ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) — California Flag defeated Excessive Passion by a half-length on Monday to win the $100,000 Morvich Stakes for the third time at Santa Anita.
Ridden by Patrick Valenzuela, California Flag ran 612 furlongs on the turf in 1:11.91 and paid $15.40, $9.80 and $6 as the 6-1 third choice.
Excessive Passion returned $14.40 and $9.20, while Ain’t No Other was another half-length back in third and paid $4.60 to show.
It was California Flag’s first victory since August 2010 at Del Mar. The 7-year-old gelding had won the Morvich in 2008 and ’09.
Another Breeders’ Cup prospect emerged Monday when Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s Secret Circle won the $71,340 Jack Goodman Stakes by 514 lengths while running six furlongs in 1:08.27 under Rafael Bejarano.
