Sabino Canyon notches second straight stakes win in Petramalo Mile

Coming off his victory a month ago in the Los Alamitos Derby, Sabino Canyon made it two stakes wins in a row with a game score over Bravaro in Saturday’s $100,000 Petramalo Mile S. at Colonial Downs.

After giving Bob Baffert his 10^th Los Al Derby win, Sabino Canyon had been training at Baffert’s Churchill Downs base in preparation for Saturday’s one-mile affair for 3-year-olds. Content to sit behind dueling frontrunners Bravaro and Six Speed for the first five furlongs, Sabino Canyon made his move for the lead while three wide on the turn. The trio were side-by-side at the top of the stretch before Six Speed weakened with a furlong to run. Sabino Canyon held a narrow advantage the rest of the way, winning by a neck in 1:35.24 for the one-turn mile on a fast track.

“I think, at the mile, in the first eighth of a mile, he was struggling to get his stride together,” jockey John Velazquez said. “Once he got comfortable in his stride, I got him up going to the turn and moved there. So the longer he goes, the better it’s going to be for him.”

Owned by Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Sabino Canyon has the distinction of losing both his maiden races and winning two stakes. He has earned $124,000 in four starts.