Coil Goes Out with San Pasqual Win

San Pasqual Stakes

January 5, 2013

In his final start before he heads off to stud in California, Grade 1 winner Coil outlasted Ultimate Eagle by a short head following a terrific stretch duel in the $150,000 San Pasqual Stakes Jan. 5, 2013 at Santa Anita Park.

Trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Bob Baffert for owners Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, and Paul Weitman, million-dollar earner Coil recorded his first two-turn victory since the 2011 Haskell Invitational.

The gorgeous 5-year-old chestnut, by 2001 Horse of the Year Point Given out of the winning Theatrical mare Eversmile, is to stand at Magali Farms in Santa Ynez. Glen Hill Farm bred the winner in Florida.

"He's had some issues that I just didn't want to run him this year," Baffert said. "I'd have to run him sparingly. I think he deserves to be retired. He's good; he's very healthy right now, but it was time to send him to stud.

"He's got so much heart," the trainer added. "That was all Coil … We're really going to help the horse in California. Mike [Pegram], one of the main reasons he wanted to retire him here also is because Mike's on the TOC board. He wants to help California racing and he's putting his money behind California racing."

Coil won the the Santa Anita Sprint Championship Oct. 6 prior to a disappointing seventh in the Xpressbet Breeders' Cup Sprint. In his most recent effort, Coil ran third after pressing the pace in the Cigar Mile Nov. 24 at Aqueduct Racetrack. But he is probably best known for his thrilling neck victory over Preakness winner Shackleford after a terrible start in the Haskell at Monmouth Park as a 3-year-old in the summer of 2011.

The bettors had this year's San Pasqual pegged spot on, sending off Coil as the slight 9-5 favorite over 2-1 Ultimate Eagle in a field reduced to six by three scratches. Those two separated themselves from the rest leaving the far turn and put on a superb show through the homestretch. Coil, ridden on the outside by Martin Garcia, posted a winning time of 1:42.52 in the 1 1/16-mile test of older horses over a fast track.

"I had a really good horse inside of me [Ultimate Eagle], and I just tried to follow the way he was going," said Garcia, who rode Coli in most of his races. "When I asked him [Coil] to go, he just responded, and that was it. He has been a really good horse for a long time."

Ultimate Eagle, making only his second start since faltering as the favorite in the Santa Anita Handicap 10 months ago, was using the race as a prep for this year's Big 'Cap. He set a solid pace (:23.56, :47.64, and 1:11.28) under Martin Pedroza while leading Coil, Bank the Eight, and John Scott into the far turn, and was inching away from Coil rounding the bend.

But Coil reeled him in on the outside as they battled through the lane, getting a slight advantage past the eighth pole under urging from Garcia. He prevailed gamely in the final strides as Ultimate Eagle fought back all the way to the wire.

B.J. Wright's Ultimate Eagle, winner of last year's Strub Stakes over the track, was 6 1/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher John Scott. Then came Tres Borrachos and the Baffert-trained duo of Bank the Eight and Jaycito, who lugged out on the final turn after making an early run and was eased in the stretch.

Coil's victory was his seventh in 14 lifetime races to go with two seconds and three thirds. He ends his career with earnings of $1,154,360. Comfortable on dirt or synthetics and sprinting or routing, his only other start at the San Pasqual's distance of 1 1/16 miles produced a victory in the Affirmed Handicap on Cushion Track at Hollywood Park prior to the Haskell as a 3-year-old.

"He won Grade 1's short and long and he's by Point Given, and he's one of my favorite horses, so it's good that he's here," Baffert said of the decision to stand Coil in California.

Coil carried 118 pounds, two fewer than the high-weighted Ultimate Eagle, and paid $5.60, $3, and $2.20. He topped a $20.60 exacta with Ultimate Eagle. The latter returned $3.80 and $2.80 in his first start since a runner-up finish in the Citation Handicap on grass during the Autumn Turf Festival at Hollywood Nov. 23. John Scott, fourth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in his most recent start for trainer Carla Gaines, paid $2.80 to show.

 

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San Pasqual Stakes Race Information

Location: Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California
Inaugurated: 1935
Race type: Thoroughbred – Flat racing
Distance: 1 1/16 miles (8.5 furlongs)
Track: Dirt, left-handed
Qualification: Four years old and up
Weight: Assigned
Purse: $150,000
Grade: II

 

