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Buzzard's Bay Wins the Santa Anita Derby
In
a heart-pounding stunner, 30-1 long shot Buzzards
Bay upset heavily favored filly Sweet Catomine
in the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on Saturday,
handing trainer Jeff Mullins an unprecedented
third straight victory in the last major West
Coast prep race before the May 7 Kentucky Derby
and ending the filly's run for the roses before
it ever got started.
With
all eyes focused on Sweet Catomine's bold move
to take on the boys for the first time after
manhandling fillies in five straight victories,
it was a very quiet week around the Fog City
Stables barn. But the lack of attention didn't
bother Florida-bred Buzzard's Bay, who muscled
his way out of the cramped field of 11 but hung
on to take the 1 1/8-mile race by just half
a length in 1 minute 49.18 seconds.
"It
was a rush, man, because I knew they were coming
at me from both sides, and he's a fighter,"
said Mark Guidry, who negotiated Buzzards Bay
through the largest field to run the Santa Anita
Derby since 1981.
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