Salute The Sarge Joins Derby Trail

SALUTE THE SARGE (Forest Wildcat) was not favored to win the $78,000 San Miguel S. on Saturday, but perhaps should have been based on a victory last year in the Best Pal S. (G2) and runner-up finishes in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and Norfolk S. (G1). The Eric Guillot-trained bay rated behind a fast pace and set sail through the lane to prove 1 3/4 lengths best in the six-furlong feature for three-year-olds, getting the distance in 1:09 over Santa Anita's Cushion Track.

"This horse has been training phenomenal, and he ran phenomenal," winning rider Michael Baze said. "Coming to the top of the lane, I wanted to take my time with him, let him switch leads and then ask him, but he caught them so fast, he caught me by surprise."

Owned by Southern Equine Stable, the nom de course of Michael Moreno, the Kentucky-bred colt was making his first start since finishing ninth of 11 in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Monmouth Park.

Guillot said that the colt is probably bound for the Kentucky Derby (G1), with the April 19 Lexington S. (G2) at Keeneland serving as his final prep.
"I'm probably going to run him in the Derby so my partner can get the Derby fever out of his system," Guillot said, before adding, "It depends on what Signature Move (Vindication) does (in the April 5 Santa Anita Derby [G1])."

Salute the Sarge's record improved to 7-4-2-0 with earnings of $333,340...