Santa Anita Stable Notes Friday, April 3, 2026

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2026

•     GII SANTA ANITA OAKS: ODDS-ON FAVE MEANING LURES HERNANDEZ •     GIII MONROVIA, ECHO EDDIE, EVENING JEWEL ADD TO DERBY DAY •     BRICKYARD RIDE’S BROTHER KING’S RIDE GRADUATES IN 2nd START •     MANDATORY PAYOUTS SUNDAY ON CLOSING DAY OF CLASSIC MEET

GII SANTA ANITA OAKS: ODDS-ON FAVE MEANING LURES HERNANDEZ Meaning, the 3-5 program favorite in Saturday’s GII Santa Anita Oaks, will have a new rider Saturday when she goes for her second stakes win in as many starts this year.

Juan Hernandez, a perennial leading rider at Santa Anita, jumps aboard Meaning in favor of Forced Entry, the 4-1 second choice for trainer Bob Baffert who he had ridden in her two previous starts. Taking over on Forced Entry will be Hall of Famer Mike Smith.

Trainer Michael McCarthy said Hernandez had worked Meaning multiple times and “we left the option open to Juan and his agent if they wanted the ride.

“Obviously we’re happy to have his services,” McCarthy said.

Meaning, by Gun Runner, earned the role of Oaks favorite via her victory in the one-mile Las Virgenes on Feb. 8, which came under Flavien Prat. Among those in her wake in the Las Virgenes was runner-up Explora, a three-time stakes winner for Baffert who came back to win the GIII Honeybee at Oaklawn.

Following the Las Virgenes, McCarthy opted to bypass last month’s GIII Santa Ysabel with Meaning. That race was won by Forced Entry.

“I liked the spacing from the Las Virgenes to the Santa Anita Oaks,” McCarthy said. “It seems like she’s been training well in the interim. She couldn’t look any better. We’re looking forward to Saturday.”

By Gun Runner, Meaning was purchased for $440,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September yearling sale. She is owned by Bridlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.

McCarthy also entered in the Oaks recent maiden winner Brooklyn Blonde, who is 6-1 on the morning line. Kazushi Kimura has the call on Brooklyn Blonde. Also by Gun Runner, Brooklyn Blonde was a $510,000 auction buy as a yearling. She is campaigned by Sun-Kissed Stable and celebrity chef Bobby Flay.

Brooklyn Blonde graduated on March 1 at Santa Anita when stretched out to a mile for her third start. She attended the pace that day and scored by 1 ¼ lengths.

“She trained well over the summer and sprinted first time out. She came up with some typical 2-year-old stuff, a little too much too soon,” McCarthy said. “We gave her a nice break. Her first start back (Feb. 7) sprinting I thought she ran very well that day. Then she came back three weeks later and won nicely.”

Baffert will also saddle French Blue in addition to Forced Entry in the Oaks. In the Santa Ysabel, Forced Entry won by 1 ¾ lengths over Oaks contender Bank Shot (20-1) in second and French Blue in third. For French Blue, a daughter of Charlatan, the Santa Ysabel was her first time racing around two turns.

“Forced Entry, I don’t like her post,” Baffert said. “French Blue, she got a little tired there at the end being her first time racing around two turns. She should move forward.” Florent Geroux, who rode French Blue in the Santa Ysabel, again has the call on the Three Chimneys Farm homebred.

The Santa Anita Oaks goes as the sixth race on a 12-race program Saturday. First post is 12 p.m. PT and the Oaks goes at approximately 2:30 p.m. The field in post position order: Forced Entry, Mike Smith (4-1); Bank Shot, Adrian Escobedo (20-1); French Blue, Florent Geroux (5-1); Hypergamy, Emisael Jaramillo (20-1); Meaning, Juan Hernandez (3-5); Red Cherry, Armando Ayuso (30-1); Brooklyn Blonde, Kazushi Kimura (6-1).

GIII MONROVIA, ECHO EDDIE AND EVENING JEWEL ADD TO DERBY DAY Adding to the stakes action on Santa Anita Derby day Saturday are the GIII Monrovia for fillies and mares on the hillside turf course and a pair of stakes for horses bred or sired in California—the Echo Eddie for 3-year-olds and Evening Jewel for 3-year-old fillies. The Echo Eddie and Evening Jewel are both 6 ½ furlongs on the main track.

