British Isles Rolls in Depleted Santa Anita Handicap

Nick Cosato and Richard Baltas each grew up at Santa Anita Park, falling in love with the sport through annual renditions of the Santa Anita Handicap (G1). Both the owner and trainer had tears in their eyes after British Isles won the March 7 edition of the historic race for them. It was also the first Thoroughbred grade 1 victory for jockey Diego Herrera. "I've got pictures of me holding John Henry the year he won and King Go Go was second (1981)," Cosato said. "I was a kid. All the history of this race—I parked cars in the Arcadia park when Lord At War won (in 1985 before an on-track record crowd of 85,527). It's surreal." After the scratches of Skippylongstocking and Westwood, British Isles went off as the 7-1 fourth choice in the field of five. Just a Touch, shipping in after a narrow second in the Jan. 17 Louisiana Stakes (G3), was the 3-5 favorite. When the gate opened in the 1 1/4-mile Santa Anita Handicap, Midnight Mammoth went to the front, with Bob Baffert-trained Getaway Car in second. Herrera tucked British Isles into third, where the gelding happily galloped along for the first 6 furlongs, behind fractions of :22.86 for a quarter-mile, :46.63 for a half-mile, and 1:11.31 for 6 furlongs. British Isles inched up closer to the two leaders down the backstretch while three wide. They pulled away from him into the turn, and he took another run at them, this time taking over the lead. Once British Isles got in front, he dominated. He increased his margin with every stride throughout the stretch, ultimately crossing the wire 4 1/2 lengths ahead of closing Vodka Vodka and stopping the timer in 2:05.17. Getaway Car held on for third. Baltas trains British Isles for Cosato's Slam Dunk Racing, Cynthia McClanahan, and Baltas' wife, Deborah. Cosato and Baltas bought the colt as a 3-year-old privately in 2024, gelded him, and tried to make into a turf horse. British Isles broke his maiden on the turf in his second start for them. "We thought turf was the angle for him," Cosato said. "But he's probably not a stakes horse on the turf because he would always breeze so great on the dirt. I finally convinced Richie to run him on the dirt, and he was reluctant." British Isles raced 16 times on the turf before Cosato and Baltas switched him back to dirt in the Nov. 22 Native Diver Stakes (G3) at Del Mar. He ran second to Baffert-trained Nevada Beach and then shipped to Florida, where he finished fifth in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1). "I was between here and the Essex before we ran in the Pegasus Cup," Cosato said. "I know a lot of these horses would be going to the Middle East." Cosato also praised Baltas and his team for managing a throat issue that occurred out of British Isles' final work, 5 furlongs in :59 4/5 at Santa Anita Feb. 28. "The job that their team, along with the vets, the way they were able to eradicate what he had going on was a fantastic job," Cosato said. British Isles means even more to Cosato because the gelding's sire, Justify, memorably gave Cosato a huge Kentucky Derby (G1) future book payout in Las Vegas in 2018. Herrera, who began his career on Quarter Horses, at one point riding at Santa Anita during the day and Los Alamitos Race Course at night, has partnered British Isles in his last four races. "I don't even have any words—it is such a blessing," Herrera said of his first Thoroughbred grade 1 win. "Thank God that everything came together today. Thank Richie, thank my agent, and Nick Cosato. I'm just very grateful." British Isles is a Kentucky-bred out of the graded stakes-winning Pure Prize are Purely Hot and was bred in the name of Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt. He started five times for Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael Tabor while trained by Baffert before being purchased by his current connections. Purely Hot has also produced Eight Rings, a grade 1 winner trained by Baffert who raced for Coolmore and partners. Eight Rings is now a stallion in California, with his first foals 2-year-olds of 2026. British Isles, Grand Job, Resplendence, and Just Katherine are 2026 stakes winners sired by Justify, who won the 2018 Triple Crown while trained by Baffert. The stallion stands for a 2026 stud fee of $200,000 at Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky.