GOMEZ ADDS GR. III DAYTONA ON 39th BIRTHDAY, UPSET LEADS TO PICK SIX CARRYOVER OF $120,599

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 1, 2011) – Garrett Gomez, whose working 39th birthday had begun by riding Spring Style to a major upset in the earlier Grade II, $150,000 Robert J. Frankel Stakes, returned later on Santa Anita’s Saturday program to score with 8-1 upsetter Dilemma in the Grade III, $100,000 Daytona Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs on turf.

The result in the eighth of nine New Year’s Day races ensured a Pick Six carryover of $120,599 into Sunday’s nine-race program that begins at 12:30 p.m. The Pick Six sequence will begin with the fourth race.

Gomez rallied Glen Hill Farm’s Dilemma on the extreme outside to outfinish 3-1 Quick Enough by 1 ¼ lengths after the pair had overhauled 2-1 Regally Ready in midstretch.

Winless in his previous five starts for trainer Tom Proctor, Dilemma covered the distance in 1:12.28 and paid $19.60, $7 and $4.60. Quick Enough, with Patrick Valenzuela in the saddle, returned $4.40 and $3.40 while Regally Ready, ridden by Joel Rosario, paid $3.20.

“When I got him outside,” Gomez said of the winner, “he came home well and finished really good. He’s seven, and hopefully coming into his prime now, but apparently he hasn’t lost a step.”

Dilemma’s purse earnings of $60,000 increased his career total to $366,656 from a record of 6-5-3 in 22 starts for the stable of Leonard Lavin.

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