SA Handicap – Grade I
1 1/4 Mile Dirt Graded Stake Purse $300.000 Four-Year-Olds And Upward. At SA

SA Handicap is one of the grand old races of HRP. First run in 2005 was won by Jerry Garcia Racing’s legendary Icicle winner of just shy of $9,000.000. Many other famous names followed: Lone Winner, Dark Crown, Il Miglio Fabro, Like Now, Risen Ruler, Atomic Twister… one horse, Diablo Diablo’s Achilles, won the race twice. One owner, Mb Stables, has won four editions. As to today’s race, it is an unusual battle between two stablemates which dead heated with each other in their last encounter in the Grade II San Pasqual Stakes. Owner Nakamura Stables can only be hoping for close to a repeat of that race. Here’s the field:

Horse                                  Owner                               Odds  SRF

Classic Look                       Nakamura Stables             *8-5      102

Special Event                     Nakamura Stables              9-5      102

Individuation                        Mb Stables                        6-1        97

Jerry                                   Threshold                           8-1        94

Star Vault                            Mb Stables                          3-1      101

Dont Ever Try It                  Night Rider Stables             4-1      100

El Gran Cambio                  Bears Stable                       5-1        98

Personal Ruler                     Mo Mentum Farm               8-1        99

Test The Waters                  Royalty Stables                 10-1        97        

Law Professor                     Rock Creek                       12-1        94

1  Classic Look                         Nakamura Stables              102

Classic Look and stablemate Special Event had the unique experience of dead heating in the Grade II San Pasqual Stakes locally last starts. Both have nearly identical form. Neither have any 1 1/4 mile experience to fall back on. On paper, they look a dead heat again. I’m going with Classic Look because he’s working slightly faster and he’s a year younger, but boy, Nak is having fun with these two.

2  Personal Ruler               Mo Mentum Farm                  95

Personal Ruler is one of those profitable horses that places in stakes frequently and pops up to win a Graded stakes race every now and then. He ended his six-year-old season with a victory in the $75.000 Kris Kringle Handicap at PRX, but his 2026 debut went poorly. It, unfortunately, may be the sign that age seven with 40 races may be time for the paddocks.

3   El Gran Cambio                   Bears Stable                98

About half El Gran Cambio’s life was spent in relative anonymity until he was claimed from Lazy Eye for 12.500 where he went on a winning streak, winning three straight for his new owner Panionios Racing who lost him to a $10.000 claim by Bears Stable… and the streak continued with three more wins culminating in a victory in the Grade III Mineshaft Stakes at FG. He has continued on as a Graded stakes horse, winning the Grade III Greenwood Cup at PRX in September. He comes here off a handy win in a SUN allowance race that earned a 98 SRF.

4   Star Vault                      Mb Stables              101

After eight races, Star Vault was auctioned off by Smokey Stover for $90.000 after failing to perform in stakes races as expected. His first six races were not particularly promising for his new connections, even running in a $50.000 claiming race, but then after winning the claimer, he continued with new aplomb eventually winning the $175.000 Downs at ALB followed by a two-length romp in the Grade II Cigar Mile Handicap at AQU. He ran sixth in his last race, the Grade I Pegasus World Cup at GP, yet managed a 101 SRF in loss. Top three chance here.

5   Individuation                  Mb Stables                      97

Since running fourth in the Grade III Vosburgh, Individuation has been prepping in allowance races, even went down to LRL for an easy three-length win. The seven-year-old multimillionaire will hardly be a short price here, but he will be exceptionally fresh. He may be getting a little long in the tooth, but I don’t think it’s time to give up on him. Good chance at a good price.

6   Special Event             Nakamura Stables         96

Special Event dead heated with stable mate Classic Look in the Grade II San Pasqual Stakes, and I can’t tell the two of them apart. As usual, they won’t tie again, so I’ll let them separate themselves. I give the edge to Classic Look based on works, but race conditions, post positions could make the difference swing either way, not to mention eight other horses in the race. It will be interesting.

7   Test The Waters                Mb Stables                      97

Test The Waters has not been successful at the Graded level since 2024 and particularly not on dirt. He never has been much at distances as far as 1 1/4 miles, so he’s worrisome here. He does come here on a high note, though, with a win in a TAM overnight.

8   Law Professor                        Rock Creek              94

It took

Law Professor ten races to break his maiden, and his career has never seen a single stakes race, much less a Grade I. Claimed for $14.000 from Jormav two races back, he has been in good form, but good form for overnights at FG, not Grade I’s at SA.

9   Jerry                             Threshold              94

Jerry is a nice longshot chance here basically because one of the favourite things the lightly raced gelding likes to do is race at 1 1/4 miles, including an impressive deep close third in the Grade I JC Gold Cup at SAR. He comes here off a come from a behind win in a SUN allowance that makes me think he will be sharp for this race.

10   Dont Ever Try It                         Night Rider Stables             100

Dont Ever Try It won his first Graded stakes race in his thirtieth start. Up to that race, he had never raced beyond 1 1/8 miles. His next race was a deep closing fourth in the Grade II San Pasqual Stakes locally, beaten only a length and earning a 100 SRF in loss. Although it never really works that way, you look at that race and think if was 1 1/4 miles, he would have won the race. Well, here’s the chance for the $5.000 horse to prove he can do it.

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES