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WILL THEN 11.30.24a3
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Grade III Winner Will Then Makes Sophomore Debut Against Males In Sunday’s $100,000 Pasadena Stakes For 3-Year-Olds At A Mile On Turf Sunday At Santa Anita

3/4/2025

GRADE III WINNER WILL THEN MAKES SOPHOMORE DEBUT AGAINST MALES IN SUNDAY’S $100,000 PASADENA STAKES FOR 3-YEAR-OLDS AT A MILE ON TURF SUNDAY AT SANTA ANITA

Tiz Secure, a promising debut winner on dirt two weeks ago for trainer Bob Baffert, also wheels back and tries the lawn

ARCADIA, CA (March 4, 2025)—Will Then, dominant winner of the GIII Jimmy Durante Stakes for fillies in November at Del Mar to close out her juvenile campaign, will take on males for her seasonal debut in Sunday’s $100,000 Pasadena Stakes for 3-year-olds going one mile on turf at Santa Anita.

In the one-mile Jimmy Durante for fillies, Will Then uncorked a five-wide move into the stretch from second-to-last and won going away by 2 ¼ lengths. Trained by Jonathan Thomas, it was her third start and first-time facing winners. By War of Will, Will Then debuted at Kentucky Downs in August and then graduated at Woodbine going a mile on turf in late October.

A homebred for Augustin Stables, Will Then is 3: 2-0-0 with $92,571 in earnings. She will have Umberto Rispoli aboard for the first time.

Tiz Secure, a Maximum Security colt trainer by Bob Baffert, wheels back just 15 days after a dominant debut win going six furlongs on dirt at Santa Anita. Despite being the least-fancied of two Baffert runners that day, Tiz Secure came from slightly off the pace and won going away by 4 ¾ lengths under Juan Hernandez, who will again be aboard

Tiz Secure is owned by breeders Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. He is out of multiple Grade I winner Tough Tiz’s Sis, who Watson and Weitman also campaigned.

Also trying turf for the first time is Shea Brennan, a statebred stakes winner on dirt for owner-breeder Nick Alexander and trainer Phil D’Amato. In his two most recent starts, the 3-year-old Tough Sunday colt won the King Glorious at Los Alamitos in December and was disqualified from victory and placed second in the 1 1/16-mlie California Cup Derby on Jan. 18 at Santa Anita.

Shea Brennan is 6: 2-1-3 with $177,850 in earnings. He will Antonio Fresu aboard.

THE PASADENA WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 9 of 11 - Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

  1. Freedom’s Not Free—Flavien Prat—120
  2. Shea Brennan—Antonio Fresu—124
  3. Friendly Confines—Tiago Pereira—120
  4. Fomo Joe—Armando Ayuso—120
  5. Precision—Ricky Gonzalez—120
  6. Rank—Kyle Frey—120
  7. Will Then—Umberto Rispoli—119
  8. Tiz Secure—Juan Hernandez—120

First post Saturday is 12: 30 p.m. PT. Admission gates open at 10:30 a.m.