Midnight Mammoth will go from the role of favorite in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 31 to the probable outsider of six in Saturday’s Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap.
The change is caused by a last-place finish in a field of five in the San Pasqual, run 15 days after Midnight Mammoth won an allowance race at seven furlongs in his first start in more than four months.
“We thought he’d run better in his last start,” trainer Craig Dollase said on Wednesday. “We’ve rebounded. We’ve had five weeks. Here we are.”
Midnight Mammoth, owned by Jeffrey Sengara, is a 7-year-old gelding who has won 9 of 39 starts and earned $464,380. He is by far the most experienced runner in the $300,000 Big Cap at 1 1/4 miles, and he's the only one to have started in last year’s race. There, Midnight Mammoth was fourth of eight, finishing 14 1/2 lengths behind Locked, who won by a record 8 1/2 lengths.
Midnight Mammoth has won two allowance races in the last year, including at 1 1/16 miles last April. An upset win on Saturday would be the first stakes win for Midnight Mammoth since the Grade 3 Cougar II Handicap at 1 1/2 miles at Del Mar in July 2024.
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The dirt marathon division in California no longer exists. The Cougar II Handicap has not been run since 2024. The Tokyo City Cup at 1 1/2 miles at Santa Anita is now run at a mile.
There are ample distance stakes on turf on the circuit, but Midnight Mammoth is winless in six starts on that surface, including a last-place finish of eight in the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes at 1 1/2 miles at Santa Anita last March.
“They took my Cougar race away from me and the Tokyo City,” Dollase said. “C’mon, guys.”
Midnight Mammoth was claimed for $50,000 in March 2023. He has since earned $352,230.
“He’s been a great claim,” Dollase said.
Midnight Mammoth is one of four stakes winners in the Big Cap field, along with Westwood, who won the San Pasqual; Getaway Car, winner of the Sunland Park Derby in 2025; and Vodka Vodka, who won the Unusual Heat Turf Classic for statebreds at Santa Anita on Jan. 17.
Just a Touch is the lone shipper. He hails from trainer Brad Cox’s Florida stable.
Just a Touch has won 3 of 10 starts but is winless in seven stakes. Among them, Just a Touch was last of 20 in the 2024 Kentucky Derby, third in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile Handicap at Saratoga last June, and second by a neck at 9-10 in the Grade 3 Louisiana Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Fair Grounds on Jan. 17 in his only start this year.
British Isles, fifth in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan.24, is also part of the Big Cap field.
The race was expected to have seven runners, but Pegasus World Cup winner Skippylongstocking was withdrawn after he became upset on an airplane moments before departure on Tuesday. He was unloaded from the plane and remains in Florida.
With Westwood and Getaway Car in the field, the Big Cap should have a solid pace. Dollase said Midnight Mammoth, who drew the inside post, will not be far from the front under jockey Armando Ayuso. He could lead or have a stalking trip.
“We may send him out of there,” Dollase said. “I’ll do a little more handicapping with Ayuso and figure out how the horse is feeling. He’s had some good works coming into this. We’re optimistic.”
The Big Cap is the 10th race on an 11-race program that begins at noon Pacific. It includes three other graded stakes – the Grade 1 Beholder Mile for fillies and mares, the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles, and the Grade 2 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf.
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