ARCADIA, Calif. -- Crown of Thorns beat Coast Guard by 2½
lengths Saturday in the $200,000 Robert Lewis Stakes at Santa
Anita.
Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Crown of Thorns ran 1 1-16 miles in
1:40.76 and paid $5.40, $3.40 and $2.60 in the Kentucky Derby prep
for 3-year-olds.
Coast Guard returned $4 and $2.80, and Reflect Times paid $2.80
to show.
Espinoza rallied Crown of Thorns from third place, going through
an opening at the rail near the five-sixteenths pole.
"I was a little worried about using him early, so when we made
the lead, I just sat still on him," he said. "This horse is
getting better with every race and he can do anything. I really
think we could put him on the lead and win that way, too."
Crown of Thorns earned his first victory on New Year's Day by
seven lengths for trainer Richard Mandella and owner B. Wayne
Hughes, who purchased the colt for $300,000 last March.
"I was worried as he went into the three-eighths pole, hoping
he would get a little luck there, and as it turned out, he did,"
Mandella said. "This was pretty convincing."
Mandella said Crown of Thorns could race next in the $200,000
Sham Stakes on March 1 and then the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on
April 5.
The victory, worth $120,000, increased Crown of Thorns' career
earnings to $179,640, with two wins in three starts. He was fifth
in his debut on Dec. 8 at Hollywood Park.