Kobe’s Back made a first-to-last charge to lead a brigade of gray in the San Carlos at Santa Anita Park on Saturday.
After launching his patented last-to-first move and blowing by his rivals with ease in the stretch, CRK Racing’s Kobe’s Back captured the $300,000 San Carlos Stakes and keyed a rare all-gray trifecta when he finished 1 1/4 lengths in front of Coastline, with Calculator another half-length back in third.
Ridden to victory by Hall of Famer Gary Stevens, the Pete Eurton-trained Kobe’s Back finished the seven furlongs in 1:22.20 over the fast main track.
Kentucky-bred Kobe’s Back, who is by Flatter and out of the Well Decorated mare Well, was a $480,000 2-year-old in training at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales March sale of selected yearlings in 2013. Since then, the colt has banked $952,250 with a career line of 18-5-3-2.
“He’s just good right now,” Eurton said. “He’s the best he’s been in so long. He’ll probably run next at Chuchill Downs on Derby Day (May 7, in the Churchill Downs Stakes at seven furlongs).”
California native and lifelong horsewoman Margaret Ransom is a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program. She got her start in racing working in the publicity departments at Calder Race Course and Hialeah Park, as well as in the racing office at Gulfstream Park in South Florida. She then spent six years in Lexington, KY, at BRISnet.com, where she helped create and develop the company’s popular newsletters: Handicapper’s Edge and Bloodstock Journal. After returning to California, she served six years as the Southern California news correspondent for BloodHorse, assisted in the publicity department at Santa Anita Park and was a contributor to many other racing publications, including HorsePlayer Magazine and Trainer Magazine. She then spent seven years at HRTV and HRTV.com in various roles as researcher, programming assistant, producer and social media and marketing manager.
She has also walked hots and groomed runners, worked the elite sales in Kentucky for top-class consignors and volunteers for several racehorse retirement organizations, including CARMA.
In 2016, Margaret was the recipient of the prestigious Stanley Bergstein Writing Award, sponsored by Team Valor, and was an Eclipse Award honorable mention for her story, “The Shocking Untold Story of Maria Borell,” which appeared on USRacing.com. The article and subsequent stories helped save 43 abandoned and neglected Thoroughbreds in Kentucky and also helped create a new animal welfare law known as the “Borell Law.”
Margaret’s very first Breeders’ Cup was at Hollywood Park in 1984 and she has attended more than half of the Breeders’ Cups since. She counts Holy Bull and Arrogate as her favorite horses of all time. She lives in Pasadena with her longtime beau, Tony, two Australian Shepherds and one Golden Retriever.
