Norvsky kicked off the new campaign in style with a win in the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes
The California bred 6-year-old gelding, Norvsky, who has won three races out of seven at Santa Anita showed his liking for the track once more when he downed the 7 to 10 favourite, Jeranimo, to win the 65th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 San Gabriel Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on turf on 16 January, 2012.
Usually trainer Donald Warren takes out stablemate, Acclamation for such assignments and even considered Norvsky for the ungraded $100,000 event, restricted to Cal-breds, on 28 January, 2012, but with the stable star currently out of action, Warren decided to send Norvsky against rampant males like Jeranimo and The Usual Q. T.
“Usually, I trot out Acclamation (a winner of five successive Grade I or Grade II stakes last year) for an assignment like this,” said Don Warren, who trains Norvsky, a 6-year-old gelded son of Vronsky for the Old English Rancho’s E.W. and Judy Johnston and partner Leonard Riggio.
“I was as surprised as anybody because I didn’t think he could beat a good horse like Jeranimo,” continued Warren. “I really respect Jeranimo and The Usual Q. T. And to think I didn’t have to bring out Acclamation to beat those two--I’m very happy with the outcome today.”
The gelded son of Vronsky, out of mare Fimbrelith by Flying Paster, was ridden by Rafael Bejarano, who in a field of six settled Norvsky at fifth, and from there the pair made their winning move.
Jeranimo and The Usual Q. T. fought each other for the lead, meanwhile, Norvsky started closing in from fifth, entering the back stretch.
Two lengths behind Jeranimo in the back stretch, Rafael Bejarano switched sides and moved out wide on the turn that gave Norvsky the room and time to pack the final punch.
Jeranimo still leading with sheer pace, eyeing another graded stakes win, but with a furlong to go Norvsky trailed then-leader Jeranimo by 2 lengths.
Norvsky kept his head down and with each stride grew closer to the leader to a point that he overhauled him and ran well through the remaining yards to post his second win in three starts and first for the new season.
The winner downed the 1 1/8 miles in 1 minute and 47.03 seconds, and defeated Jeranimo by 1 ½ lengths, as the Usual Q. T. finished third.
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