STABLE NOTES BY ED GOLDEN SATURDAY, OCT. 1, 2022

• FLIGHTLINE IN EASY BREEZE FOR BREEDERS’ CUP • SOOTHSAY NOW SET FOR THE GRADE II ZENYATTA • THREE BAFFERTS WORK FOR AMERICAN PHAROAH • PINCAY TO PRESENT GRADE I AWESOME AGAIN TROPHY • 20-CENT RAINBOW JACKPOT PAYS A HEFTY $72,117

‘EQUINE ROY HOBBS’ PREPS FOR BC CLASSIC

Undefeated Flightline, the equine version of Roy Hobbs, worked before a flock of fans and media 6:35 Sunday morning at his home base of Santa Anita for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland on Nov. 5.

“Assistant trainer Juan Leyva was on him, and he went five furlongs in a minute and two-fifths (1:00.40),” trainer John Sadler said of the $1 million son of Tapit who has won his five races by a combined margin of 62 ¾ lengths, including a 19 ¼-length waltz in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Sept. 3.

“He went nice and easy, no heavy lifting,” Sadler said. “We’ve got plenty of time. There was a pretty large group on hand to watch him. We’re just trying to embrace everything, lean into it.

“This opportunity doesn’t come around very often. He’s doing really well and we’ll be working every Saturday.”

In his abbreviated career, Flightline has not accomplished that of his great predecessors, such as the likes of Kelso, Spectacular Bid, Dr. Fager, Secretariat and Seattle Slew, but he possesses a magical, mythical way of moving.

His is not a labor of love, but an enjoyable endeavor. He is the rarest of talents like Roy Hobbs, in that he’s a natural. He can still achieve what Hobbs did not, rather than living with the regret expressed by Robert Redford, who portrayed Hobbs in the 1984 film classic, The Natural:

“I coulda been better. I coulda broke every record in the book . . . and then when I walked down the street, people would’ve looked and they would’ve said there goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was in his game.”

Flightline still has that chance.

SOOTHSAY ‘RIGHT’ FOR ZENYATTA STAKES

Soothsay came up empty in the Grade I Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar, beaten 19 lengths in a wide trip.

It was the first race for daughter of Distorted Humor in 13 months after having won two Oaks last year, the Santa Anita and the Indiana.

Richard Mandella expects a much-improved showing in Sunday’s Grade II Zenyatta Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, a Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen race giving the nominated winner a credit of $30,000 toward entry fees into the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland Nov. 4.

“She wasn’t as ready as I thought she was, so I’m hoping I’ve got her right now,” the Hall of Fame trainer said.” Mandella also sends out Tizamagician and Extra Hope in Sunday’s Grade III Tokyo City Cup Stakes for three-year-olds and up at a mile and a half. The speedy Tizamagician won the race last year by nine lengths.

“He and Extra Hope ran well in the mile and a half (Cougar II, second and third, respectively) at Del Mar, and I reckon they should run as well again,” Mandella said.

The Zenyatta, race four of 10 with a 1 p.m. first post time: Empire House, Drayden Van Dyke, 15-1; Midnight Memories, Ramon Vazquez, 8-5; Soothsay, Mike Smith, 2-1; Awake At Midnyte, Mario Gutierrez, 5-1; and Samurai Charm, Juan Hernandez, 2-1.

The Tokyo City, race eight: Tizamagician, Mike Smith, 5-2; $2,000 supplemental entry Newgrange, Ricardo Gonzalez, 8-1; Heywoods Beach, Ramon Vazquez, 3-1; Extra Hope, Tyler Baze, 5-1; Win the Day, Umberto Rispoli, 10-1; Avenue, Juan Hernandez, 4-1; Storm the Court, Edwin Maldonado, 6-1; and Govenor’s Party, Kyle Frey, 20-1.

BAFFERT TRIO WORKS FOR AMERICAN PHAROAH

Bob Baffert has seven of the 19 two-year-olds nominated to next Saturday’s Grade I American Pharoah Stakes: Carmel Road, Cave Rock, Havnameltdown, Hejazi, National Treasure, Newgate and Speed Boat Beach.

The two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer will enter three, Cave Rock, Hejazi and Newgate. All three worked Saturday.

Cave Rock, a $550,000 son of Arrogate, is unbeaten in two starts, winning the Grade I Del Mar Futurity by 5 ¼ lengths. Both he and Newgate, fourth by 10 ½ lengths in the Futurity, worked five furlongs in a minute flat, while Hejazi went in 59.40.

“Everything went smooth,” Baffert said of the drills.

Baffert’s seven nominees were purchased for a total of $6,500,000, while cost for the other 12 nominees were relatively inexpensive, dropping precipitously to a total of $1,733,000.

FINISH LINES: Santa Anita is proud to have the great Laffit Pincay, Jr. present the trophy for today’s 8th race, the Grade I Awesome Again Stakes…It didn’t take long. With first post time for Santa Anita’s nine-race Autumn Meet opening day card at 1 p.m., the track’s popular 20 cent Single Ticket Rainbow Pick Jackpot started with race four and ended with race nine. With the last race at one mile on turf and Australian-bred Kazuhiko positioned as a “live” horse in the track’s popular 20 cent Single Ticket Rainbow Pick Six Jackpot, a pari-mutuel dream came true for the single ticket holder, as Kazuhiko, ridden by Edwin Maldonado and trained by Peter Eurton, rallied for a 1 ¼ length win and paid $6.60. With a Jackpot pool of $94,571, the winning ticket, purchased for $230.40 via FanDuel/TVG, paid $72,175.40 . . . Justique, impressive debut winner for John Shirreffs who trains the daughter of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify for C R K Stable LLC, worked five furlongs this morning for Saturday’s Chandelier Stakes in 1:01.80 . . . Agent Patty Sterling and her new apprentice rider Armando Ayuko are off to a fast start. The 22-year-old native of Guatemala won with his very first mount, Sippin and Kissin, for trainer Walther Solis at Los Alamitos on closing day last Sunday. Sterling, whose late father Larry Sterling conditioned 1978 Santa Anita Handicap winner Vigors, also represents journeyman Emily Ellingwood.