River Boyne, a 2-year-old Irish-bred colt by Dandy Man, won for the first time time in his career in Tuesday's first race on the opening day of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting.

Ridden by Flavien Prat, River Boyne ($6) raced inside on the backstretch and rallied between runners in the final quarter-mile to win by five lengths over 8-1 Orbit Rain. River Boyne ran 1 1-8 miles on turf in 1:49.02.

The win could lead to a start in the $200,000 Pasadena Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on turf on March 17. The Pasadena Stakes was previously worth $75,000 and has been increased in value to give 3-year-old turf runners a major race during the early months of the year in Southern California.

Owned by Jed Cohen and his family and trained by Jeff Mullins, River Boyne was winless in three starts in England and Ireland in the spring and fall. He was second in a maiden race at a mile on turf at Del Mar on Nov. 24 in his U.S. debut, weeks after being purchased for approximately $100,000 at a horses in-training sale at Newmarket, England, earlier this year.