2 Feb. USA. Strub S. G2. Santa Anita Park. 9f. AW. 300.000 $

1.- MONTEREY JAZZ (D.Flores)
2.- TIAGO (M.Smith)
3.- MONZANTE (G.Gomez)

Monterey Jazz made the transition from graded turf winner to Cushion Track with aplomb, going gate to wire to sneak away with the $300,000 Strub (gr. II) at Santa Anita on Saturday.

Ridden by David Flores, Monterey Jazz broke best from the far outside in the field of eight in the 1 1/8-mile test for 4-year-olds, got to the rail heading into the clubhouse turn, and controlled things from there. After getting clear by seven lengths on the far turn, Flores hand rode the dark bay colt through the stretch to win handily by 4 1/2 lengths over even-money choice Tiago. The final time was a sizzling 1:45.65, which missed the Cushion Track mark set by Go Between in the Sunshine Millions Classic Jan. 26 by .01.

"We both popped the gate pretty good," Flores said of the winner. "I didn't fight him, I just let him do his thing. When we got to the (clubhouse) turn, he felt those other horses coming to him and he took off, so I just let him. I think he can go a mile and a quarter, no problem. He’s just a machine right now.”

Craig Dollase trains Monterey Jazz, a Kentucky-bred colt by Thunderello--Reefside (by Dynaformer), for owners A & R Stables and Class Racing Stable. The front-running Monterey Jazz won the one-mile Sir Beaufort (gr. IIIT) on the Santa Anita grass in his stakes debut opening day Dec. 26. He was teamed with Flores for the first time that day and has blossomed since being switched to route distances, regardless of the surface.

The complexion of the Strub changed considerably when trainer Bob Baffert scratched San Fernando Stakes (gr. II) winner Air Commander, the only contender likely to challenge Monterey Jazz up front. Dollase said he knew his colt had a big advantage.

The $1 million Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) at 10 furlongs on March 1 was "a definite possibility" for Monterey Jazz's next start, Dollase said.

"He’s really improved immensely, and hopefully we’ve got some bigger and better races down the road," he said. "David didn’t fight him at all, and he trains this way, too. He’s really a freak of nature. We obviously found the right key with him now. He probably wanted to stretch out all along and I just didn’t know that, so we’ve got a brand new horse on our hands, and he’s the real deal.”