Jasmine Torrez

At odds of 60-1, Call Sign Seven flipped the horse racing script by landing the Grade II Seabiscuit Handicap worth $200,000 at one mile and one-sixteenth on grass. From a rail-hugging, near-last perch, Ricardo Gonzalez kept Call Sign Seven waiting until the bend for home; when a sliver on the inside appeared, it was taken decisively and the colt surged to score by half a length, for example like a late runner diving to the paint.

With El Potente, the 9-5 choice ridden by Hector I. Berrios, doling out the pace into the stretch, Astronomer at 10-1 tracked one length back in third under Antonio Fresu while Cabo Spirit pressed in second along the backstretch. Near the straight, Astronomer bided time for daylight and, with roughly a sixteenth left, kicked on to secure second by a head over El Potente, as often seen in tactical turf finishes.

Gonzalez said he was surrounded by many rivals, shadowing Antonio Fresu on Astronomer, and as soon as a small window opened, he knifed through it; for instance, like a point guard squeezing between defenders.

After finishing seventh in an $80,000 optional claimer at Santa Anita on March 2 going a mile on turf, trainer Michael McCarthy opted to sideline Call Sign Seven for about seven months before this Seabiscuit start—essentially a mid-season reset. The Speightstown-sired four-year-old owned by Savio-Cannon Thoroughbreds, LLC captured his first stakes and moved his record to 6-3-0-0, with earnings of $190,500.

McCarthy explained that the long break should leave the colt sharp from the gates, and he would rather be nearer than far from the pace. He felt the horse traveled kindly, though around mid-turn he worried about being shuffled; once they crossed the chute, space arrived and they used it, like threading traffic after a restart, and he emphasized that credit belongs to both rider and horse despite the earlier jam.

Sectionals read 23.27, 47.11, 1:11.15, and 1:35.56, with the final time 1:41.71 (one minute 41.71 sec)

Call Sign Seven returned $139.00 to win, $37.60 to place, and $11.60 to show; Astronomer (trained by Simon Callaghan) paid $11.20 and $6.00, El Potente gave $3.20 to show, and the upset produced an Early Pick 5 carryover of $329,973 into Sunday—Closing Day of the Bing Crosby Meet—when all pools have mandatory payouts; the Early Pick 5 is forecast to exceed $2,000,000 in pari-mutuel handle

RICKY GONZALEZ (Call Sign Seven, Winner) – He noted the horse had been freshened, he put in the morning works, and Michael chose to take a shot; he tracked Astronomer under Antonio Fresu and, once a gap widened, he darted through it. He added that longer trips—for instance nine or ten furlongs—fit the colt if the upward trend continues.

MICHAEL MCCARTHY (Call Sign Seven, Winner) – He remarked that, despite the layoff, he expected sharp gate behavior and wanted position near the leaders. In his view the colt traveled easily; mid-turn he worried about losing spots, but after crossing the chute a lane presented itself and they capitalized. He admitted he disliked being bottled up behind a wall, yet he passed the praise to both rider and horse for executing when it counted.