LONGSHOT ONE MORE BID ALL HEART AS HE TAKES GRADE II, $200,000 SANTA ANITA MATHIS MILE BY A NOSE, GETTING TURF MILE IN 1:33.67

ARCADIA, Calif. (Dec. 26, 2022)—The longest shot in in a field of six sophomores at 16-1, the Ryan Hanson-trained One More Bid was tough as nails when it counted, as he prevailed by a nose in Santa Anita’s Classic Meet lid lifter, the Grade II, $200,000 Santa Anita Mathis Mile. Ridden by Ramon Vazquez, One More Bid held off 8-5 favorite Balnikhov on the money while getting the mile on turf in 1:33.67.

A comfortable second behind pacesetter and eventual third place finisher Sumter to the top of the lane, One More Bid, in a protracted drive, edged by Sumter a sixteenth of a mile out and then held Balnikhov at bay to his outside late.

A one mile turf maiden special weight winner in his eighth start on Nov. 19 at Del Mar, One More Bid, who provided Hanson and his wife, Michelle Yu of XBTV with their first Grade II victory, was ridden for the fifth consecutive time by Vazquez and paid $35.00, $10.60 and $4.80.

A 3-year-old gelding by California Chrome out of the Scat Daddy mare Never Grow Old, One More Bid is owned by California Racing Partners, Ciaglia Racing, LLC and Ryan Hanson.

With today’s winner’s share of $120,000, One More Bid hiked his earnings to $234,640 from an overall mark of 9-2-4-1.

Irish-bred Balnikhov, who was last, about seven off the lead leaving the half mile pole, saved ground at the rail to the quarter pole under Tyler Gaffalione, angled three-deep and was second best in a thrilling finish while returning $3.40 and $2.40.

Ridden by Mike Smith, Sumter appeared to be well within himself through splits of 23.31, 46.50, 1:10.16 and 1:21.88 but tired late while finishing 1 ¼ lengths behind Balnikhov.

Off at 3-1, Sumter paid $3.60 to show.