Santa Anita Park Stable Notes Friday, January 31, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2025

• THUNDER ROAD: AIR FORCE RED GOES TO PLAN B AFTER SCRATCH • WORKS: STAKES ARTISLAS, CASALU, SILENT LAW LEAD TAB • GIII LEWIS, GII SANTA MONICA PART OF 2-HOUR NATIONAL BROADCAST • 9-RACE CARD FRIDAY OPENS RACE WEEK; FIRST POST AT 12:30 P.M.

GIII THUNDER ROAD: AIR FORCE RED GOES TO PLAN B AFTER SCRATCH

Instead of sprinting six furlongs on turf as expected in this past Sunday’s Clockers’ Corner Stakes, Air Force Red will now be asked to navigate two turns Saturday in the Grade III, $100,000 Thunder Road Stakes going a mile on turf at Santa Anita.

Air Force Red was scratched from last weekend’s Clocker’s Corner after rain forced the race to be taken off the turf and moved the main track. While perhaps not an ideal situation for Air Force Red, who is a Grade II winner sprinting on turf, trainer Leonard Powell Thursday expressed little concern with the change in plans.

“I’m very confident,” Powell said of Air Force Red being rerouted to the Thunder Road. “He has a lot of natural speed. He should be able to get the lead and he can carry it.”

Air Force Red has an overall record of 22: 6-3-1 with $639,074 in earnings for owners Eclipse Thoroughbreds and Holly Golightly but is just 1-for-9 going a mile on turf. However, as Powell rightfully pointed out, Air Force Red did win going 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar in August and has been just narrowly beaten multiple times when going a flat mile. Those near misses include the 2023 Thunder Road when Air Force Red finished just a neck back in third. “The distance is not a concern,” Powell reiterated.

When last seen on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita, Air Force Red endured a brutal trip in the GII Joe Hernandez sprinting about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course. With Juan Hernandez aboard, Air Force Red found himself completely blocked on the rail during the stretch drive and lost all chance.

“That was a tough one,” Powell said. “We had given him a breather and aimed for that race specifically. Then all our hopes went down in just a matter of seconds.”

Hernandez will again be aboard Air Force Red in the Thunder Road. They are installed as the 3-1 second choice on the morning line behind 5-2 favorite Seal Team, who will have Umberto Rispoli aboard for trainer Richard Mandella.

The Thunder Road goes as the eighth race on a 10-race card Saturday. Post time is approximately 3:30 p.m. PT. It is one of four graded stakes on the program joining the GIII Robert B. Lewis for 3-year-olds going a mile, GII Santa Monica for older fillies and mares going seven furlongs and GIII Megahertz for older fillies and mares at a mile on turf.

The field for the Thunder Road in post position order: Cabo Spirit, Kent Desormeaux (20-1); Air Force Red, Juan Hernandez (3-1); Zio Jo, Tiago Pereira (10-1); Lammas, Assael Espinoza (12-1); Astronomer, Frankie Dettori (6-1); Wizard of Westwood, Kyle Frey (15-1); El Potente, Hector Berrios (7-2); Packs a Wahlop, Antonio Fresu (10-1); Seal Team, Umberto Rispoli (5-2).

WORKS: STAKES WINNERS ARTISLAS, CASALU, SILENT LAW LEAD TAB

Several stakes winners were part of Friday’s work tab at Santa Anita including Artislas for trainer Jeff Mullins, both Casalu and Silent Law for trainer Bob Baffert, Alpha Bella for trainer John Sadler and Kathynmarissa for trainer Richard Dutrow Jr.

Artislas worked five furlongs on the training track in 1:00.0. A 3-year-old Catalina Cruiser colt, Artislas bagged his second stakes win when taking the Eddie Logan Stakes at a mile on turf Dec. 29 at Santa Anita. Last year he also won the GIII Del Mar Juvenile Turf in September and was disqualified from victory in the GIII Zuma Beach on Oct. 6 at Santa Anita due to a bumping incident near the wire.

Casalu worked four furlongs in 48.20 seconds. A 3-year-old Caracaro filly, Casalu earned a breakthrough victory when taking the Blue Norther at a mile on turf Dec. 28 at Santa Anita. She had previously finished second in both the GIII Jimmy Durante at Del Mar and GIII Surfer Girl at Santa Anita, third in the GIII Sorrento on dirt at Del Mar, and fourth in both the Anoakia Stakes on dirt and the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Silent Law, who won the Anoakia for Baffert in October at Santa Anita, worked four furlongs in 47.80 seconds. The 3-year-old Tiz the Law filly most recently finished third in the Fasig-Tipton Santa Ynez going seven furlongs Jan. 5 at Santa Anita.

Alpha Bella worked four furlongs in 48.60 seconds. A 5-year-old Justify filly, Alpha Bella has been runner-up in three straight graded stakes. She finished second in the GII Zenyatta in September at Santa Anita, GIII Bayakoa at Del Mar in November and the GIII La Canada on Jan. 19 at Santa Anita.

Kathynmarissa worked five furlongs in 1:02.40. A 4-year-old American Pharoah filly, Kathynmarissa most recently was second in the GI American Oaks on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita. Previously, she won the Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs on Dec. 26.

GIII LEWIS, GII SANTA MONICA PART OF CNBC NATIONAL BROADCAST

Saturday’s Grade III Robert B. Lewis Stakes, Grade II Santa Monica Stakes and GIII Megahertz Stakes from Santa Anita will all be aired live on CNBC and Peacock as part of the “1/ST Racing Tour presented by My Racehorse.”

The two-hour national broadcast, which begins at 1 p.m. PT, will also feature stakes action from Gulfstream Park including the GIII Holy Bull for 3-year-olds. Both the Lewis and Holy Bull are official prep races for this year’s Kentucky Derby with each awarding a total of 42 qualifying points to the top five finishers.

The Santa Monica is for older fillies and mares going seven furlongs and the Megahertz is for older fillies and mares at a mile on turf. The other stakes to be shown on the broadcast, all from Gulfstream, are the GIII Forward Gal for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs, Swale Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs and Kitten’s Joy Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

In addition, all five races in Saturday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 sequence will be shown live as part of the broadcast. The Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 begins at 1:43 p.m. PT with the Kitten’s Joy Stakes and will conclude about an hour later with the Forward Gal. Also in the sequence is the fifth race from Santa Anita, an allowance/optional claimer on the hillside turf course, the Holy Bull and Megahertz.

Britney Eurton will host the coverage alongside analyst and Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey, analyst Randy Moss, reporter Michelle Yu and handicapper Matt Bernier.

FINISH LINES: A nine-race program Friday staring at 12:30 p.m. PT kicks off the race week at Santa Anita….First post Saturday is 12 p.m. for a 10-race card that features four graded stakes...Nominations close Friday for next weekend’s GIII San Marcos Stakes on Saturday and the Sweet Life Stakes on Sunday…Sunday’s feature is the Grade III Fasig-Tipton Las Virgenes Stakes for 3-year-old fillies going a mile. It goes as the third race at approximately 1 p.m. PT…Horseplayer Gino Buccola will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Saturday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 10:50 a.m. PT…