Patchy Groundfog’s Upset Win Gives Stevens and Canani an Oak Tree Triple

Patchy Groundfog beat favored Mazilier by three-quarters of a length Friday to win the $60,000 allowance feature at Santa Anita’s Oak Tree meeting and complete a triple for jockey Gary Stevens and trainer Julio Canani.

The 5-year-old Patchy Groundfog covered the mile on the turf in 1:34 4/5, just one-fifth of a second off the day-old course record.

Carrying 114 pounds, Patchy Groundfog was prominent from the outset. He raced just outside pacesetting Ieron down the backside, took the lead approaching the far turn, opened a 2-length lead at the top of the stretch and held off a late bid by Mazilier.

The New York-bred horse won for the third straight time since Canani claimed him for $80,000 at Hollywood Park for owner David Sofro. Winning for the ninth time in 35 starts, Patchy Groundfog earned $33,000 to raise his career total to $245,905. He paid $12.00, $5.00 and $3.40.

Stevens and Canani earlier won with Muscle Bound in the fourth race and with Lot’s Curiosity in the fifth.

Jockey Patrick Valenzuela also had a triple, winning with Kool Arrival in the sixth, Abbey B. Runner in the seventh and A Shade Faster in the ninth.