San Pasqual Stakes Past Winners

Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Time
2018 Accelerate 5 Victor Espinoza John W. Sadler 1:50.58
2017 Midnight Storm 5 Rafael Bajarano Philip D'Amato 1:40.65
2016 California Chrome 5 Victor Espinoza Art Sherman 1:43.39
2015 Hoppertunity 4 Martin Garcia Bob Baffert 1:41.69
2014 Blueskiesnrainbows 5 Martin A. Pedroza Jerry Hollendorfer 1:43.17
2013 Coil 5 Martin Garcia Bob Baffert 1:42.52
2012 Uh Oh Bango 5 Mike E. Smith R. Kory Owens 1:41.44
2011 Aggie Engineer 6 Joe Talamo Patrick Gallagher 1:40.94
2010 Neko Bay 7 Mike E. Smith John Shirreffs 1:42.95
2009 Cowboy Cal 4 John Velazquez Todd A. Pletcher 1:41.26
2008 Zappa 6 Joel Rosario John W. Sadler 1:39.58
2007 Dixie Meister 5 David R. Flores Julio C. Canani 1:43.18
2006 High Limit 4 Pat Valenzuela Robert J. Frankel 1:43.64
2005 Congrats 5 Tyler Baze Richard E. Mandella 1:41.97
2004 Star Cross 7 Victor Espinoza Darrell Vienna 1:42.22
2003 Congaree 5 Jerry D. Bailey Bob Baffert 1:41.04
2002 Wooden Phone 5 David R. Flores Bob Baffert 1:41.83
2001 Freedom Crest 5 Gary Stevens Richard Baltas 1:41.94
2000 Dixie Dot Com 5 Pat Valenzuela William Morey 1:40.95
1999 Silver Charm 5 Gary Stevens Bob Baffert 1:41.78
1998 Hal's Pal 5 Brice Blanc Ben D. A. Cecil 1:41.89
1997 Kingdom Found 7 Gary Stevens Rafael Becerra 1:40.74
1996 Alphabet Soup 5 Chris Antley David Hofmans 1:41.66
1995 Del Mar Dennis 5 Alex Solis J. Paco Gonzalez 1:41.23
1994 Hill Pass 5 Chris McCarron Jack Van Berg 1:41.00
1993 Jovial 6 Mickey Walls Bruce L. Jackson 1:41.94
1992 Twilight Agenda 6 Kent Desormeaux D. Wayne Lukas 1:42.32
1991 Farma Way 4 Gary Stevens D. Wayne Lukas 1:40.80
1990 Criminal Type 5 Chris McCarron D. Wayne Lukas 1:42.40
1989 On The Line 5 Gary Stevens D. Wayne Lukas 1:41.00
1988 Super Diamond 8 Laffit Pincay, Jr. Edwin J. Gregson 1:43.00
1987 Epidaurus 5 Gary Baze Charles E. Whittingham 1:42.40
1986 Precisionist 5 Chris McCarron L. Ross Fenstermaker 1:41.20
1985 Hula Blaze 5 Pat Valenzuela Noble Threewitt 1:42.00
1984 Danebo 5 Laffit Pincay, Jr. Laz Barrera 1:41.80
1983 Regal Falcon 5 Eddie Delahoussaye Richard E. Mandella 1:43.20
1982 Five Star Flight 4 Laffit Pincay, Jr. Benjamin W. Perkins, Sr. 1:40.80
1981 Flying Paster 5 Chris McCarron Gordon C. Campbell 1:41.20
1980 Valdez 4 Laffit Pincay, Jr. Laz Barrera 1:40.20
1979 Mr. Redoy 5 Angel Cordero, Jr. A. Thomas Doyle 1:42.20
1978 Ancient Title 8 Darrel McHargue Keith L. Stucki, Sr. 1:40.20
1977 Uniformity 5 Fernando Toro Willard L. Proctor 1:41.00
1976 Lightning Mandate 5 Sandy Hawley Gary F. Jones 1:48.40
1975 Okavango 5 Fernando Toro David A. Whiteley 1:41.40
1974 Tri Jet 5 Bill Shoemaker Charles R. Parke 1:41.40
1973 Single Agent 5 Jerry Lambert Wayne B. Stucki 1:41.80
1972 Western Welcome 5 Laffit Pincay, Jr. Junior W. Nicholson 1:41.20
1971 Ack Ack 5 Bill Shoemaker Charles E. Whittingham 1:41.40
1970 Nodouble 5 Jorge Tejeira J. Bert Sonnier 1:40.40
1969 Kings Favor 6 Jack Leonard Darrell Cannon 1:45.60
1968 Kings Favor 5 Johnny Sellers Darrell Cannon 1:44.20
1967 Pretense 4 Bill Shoemaker Charles E. Whittingham 1:43.00
1966 Native Diver 7 Jerry Lambert Buster Millerick 1:41.00
1965 Candy Spots 5 Bill Shoemaker Mesh Tenney 1:42.20
1964 Olden Times 6 Bill Shoemaker Mesh Tenney 1:44.40
1963 Olden Times 5 Bill Shoemaker Mesh Tenney 1:42.20
1962 Micarlo 6 Angel Valenzuela Farrell W. Jones 1:47.80
1961 New Policy 4 Ismael Valenzuela John H. Adams 1:41.60
1960 Fleet Nasrullah 5 John Longden James I. Nazworthy 1:41.40
1959 Tempest II 5 Bill Shoemaker William Molter 1:42.60
1958 Terrang 5 William Boland Carl A. Roles 1:41.40
1957 Battle Dance 5 George Taniguchi Joe Boyce 1:42.20
1956 Bobby Brocato 5 George Taniguchi William Molter 1:42.60
1955 Rejected 5 Bill Shoemaker William J. Hirsch 2:04.60
1954 Phil D. 6 Merlin Volzke T. M. Holt 1:41.60
1953 Moonrush 7 Ralph Neves Willie F. Alvarado 1:43.40
1952 Be Fleet 5 Johnny Longden William Molter 1:44.00
1951 Moonrush 5 Fred A. Smith Willie F. Alvarado 1:42.40
1950 Solidarity 5 Ralph Neves Carl A. Roles 1:43.80
1949 Shim Malone 5 Ralph Neves Maurice W. Breshnen 1:45.60
1948 Olhaverry 9 Mel Peterson Anthony E. Silver 1:44.00
1947 Lets Dance 5 John Gilbert Joseph B. Rosen 1:43.60
1946 Lou-Bre 5 Robert Permane Bud Stotler 1:42.40
1945 Thumbs Up 6 Johnny Longden George M. Odom 1:44.60
1941 Mioland 4 Leon Haas Tom Smith 1:51.60
1940 Don Mike 6 Lester Balaski Lindsay C. Howard 1:50.00
1939 Gosum 5 Alan Gray Graceton Philpot 1:59.00
1938 Sun Egret 3 John H. Adams H. Guy Bedwell 1:23.40
1937 Special Agent 5 Basil James Darrell Cannon 1:42.80
1936 Proclivity 3 Tommy Luther Edward L. Fitzgerald 1:12.00
1935 Bluebeard 3 Harry Richards Clyde Phillips 1:12.80
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