Truly A Judge Quite a Find

Truly A Judge, a $20,000 claim by trainer Dave Bernstein for owners Alan Aidekman, Gaylord Ailshie and Tom Harris more than three years ago, is getting better with age.

On New Year’s Day, the day all thoroughbreds celebrate a birthday, the now 7-year-old Judge T C gelding won his third in a row, prevailing as the 1-2 favorite under jockey Martin Pedroza in the $150,000 San Gabriel Handicap. Since the beginning of 2004, the dark bay has won four of nine and earned $277,218. He has 12 wins from 42 starts overall and has banked $685,131.

Originally scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on the turf, Saturday’s San Gabriel was moved to the dirt because of the recent heavy rain and led to four scratches, including the Bobby Frankel-trained pair of Epicentre and Lundy’s Liability.

Reduced to a Grade III after being a Grade II on the lawn, the San Gabriel was the second consecutive stakes win for Truly A Judge, who had taken the Native Diver Handicap three weeks earlier at Hollywood Park.

Hounded by longshot Forty Suertudo for a good portion of the race, Truly A Judge put that one away around the turn and went on to beat 5-1 third choice Star Cross by a length in 1:48.90.

“This is the best horse I’ve ever claimed,” Bernstein said. “He had earned like $20,000 when we claimed him. He’s got a lovely stride and my assistant Tony [Torres] has done a marvelous job with him.

“He works on his feet night and day. He’s got problems with quarter cracks and everything else, but when he runs he really lays them down.”

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The win by Vikki’s Honor in her debut in Saturday’s sixth race at Santa Anita was an emotional one for trainer Adam Kitchingman and jockey Joe Steiner.

The 3-year-old Bartok filly, who ran the six furlongs in 1:09.81 in leading every step of the way, was named for Kitchingman’s wife, who died several months ago after battling cancer.

Owned by a partnership, Vikki’s Honor was bred in California by Larry Konecne and purchased for $32,000 last summer at Barretts.

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Jockey Jerry Bailey and trainer Bobby Frankel collected their first stakes victory of 2005 when 6-5 favorite Personal Legend won the $100,000 Stage Door Betty Handicap at Calder in Miami.

Owned by Ed Gann, Personal Legend, a 5-year-old Awesome Again mare, won for the second time in a row and sixth time in 18 career starts.

The Stage Door Betty was one of four stakes on the next-to-last card of the meet at Calder. Other winners were Lord Robyn, a 7-1 shot who went wire-to-wire in the $100,000 Tropical Park Derby; Dansetta Light, the 2-1 favorite who prevailed by a neck in the $100,000 Tropical Park Oaks, and 9-1 shot Lady In Pink, a 2 1/2 -length winner of the $50,000 Happy New Year.

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Trainer Steve Asmussen, who set a record for wins in a year by a trainer in 2004, picked up where he left off on the first day of 2005 with four victories at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

Asmussen won the fourth with Diamonds For Dixie, the sixth with Road Ruler, the seventh with Skip Irish and the $50,000 Thelma Stakes with favored More Moonlight.

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Jake Skate, the 5-2 third choice in a field of four, beat favored Adreamisborn to win the $75,000-added Lafayette Handicap over a sloppy surface at Golden Gate Fields.

Iggy Puglisi rode the 5-year-old son of Arch, who ran the mile in 1:35.73.