was more impressive in his last race, in March, when he won by two widening lengths in the Grade III San Luis Rey Stakes at 1½ miles on turf and posted career-best speed figures.
In Saturday’s 1¼-mile race, starting on Santa Anita’s turf hillside – about 25 minutes before the Derby started – Atitlan and Berrios needed every step of that distance to get up on the outside and win by a head over 15-1 Packs a Wahlop and rider Reylu Gutierrez and a neck over 14-1 Dicey Mo Charra and Armando Ayuso.
After dropping back to fourth in the six-horse field, as many as seven lengths behind leaders Balladeer and jockey Kent Desormeaux, Berrios sensed that the pacesetter might be having it too easy, and began to advance going into the far turn.
“He needed more pace, so I tried to be closer to the front and made an earlier move,” Berrios said on TV. “He really fought on strong in the stretch.”
Berrios told writers: “When I asked him, he didn’t respond too much.”
But they got it done.
At Churchill Downs, Santa Anita-based horses and horsemen had a lucrative day even if the Kentucky Derby itself just eluded Michael McCarthy’s Journalism, a 3-1 favorite, and Shirreffs’ Baeza, sent off at 13-1, and Bob Baffert’s early leader Citizen Bull faded to 15th at 13-1.
Richard Mandella’s Kopion ($7.48) and jockey Kazushi Kimura were impressive winners in the $1 million, Grade I Derby City Distaff, beating Baffert’s Hope Rode by three lengths.
Californians running second and third were a theme. Baffert’s Nysos ran well in his return from a layoff but finished in a dead heat for second behind Mindframe in the $1 million, Grade I Churchill Downs Stakes. Baffert’s Madaket Road and Gaming chased loose leader Macho Music in the $600,000, Grade II Pat Day Mile. Brian Koriner’s Boss Sully couldn’t hold off Think Big while Phil D’Amato’s Unconquerable Keen rallied for third in the $600,000, Grade II Twin Spires Turf Sprint.
D’Amato’s Gold Phoenix continued to earn pieces of purses in major races, getting fourth at 12-1 in the $1 million, Grade I Turf Classic.
Tomorrow is another day, especially for Santa Anita bettors, who can look forward to a two-day carryover in the pick-six, putting $77,347 into the Sunday pool on races 5-10.
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