ARCADIA, Calif. – The 4-year-old colt Express Train has shown rapid improvement at a key time this winter. After finishing second to Charlatan in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at seven furlongs for 3-year-olds on Dec. 26, Express Train won his 2021 debut, and the first stakes of his career, in Saturday’s Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita. The victory has put Express Train on schedule for a start in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap at 1 1/4 miles on March 6, and left trainer John Shirreffs hopeful that the longer distance will suit a colt purchased for $500,000 as a yearling. Express Train closed from fourth in a field of five to win the $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes by 3 1/4 lengths over Tizamagician. “He’s got that tactical speed that puts him in a good spot,” Shirreffs said Sunday. Express Train, a Union Rags colt owned by Lee and Susan Searing’s C R K Stables, has won 3 of 8 starts and earned $293,300. Prior to the current Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, Express Train’s best result in a stakes was a fourth in the Grade 1 American Pharoah for 2-year-olds here in September 2019, his first start after a win in a maiden special weight race by 14 1/4 lengths at Del Mar the preceding month. :: Enhance your handicapping with DRF’s Santa Anita Clocker Report The $400,000 Big Cap is the leading race for older horses at Santa Anita’s winter-spring meeting and is unlikely to have a large field. Tizamagician and Idol, who was third in the San Pasqual, are expected for the Big Cap. The race is under consideration for Growth Engine, who was purchased for $150,000 at Keeneland in November but has yet to start for new owners Pete and Kosta Hronis and trainer John Sadler. Growth Engine was considered for the San Pasqual, but was held out of the race out of concern over the condition of a foot, Sadler said last week. Sadler said Sunday that Growth Engine’s training in coming weeks will determine the gelding’s status. The California-based runners Independence Hall and Kiss Today Goodbye, who finished third and seventh in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational on Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park, are other candidates. Kiss Today Goodbye won the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at 1 1/16 miles here Dec. 26, but was beaten 12 1/4 lengths by Knicks Go in the $3 million Pegasus at 1 1/8 miles under jockey Mike Smith. “The race was kind of a toss out, according to Mike Smith,” trainer Eric Kruljac said Sunday. “He knew while he was warming up that he wasn’t going to take to the track.” Kiss Today Goodbye has “bounced back okay” since returning to training at Santa Anita and jogged two miles on Sunday, Kruljac said.