Congaree Right at Home on Main Track

Don’t look for Congaree in a turf race near you any time soon.

Since finishing seventh at 9-10 in his grass debut in the Oak Tree Mile three months ago, the chestnut son of Arazi in two subsequent races has looked like perhaps the best handicap horse in the country.

Following up his smashing, 5 1/2-length win in the Cigar Mile on Nov. 30 at Aqueduct, Congaree was even more dominant in the $150,000 San Pasqual Handicap on Saturday at Santa Anita.

Owned by Robert and Janice McNair’s Stonerside Stable and trained by Bob Baffert, the 4-5 favorite cruised to a six-length win over 4-1 second choice Kudos and seven others in 1:41 for the 1 1/16 miles.

Perfect in three main-track starts at Santa Anita and now two for three with jockey Jerry Bailey, the 121-pound highweight relaxed well off the moderate pace set by longshot Freedom Crest, then moved up three-wide on the outside and pulled away without being asked for his best. He completed the last sixteenth of a mile in a rapid six seconds.

This was the eighth victory in 15 starts for Congaree, who, by the way he relaxed Saturday, seems ready to tackle 1 1/4 miles, the distance of the $1-million Santa Anita Handicap on March 1. Other possibilities include the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 22 and the Dubai World Cup on March 29.

“He’s really filled out and blossomed as he’s gotten older,” said Baffert, who won the San Pasqual for a second consecutive year and for the third time since 1999. “He’s just phenomenal now, a pretty serious horse. He could have gone a mile and a half today. Jerry seems to be a perfect fit for him.”

This was the first stakes win of 2003 for Bailey, who, with 67 last year, fell one shy of tying Mike Smith’s record of 68 stakes victories set in 1994. Bailey won’t have many, if any, easier wins the rest of the year.

“Right now, he’s a good horse and the fact that he’s relaxing makes him even better,” Bailey said. “That was very impressive.”

Making his first start since winning the Oaklawn Park Handicap last April 6, Kudos finished a nose in front of Hot Market, then came Piensa Sonando, Freedom Crest, Nose The Trade, Kela, Cottage and Mercenary.

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A narrow loser in the California Cup Distaff on Nov. 2, Shalini was on the right end of the photo Saturday in the $108,400 Pro Or Con Handicap at Santa Anita.

Beaten a nose by Nicole’s Pursuit in her last appearance in Arcadia, the 4-year-old Urgent Request filly and co-third choice at 7-2 edged 10-1 shot Serene In Seattle to win by a neck in 1:36 2/5 for the mile on turf.

Owned by a partnership that includes James Briere and trained by Craig Dollase, Shalini was ridden by Corey Nakatani as she won for the third time in 13 starts. Nicole’s Pursuit, the 5-2 favorite, wasted a perfect trip and finished fifth in the field of seven Cal-bred fillies and mares.

“She had to go wider than everybody else,” Dollase said, referring to his horse breaking from post 11 in the Distaff. “We wanted to give her a little freshening after that and it looks like it has paid off so far.”

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Point Prince, who began his career beating $12,500 maidens, became a graded stakes winner when he staged a $60.60 upset in the $150,000 Appleton Handicap at Gulfstream Park.