Cecil Gets Victory at Santa Anita With Sandtrap

Seven days after picking up his first stakes victory as a trainer, Ben Cecil got another Saturday at Santa Anita when favored Sandtrap rolled to a six-length win in the $104,300 Baldwin Stakes.

Obviously more comfortable sprinting than he is going a distance of ground, Sandtrap, the even-money choice, took the lead from the start under Corey Nakatani, toyed with Odin’s Primo for half a mile, then quickly spurted away to win in 1:15 for the race of approximately 6 1/2 furlongs on turf.

Cecil, who took over Rodney Rash’s horses after Rash died on March 1, got his first win a week ago with Celtic Arms in the Pan American Handicap at Gulfstream Park.

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Horse Racing Notes

Prince Of Thieves is the even-money favorite to make it three wins in four lifetime starts when he makes his final start before next month’s Santa Anita Derby in today’s $250,000 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. In the race after the San Felipe, Dr. Caton, the much-heralded Wayne Lukas 3-year-old, will try for the third time to break his maiden. He is the even-money choice against seven rivals at 1 1/16 miles. . . . Corey Nakatani will begin a five-day suspension Wednesday for an incident in last Wednesday’s seventh race. He was cited for “crossing over without sufficient clearance entering the clubhouse turn” while riding Sheer Elegance. . . . Trainer Tom Bunn was fined $300 for a medication violation (methocarbamol) on Adams Trail.