ARCADIA, Calif. – A lightly raced gelding whose workouts were more impressive than his races scored an upset victory Sunday in the first stakes race on opening day of the winter meet at Santa Anita.
Hiding in Honduras ($21.40) benefitted from a ground-saving ride under Antonio Fresu to win the Grade 2 Mathis Mile by a head over pacesetter Tempus Volat. Namaron, the odds-on favorite, loomed a threat at the top of the lane, but merely went one-paced to finish third.
Jonathan Thomas trains Hiding in Honduras, who was making just his third start in the Mathis, a turf mile restricted to 3-year-olds. He won his sprint debut at Presque Isle Downs, followed by a lackluster fourth in the Let It Ride Stakes racing two turns on turf Oct. 30 at Del Mar.
“He got pin-balled around, it was his first time on turf,” Thomas explained. “We asked a lot of him.”
Thomas entered Hiding in Honduras in an entry-level allowance on Nov. 29 at Del Mar, but he got loose behind the gate and scratched. After two starts, Hiding in Honduras had stalled. But he was sending Thomas the right signals in the morning the Dialed In gelding was entered in the Mathis.
“He just trains like he’s a way-above-average horse,” Thomas said, and repeated the comment for emphasis. “He trains very well, like very-very well.”
Fresu gave Hiding in Honduras a great trip, tucked third or fourth on the rail behind pacesetter Tempus Volat. Fresu waited for room, angled two-wide into the stretch, and got up on the wire. His final time over a course listed “good’ was 1:35.13. The race earned an 85 Beyer Speed Figure.
Hiding in Honduras is owned by Robert La Penta.
The disappointment was odds-on Namaron, trained by John Sadler and ridden by Flavien Prat. He had no excuse. Prat positioned him fourth, swung out three-wide into the lane, but the gelding did not kick.
“I had a good trip,” Prat said. “He gave me a good run, but then he went a bit even.” Namaron finished a length behind Tempus Volat.
After the top three, the order of finish was completed by Friendly Confines, Lyle The Crocodile and Geometry. Maaz was scratched.
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