Georgie Boy gets up in time in San Felipe

Saturday's $200,000 San Felipe S. (G2) at Santa Anita featured a trio of speedy sophomores who were being tested over a route of ground for the first time. Only one, George Schwary's homebred GEORGIE BOY (Tribal Rule), managed to pass the test. With jockey Michael Baze subbing for the injured Rafael Bejarano, the California-bred sophomore finished with a flourish to catch Gayego (Gilded Time) and win going away by three-quarters of a length. Georgie Boy reeled off 1 1/16 miles in 1:42 1/5 on the Cushion Track, and in the process, emerged as a rival for West Coast division leaders Colonel John (Tiznow) and El Gato Malo (El Corredor).

In the early going, the Kathy Walsh-trained Georgie Boy raced in third, content to watch the other stretch-out sprinters duke it out on the front end. Bob Black Jack (Stormy Jack) showed the way through fractions of :24 1/5, :48 3/5 and 1:13, but he was pestered throughout by Gayego, whose persistent attention grew into a stern challenge on the far turn. Gayego mastered Bob Black Jack in the stretch, while Georgie Boy had to angle out for running room.

Once Georgie Boy had a clear path and commenced his rally, Gayego began to drift out slightly. The eventual winner paid no attention to that development, but merely rolled on by to post his third straight victory. The 7-5 favorite rewarded his loyalists with payouts of $4.80, $3.20 and $2.60, and spearheaded the $1 exotics: $9.40 exacta, $27.90 trifecta and $106.50 superfecta (4-1-3-5).

"Around the far turn, I just had to wait, wait, wait and at the top of the lane, I was able to swing out and say 'Goodbye,'" Baze said. "He really impressed me more after we hit the wire. I had a harder time pulling him up than I did during the race. I didn't get him pulled up until the five-eighths pole."

"He had nowhere to accelerate to," Walsh observed. "He had so much horse all the way around. He's a smart enough horse (that) he wasn't going to run up on horses' heels."

Gayego crossed the wire one length ahead of Bob Black Jack, returning $4.60 and $3.40 as the nearly 4-1 third choice. Bob Black Jack, the 7-2 second choice, gave back $3 to show. Indian Sun (Indian Charlie) came another 5 1/2 lengths astern in fourth, trailed by Chop House George (Untuttable), High Stakes Silver (Silver Deputy), Southwest (Cozzene), Shediak (Fr) (Selkirk) and Go for Cover (Elusive Quality).

Georgie Boy improved his record to 7-4-2-1, $496,806. Last summer, the dark bay gelding broke his maiden in the Graduation S. at Del Mar in his third career start. After finishing a solid second to Salute the Sarge (Forest Wildcat) in the Best Pal S. (G2), Georgie Boy came charging from near the back of the pack to take the Del Mar Futurity (G1) in his juvenile finale. Walsh gave him an extended break by design, and he returned the favor with a 3 1/4-length triumph in the San Vicente S. (G2) in his three-year-old debut.

The first foal from the stakes-winning Ippodamia (Peterhof), Georgie Boy has an unnamed yearling half-sister by Old Topper and a newborn full sister. This is the family of Grade 1 queens Celtic Melody (Mr. Greeley) and Delicate Vine (Knights Choice), as well as multiple Grade 2 heroine House of Fortune (Free House).
Walsh has not decided upon Georgie Boy's next assignment, or who will ride him on that occasion.

"We're just going to get through this race and make up our mind," the trainer said. "Michael couldn't have done a better job than he did today, but we'll discuss everything."