Mr Fisk Pounces For Surprise Californian Triumph

Mr Fisk used a last-to-first rally under Kazushi Kimura to take down the $100,000 Californian going 1 1/8 miles Saturday at Santa Anita.

Mr Fisk drew even with pacesetting 1-5 favorite Judge Miller near the quarter pole then drew from that rival in the stretch to score comfortably by 2¼ lengths. Judge Miller, who was making his stakes debut under Mike Smith, held on for second by a half-length over Mixto.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Mr Fisk won in a final time of 1:49.41. Off as 7-2 second choice, he returned $9.20. 

For Kimura, a 23-year-old native of Japan, it was his third win on Saturday’s card. He also won the third on Normandy Landing ($5.80) for Baffert and the fourth with Travelin’ Show ($19) for trainer Craig Lewis.

“He was very comfortable behind horses,” Kimura said of Mr Fisk. “At the half mile pole it seemed like the time to go. When I have that good of a horse from Bob Baffert, I have the confidence that I will have a comfortable ride.”

Judge Miller, trained by Mark Glatt, set comfortable fractions of :24.67, :48.75, and 1:12.78 for six furlongs. Despite being last of four, Mr Fisk was never farther than two lengths back of the leader before launching his winning bid.

“He is getting better,” Baffert said. “I have a great team and we’ve been schooling him. He’s tough. He can be really tough and aggressive.

A 4-year-old colt by Arrogate out of the Manduro mare Plein Air, Mr Fisk earned $60,000 for the victory. He has now banked $249,700 with a record of 10: 4-2-0 for owner-breeder Sunny Brook Stables.

Last year, Mr Fisk won the one-mile Shared Belief Stakes and 1 1/8-mile Native Diver (G3), both at Del Mar. In his only previous start this year on Jan. 27, he was a no-threat fifth in the San Pasqual (G2) at 1 1/16 miles.

Next up for Mr Fisk is likely the $200,000 Hollywood Gold Cup (G2) on May 27.

 “The owners they let me freshen him up and get him right for this race,” Baffert said. “We are looking down the road at the Gold Cup, at a mile and a quarter. Being by Arrogate he is bred for this.”

CALIFORNIAN QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES

KAZUSHI KIMURA, MR FISK, WINNER: “He was very comfortable behind the horses at the half mile it seemed like the time to go. When I have that good of a horse from Bob Baffert, I have the confidence that I will have a comfortable ride.”

MIKE SMITH, JUDGE MILLER, SECOND: “It was comfortable, he slipped a little bit getting out of there, heading to the turn I don’t know if that bothered him. Other than that, I didn’t have much in my way, but we didn’t win.”

TRAINER QUOTES

BOB BAFFERT, MR FISK, WINNER: “He is getting better. I have a great team and we’ve been schooling him, he’s tough. He can be really tough and aggressive, but I think we just freshened him up. The owners they let me freshen him up and get him right for this race. We are looking at down the road at the Gold Cup, at a mile and a quarter (Monday, May 27). Being by Arrogate he is bred for this. Kimura he is a really good rider. I told him he needs to think about coming to Del Mar. We have a lot of bullets to ride there and I think he is a great talent. You are seeing this weekend that if you have the right horse, he is a good rider. “