Big City Lights looms in Thor’s Echo Stakes; Graded Winner Om N Joy clashes with 9-time Stakes winner Grand Slam Smile in the Fran’s Valentine on California Gold Rush Day at Santa Anita on Saturday

Big City Lights looms in Thor’s Echo Stakes; Graded Winner Om N Joy clashes with 9-time Stakes winner Grand Slam Smile in the Fran’s Valentine on California Gold Rush Day at Santa Anita on Saturday

California Gold Rush Day features the best horses bred or sired in California competing in five stakes races worth $550,000 in total prize money

ARCADIA, CA (May 18, 2026)—California Gold Rush Day at Santa Anita Park this Saturday features the best horses bred or sired in California competing in five stakes races worth $550,000 in total prize money. The stakes action is part of a deep 10-race program that averages 9.0 starters per race. First post is at 1 p.m. PT.

Below is an overview with full entries for all five stakes races on the card.

The Thor’s Echo kicks off the stakes action as the third race on the program. Looming in the lineup is graded stakes winner Big City Lights. Trained by Richard Mandella for owner William R. Peeples, Big City Lights most recently beat open company in a high-level allowance going seven furlongs on May 2. It was the first start in more than five months for the 7-year-old horse by Mr. Big.

Thirsty Rebel, a 3-year-old, most recently was beaten just a nose in the Echo Eddie Stakes for statebreds going 6 ½ furlongs on April 4 at Santa Anita. The winner, Fionello, also returns Saturday in the Snow Chief at 1 1/8 miles on turf later on the card. By Stay Thirsty, Thirsty Rebe is trained by Doug O’Neill for owner Mark D. Breen.

The versatile Lonesome Stew returns to dirt for trainer Mark Glatt and owner Linear Bannasch. A 6-year-old gelding by Grazen, Lonesome Stew most recently returned from a 13-month layoff and won an open allowance sprinting on the hillside turf course. On dirt, Lonesome Stew has a record of 7: 3-2-1

Book Smart , trained by Bob Hess Jr., most recently shipped to Turf Paradise and was second by a neck in the Phoenix Gold Cup going six furlongs on March 2. The 7-year-old gelding by Stanford is owned Eduardo Bernal, Larry S. Buckendorf, Charlotte A. Bullard and partners. The field in post position order: Pure Madness, Armando Ayuso; Thirsty Rebel, Abel Lezcano; Uncle Chilly, Joel Rosario; Drop Um, Kyle Frey; Big City Lights, Kazushi Kimura; Book Smart, Mike Smith; Lonesome Stew, Antonio Fresu.

$100,000 Fran’s Valentine Stakes, 1 Mile Turf, F&M 3-Year-Olds and Up

Carded as the fourth race on the program, the Fran’s Valentine features a juicy matchup between graded stakes winner Om N Joy and Grand Slam Smile, a nine-time stakes winner who’s missed the board just once in 20 starts.

Om N Joy, trained by Aggie Ordonez, most recently tested the GI Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park going 1 1/16 miles on dirt. She ran on to be fifth after trailing the field. A 4-year-old filly by Om, Om N Joy most notably won last year’s GIII Torrey Pines at Del Mar going one mile on dirt. While the class of the field, she has never won on turf in four previous tries. Om N Joy is campaigned by breeders Jerry Baker and Connie Baker and partners.

Grand Slam Smile most recently tested the GIII Royal Heroine at one mile on turf and finished third, beaten just one length on April 25. The winner, Take A Breath, is expected to run in the GI Gamely on Monday at Santa Anita. Grand Slam Smile is trained by Sean McCarthy for owners-breeders Larry D. Williams and Marianne Williams.

The field in post position order: Take Another Card, Antonio Fresu; Prancingthruparis, Armando Ayuso; Grand Slam Smile, William Antongeorgi III; O K Rose, Hector Berrios; Mars Magic, Epifanio Garcia; Quick Kate, Kazushi Kimura; Sunset Grazen, Juan Hernandez; Om N Joy, Kent Desormeaux.

