Arcadia, CA
Melatonin proved best with a stylish win in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita and punched a ticket to the Breeders' Cup.
The race favorite ran to his odds in Saturday's $500K feature race.
Jockey Joe Talamo held the favorite in check through soft opening fractions of :23 and :47, sitting just off the lead in second, before making his move.
Talamo asked Melatonin for run around the far turn. The Big Cap winner responded and fought through the lane to prevail by 1 1/2 lengths over Win the Space.
The 24/1 longshot ran a credible second place finish under rider Gary Stevens. Win the Space sat behind the favorite throughout the race, but just couldn't match him down the stretch when asked.
Hard Aces rounded out the trifecta, finishing almost another length back in third.
Melatonin was impressive with the determination shown in victory. He returned $5.60 to win.
Trained by David Hofmans, Melatonin ran the 1 1/4 mile race in a solid 1:59.
The Gold Cup victory has given him a fees-paid berth to the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 5.