ARCADIA, Calif. — Si Sage led all the way to win the $200,000 Charles Whittingham Stakes by 2 1/2 lengths Sunday at Santa Anita.
Ridden by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, Si Sage ran 1 1/4 miles on turf in 1:59.48 and paid $25, $11.80 and $9.40 at 11-1 odds in the Grade 2 race.
France-bred Patentar returned $25.40 and $11.80 at 32-1 odds. Montego Bay was another half-length back in third and paid $10.60 to show at 20-1 odds.
Bal a Bali, the 7-5 favorite, finished fourth in the field of 10.
Si Sage won in his third start after nearly a one-year layoff for trainer Jim Cassidy.
“Jim told me he was going to run a big race,” Smith said. “He got carried out a little bit when we were crossing the dirt (shortly after the start) and we went a bit quicker than I wanted to go, but in doing so he was well within himself, was comfortable, very relaxed and sometimes you’ve just got to let a fast horse be fast.”
The victory, worth $120,000, increased Si Sage’s career earnings to $381,795, with five wins in 26 starts.
