Betting With, and Against, Buetane in the San Vicente Stakes

A compact field of five will dash seven panels on the Santa Anita dirt in Saturday’s $200,000 San Vicente (G2). Hopeful (G1) runner-up #3 Buetane (6-5) is one of two in the field for Bob Baffert and is the one to beat in his three-year-old bow. Purchased for $1.15 million as a juvenile, the son of good young sire Tiz the Law made good at first asking at Del Mar when registering a 3 1/2-length score on Aug. 3 while being sent off as the prohibitive 3-10 favorite. 

Buetane – With

• $20 trifecta key 3 with 2,4 ($40)

Buetane – Against

• $3 trifecta 3,4 with 2,3,4 with all ($36)

Buetane capped his brief two-year-old campaign with a second behind soon-to-be champion Ned Toffey, and the Kentucky-bred chestnut has trained steadily and swiftly in the interim. He will be put into the mix from the early stages of the heat with go-to pilot Juan Hernandez in the stirrups. 

A case can be made for each of the other four in the feature, including #4 Acknowledgemeplz (5-2). One of two in the cast for Doug O’Neill, the Bucchero sophomore ran a pair of big maiden races against fine foes prior to finishing unplaced in his route debut in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) last time out. The $75,000 purchase will be equipped with blinkers for the initial time in the contest, and if the equipment change aids the Florida-bred, he will be dangerous late in the small group. I expect Kimura to send him from the break and to force the pace throughout. 

#2 So Happy (3-1) was an upset winner at Del Mar in his lone run to date and could be a nice prospect for trainer Mark Glatt. The son of Runhappy brought $150,000 at OBS in March and ran professionally in his unveiling when posting a measured win over a big field. The Kentucky-bred colt was not flattered when the runner-up out of the heat came back to miss the board as a huge favorite in his next appearance, but the bay still has appeal to me and could sit a fine voyage from off the expected contested early pace. Mike Smith retains the mount.