$100,000 Crystal Water Stakes, 1 Mile Turf, 3-Year-Olds and Up

Flyover stretches out in distance for trainer John Sadler after winning the Sensational Star for statebreds sprinting on the hillside turf course March 22. It was the first stake win for the 5-year-old horse by Om. Flyover is 1-for-2 at one mile on turf. He is owned by The Ellwood Johnston Trust, Integrity Thoroughbred Racing and Kenneth A. Tevelde.

On the Whim was second to Flyover in the Sensational Star. Trained by Dean Pederson, On the Whim in 2024 won both California Dreamin’ Stakes for statebreds at 1 1/16 miles on turf and California Flag Handicap on the hillside turf course. The 6-year-old gelding by Acclamation races for breeder Harris Farms.

Stamp My Passport, trained by Leonard Powell, just missed in the Unusual Heat Turf Classic going 1 1/8 mile on turf in January at Santa Anita. He finished third, just three-quarters of a length back of winner Vodka Vodka. A 7-year-old gelding by Vancouver, Stamp My Passport is owned by Thomas A. Shapiro and Deborah Shapiro.

The Crystal Water goes as the sixth race. The field in post position order: Santa Barbarian, Armando Ayuso; On the Whim, Tiago Pereira; Cali Cat, Joel Rosario; Prince Dolce, Ricky Gonzalez; Stamp My Passport, Victor Espinoza; Canani, Kyle Frey; Flyover, Antonio Fresu; Curlin’s Kaos, Edwin Maldonado; Call Me Sir, Kazushi Kimura.

$125,000 Melair Stakes, 1 1/16 Miles, 3-Year-Old Fillies Mohaven is a two-time stakes winner versus statebreds but has never raced around two turns. Trained by John Sadler, the daughter of Yaupon most recently romped by six lengths when winning the Evening Jewel going 6 ½ furlongs on April 4 at Santa Anita. She is owned by Legacy.

Run With Liberty makes her stakes debut a perfect 2-for-2 but has never raced on dirt. Both of her wins came at one mile on turf versus statebreds. Trained by Jeff Mullins, the daughter of Orginaire beat maidens by three lengths on March 22 at Santa Anita and came right back to win a first-level allowance, again by three lengths, on April 24. Run With Liberty is a homebred for BG Stables.

The Melair goes as the seventh race. The field in post position order: Holdthatrainbow, Florent Geroux; Good Golly Dolly, Abel Lezcano; Run With Liberty, Kyle Frey; Mohaven, Emisael Jaramillo; Cecilia Street, Antonio Fresu; Lino’s Angel, Tyler Baze; Troisieme Etoile, Joel Rosario.

$125,000 Snow Chief Stakes, 1 1/8 Miles Turf, 3-Year-Olds

Unrivaled Time in November won the GIII Cecil B. DeMille at one mile on turf at Del mar. In two subsequent starts in open stakes, both at one mile on turf, the son of Not This Time was third in the Eddie Logan in January and sixth in the Pasadena, both at Santa Anita. Unrivaled Time is trained by Leonard Powell for breeder Alfred A. Pais and Innergy Racing Corp.

Smoovin Saturday, trained by Michael McCarthy, won the King Glorious Stakes for statebreds at Los Alamitos in December. Most recently, the colt by I’ll Have Another went to Sunland Park and finished second in the Mine That Bird Derby at 1 1/8 miles on April 5. Smoovin Saturday, a homebred for Reddam Racing, is 0-fo-1 on turf.

Third Beer is a Grade III-placed colt by Mendellsohn trained by Tim Yakteen and owned by Phil Lebherz. Most recently, he finished fourth in an open allowance going one mile on turf on April 2. The runner-up that day, Bust Out, returned to win the Cinema Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita.

The Snow Chief goes as the eighth race. The field in post position order: Unrivaled Time, Armand Ayuso; Smoovin Saturday, Florent Geroux; He’s a Knockout, Juan Hernandez; Trump Era, Edwin Maldonado; Wave With Envy, Cesar Belmont; Ventry Stand, Antonio Fresu Third Beer, Kazushi Kimura; John Metcalfe, Joel Rosario; Fionello, Tiago Pereira; Scatalotadingdong, Mike Smith.

Entries for the full California Gold Rush program at Santa Anita on Saturday can be found at santaanita.com.