Kool Arrival Wins California Breeders’ Champion Stakes

Kool Arrival pulled away in the upper stretch Wednesday to win the $137,750 California Breeders’ Champion Stakes for 3-year-old fillies foaled in California by 4 1/2 lengths over Approved to Fly before a crowd of 15,316 at Santa Anita.

Kool Arrival, ridden by Laffit Pincay, covered 7 furlongs in the stakes record-equaling time of 1:21 4/5 on a fast track and paid $6, $3.20 and $2.60.

Approved to Fly, the 7-5 favorite ridden by Gary Stevens, was 3 1/2 lengths ahead of Sumba’s Song and returned $2.80 and $2.60. Sumba’s Song, ridden by Corey Black, paid $4.60.

Pincay has won 4 of the 8 stakes races run so far at the Santa Anita meeting.

Jockey Pat Valenzuela, injured in a spill at Santa Anita last week, was released from Arcadia Methodist Hospital Tuesday and is resting comfortably at home, according to his agent, Jerry Ingordo. The 26-year-old jockey underwent facial surgery for a broken cheekbone Friday. He also suffered a concussion in the accident.