Anthony's Cross Upsets Tapizar To Win Robert B. Lewis

Tapizar tried to play catch me if you can with the field, but ending up going too fast, too early, as Anthony's Cross caught him at the top of the stretch and battled to take the $250,000 Grade II Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita yesterday. Anthony's Cross nudged by runner up Riveting Reason at the finish line to crack the top 20 Derby contenders, with graded stakes earnings of $162,000. You can watch the replay of the race by clicking here.

As most thought he would, Tapizar ran out to the early lead with Anthony's Cross and Quail Hill a few lengths behind as the field progressed through the first quarter that was clocked at an explosive 19.11. Tapizar continued to lead through the backstretch, but his pace slowed down considerably in the second quarter. Tapizar began to see his lead diminish in the final turn as Anthony's Cross began to make his move on the outside and Riveting Reason sat right behind the two in front. Anthony's Cross took the lead two-wide at the top part of the turn and as Tapizar began to fade, Riveting Reason tried running at Anthony's Cross on the outside. Riveting Reason and Anthony's Cross battled back and forth for the lead in the final stages of the race, but it was Anthony's Cross who found just enough to defeat Riveting Reason by a nose. The heavily favoured Tapizar would settle for a disappointing fifth.

With the win, Anthony's Cross is now on to the Santa Anita Derby and will be looking to take that one as well. Should he win the Santa Anita Derby, Anthony's Cross could be in line for a $5.5 million payday if he were to also win the Preakness Stakes. With that in mind, Anthony's Cross may even choose to skip the Kentucky Derby to go for that massive purse. For Tapizar, it's back to the drawing board. Many thought Tapizar was the top three-year-old in California racing, but that title is surely in question now. With only $65,000 in graded stakes earnings, Tapizar will need to make up a lot of ground if he wants a place in the Kentucky Derby. It's still very possible, but it may be a tough task after such a disappointing performance.

Posted in: Triple Crown