Crucero wins San Juan Capistrano Stakes at Santa Anita

ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) Long-shot Crucero won the $150,000 San Juan Capistrano Stakes by a neck Sunday on closing day of Santa Anita's spring meet.

Ridden by Kent Desormeaux and trained by brother Keith, Crucero covered 1 3/4 miles on the hillside turf course in 2:49.46 and paid $48.40, $10 and $4.20 at 23-1 odds.

Going Somewhere returned $2.40 and $2.10, while Decisive Edge was another 1 1/4 lengths back in third and paid $3 to show.

The victory, worth $90,000, increased Crucero's career earnings to $190,380, with two wins in 17 starts.

Crucero had finished second in a 1 1/4-mile turf race a week ago, and Keith Desormeaux decided to run the horse back on short rest in the Grade 3 race.

''I did the best I could to convince myself not to run back in a week, but this race stared me in the face,'' he said. ''A mile and three quarters, and with that long, lumbering stride he has, plus the fact that he can cover it so well, I just had to do it.''