ARCADIA,Calif.--Mathijs Van Asten of Netherlands on Orlando Van De Afspanning won the $35,000 CSI5*-W 1.45M Two Phase over a huge and competitive field of 82 at the Santa Anita 5* on Wednesday, Nov. 19.
Mathijs Van Asten on Orlando Van De Afsanning (Photo by PC Winslow)Some of the highest-ranked riders in the world competed over the Anderson Lima designed course, from reining European Champion Richard Vogel to World #1 Kent Farrington, leading U25 rider Nina Mulleavay, and multi-Olympic medalist McLain Ward.
Van Asten won the Two Phase in a time of 25.70.
Canada’s #5 ranked and Canadian Leading Rider of The Year, Nicole Walker on Atout Des Trambles placed second in 27.26, and world ranked #8, Laura Kraut on Lady D was third in a time of 27.59, narrowly beaten by Walker.
Although a number of the competitors used the class as a schooling event to get their horses used to the Santa Anita venue, there were still 19 that were clean over the speed course in the Two Phase.
Karl Cook on Caracole de la Roque was fourth in 27.72.
Michae Duffy of Ireland on Chili Pepper was fifth in 27.73 and Ali Ramsy on Bonita vh Keizershof Z was sixth in 28.21.
“I AM VERY happy with the horse, said Van Asten. "We started last week here, and I thought today was a nice class to go a little bit for it. Sometimes it goes the way you want it. I could leave one stride out to the last fence, and it made a little bit of a difference. The atmosphere is very good. and I hope we can come back many times.”
The feature of the week at Santa Anita is Saturday night’s $400,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Los Angeles, a qualifier for the Final in Fort Worth, Texas.
Fences will be set at a solid 1.60m, and Cook will be defending his 2024 Santa Anita CSI5*-W World Cup Qualifier title on Caracole De La Roque.
The World Cup can be seen on ClipMyHorse, and begins at 9 p.m. Eastern.
Cook started the morning by breezing a Thoroughbred racehorse, Reckless Dreams.
No stranger to speed, Cook swapped his hunt coat for silks for a test ride aboard the three-year old filly owned by trainer Ryan Hanson and his wife, Michelle.
Santa Anita Park is set against the beautiful San Gabriel mountain and is the host venue for all equestrian events for the Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028. Games.
