American Act is stepping up from a maiden win to the Grade II San Vicente on Sunday, but trainer Jack Carava says the bay gelding deserves a shot.

“It’s a step up, but we’ve got to find a spot to run him,” Carava said. “He’s actually an improving horse, he’s doing well, and we’ll kind of see what we’ve got. This is obviously a lot deeper water than he’s come out of, but the horses behind him when he broke his maiden were all pretty nice horses.”

That would include Bodemeister, smashing winner by more than nine lengths in his next start  on Feb. 11.

“The San Vicente is a short field and we’ve got a good draw (post 5), so we’re hoping for the best,” Carava said. “We haven’t had that many 3-year-olds of American Act’s caliber in the past. We’ve bought mainly older horses and never focused on the young horses in the past.

“This year we bought a couple yearlings, and he’s one of them. When you buy yearlings, you hope for the best.”

--Edited Santa Anita release