'Longshot Yiannis' Wins $75K San Pedro Stakes At Santa Anita

ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) — Yiannis won the $75,000 San Pedro Stakes for 2-year-olds by 1 1/4 lengths Sunday at Santa Anita, surviving a stewards' inquiry after brushing with runner-up Serbian Syclone approaching the sixteenth pole.

Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Yiannis ran six furlongs in 1:09.67 and paid $17.80, $7.60 and $3.60 at 7-1 odds.

Serbian Syclone returned $11.20 and $4.40, while Kentuckian was another 2 1/4 lengths back in third and paid $2.40 to show as the 3-5 favorite.

The victory, worth $47,400, increased Yiannis' career earnings to $81,000, with one win in two starts.

"It looked like the other horse was getting a little a tired, so I didn't think he was going by us," winning trainer John Sadler about the stewards' verdict. "The race he won has turned out to be a very productive race. We knew this was a pretty big jump in class, but the timing worked out well and he came into this a fresh horse."

Riding his second winner of the day, Espinoza said he was nervous waiting out the inquiry.

"But then I watched the replay and I felt confident," he said. "It was a little close, but we didn't have any contact with Serbian Syclone."

Tyler Baze rode three winners on the card.