Longshot Senor Rain wins at Santa Anita

ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) — Senor Rain beat Brigand by 1 1/2 lengths Friday in the $58,350 feature at 21-1 odds at Santa Anita, leaving trainer Peter Miller impressed enough to consider a Kentucky Derby bid for the 3-year-old Indiana-bred gelding.

Ridden by apprentice Eswan Flores, Senor Rain ran seven furlongs in 1:21.50 and paid $44.80, $12.20 and $3.80.

Miller says it was by far Senor Rain’s best race and if the gelding takes them in the direction of the May 5 Kentucky Derby then he says they’ll go.

Brigand returned $5 and $2.40, while Consulado was another 1 1/2 lengths back in third and paid $2.10 to show as the odds-on favorite.

Flores says Brigand tried to bite his horse during the stretch run, which allowed him to pass Brigand.

The victory, worth $34,800, increased Senor Rain’s career earnings to $119,216, with three wins in nine starts. His had two third-place finishes in his four previous starts, although he was soundly beaten in his last start when he finished ninth in the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields on Feb. 18.