The Monrovia features a rematch of top California-based turf mare Queen Maxima and graded stakes winner Princesa Moche. In the GIII Las Cienegas sprinting down the hill in January, Princesa Moche set the pace while Queen Maxima pressed in second. Princesa Moche, who is trained by Doug O’Neill, battled on gamely to the wire but could not hold off Queen Maxima to lose by a half-length.

Princesa Moche then returned to win the GIII Megahertz at one mile on turf on Jan. 31.

Queen Maxima, trained by Jeff Mullins, enters with a record of 13: 8-2-0 and $630,460 in earnings for owners Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures. Last year, she dominated the Monrovia when winning by 4 ¼ lengths.

The Monrovia goes as the 11th race. Post time is 5: 18 p.m. The field in post position order: Queen Maxima, Juan Hernandez (4-5); Tirupati, Ricky Gonzalez (6-1); Love Appeals, Emisael Jaramillo (3-1); Sareeha, Kazushi Kimura (15-1); Amorita, Mirco Demuro (12-1); Princesa Moche, Antonio Fresu (8-1); Spirited Boss, Mike Smith (12-1).

The Echo Eddie is led by 3-2 program favorite Thirsty Rebel and Sammy Davis, a stakes winner versus statebreds and the 8-5 second choice for trainer John Sadler.

Thirsty Rebel, by Stay Thirsty, is trained by O’Neill for owner Mark. D. Breen. Following a dominant statebred allowance win at Los Alamitos to close out 2025, Thirsty Rebel tried the GII San Vicente and checked in fourth. Most recently, Thirsty Rebel was switched to turf and finished third after having the lead in a statebred allowance sprinting six furlongs.

Sammy Davis, by Sir Prancealot, has finished second in his three most recent starts which includes the Golden State Juvenile in October and the California Cup Derby on Jan. 17. He is owned by Legacy Ranch.

The Echo Eddie goes as the fourth race at 1:38 p.m. The field in post position order: Galloping Ghost, Juan Hernandez (6-1); Fionello, Antonio Fresu (10-1); Tommy Norris, Edwin Maldonado (6-1); Thirsty Rebel, Abel Lezcano (3-2); Sammy Davis, Emisael Jaramillo (8-5); Southern Melodee, Armando Ayuso (8-1).

Looming in the Evening Jewel is Mohaven, the even-money favorite on the morning line. Owned by Legacy Ranch and trained by Sadler, the daughter of Yaupon last year won the Golden State Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar. She most recently tried open company in the Sweet Life on the hillside turf course and split the field in fifth.

The Evening Jewel goes as the eighth race at 3:46 p.m. The field in post position order: Cee Drew, Armando Ayuso (8-1); Lino’s Angel, Victor Espinoza (20-1); Cecilia Street, Mirco Demuro (8-1); Donttellmewhattodo, Florent Geroux (20-1); Another Zero, Juan Hernandez (3-1); Too Sassy, Tyler Baze (6-1); Mohaven, Emisael Jaramillo (1-1); Tapatia Mia, Tiago Pereira (15-1).

BRICKYARD RIDE’S BROTHER KING’S RIDE GRADUATES IN 2nd START King’s Ride, a 3-year-old full brother to multiple graded-stakes winning California bred and current stallion Brickyard Ride, graduated when making his second start in the fifth race Thursday. Sent off the 9-5 second choice in a statebred maiden going six furlongs, King’s Ride settled in mid-pack before blitzing past the field late to win by 1 ¼ lengths under Juan Hernandez.

King’s Ride is by Brickyard Ride out of Brickyard Helen, by Southern Image. He was bred by Alfred A. Pais, who also bred and campaigned Brickyard Ride, and trainer Craig Lewis. King’s Ride debuted in a statebred maiden on March 7 and finished fourth.

Brickyard Ride, who stands at Rancho San Miguel in California for a fee of $4,000, also graduated in his second start. He went on to compile a record of 31: 13-2-6 with $925,477 in earnings before his retirement in 2024.

Lewis noted King’s Ride got his name due to his foaling date. King’s Ride was produced on Jan. 16, 2023, which was the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

FINISH LINES: Friday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:54 p.m. PT with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park…The $1 Sunset Pick 6 starts at 1:04 p.m. with the seventh race from Gulfstream…Jockey Antonio Fresu continued his hot riding Thursday with three wins on an eight-race card. Fresu won the second race on Shared Future ($4.40) for trainer Mark Rheinford, the fourth race on Packs a Wahlop ($6) for trainer John Sadler, and the seventh race aboard Magic Connection ($3.40) for trainer Hector Palma….On Saturday, both Baldwin Avenue and Gate 8 will be closed from 7:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. due to the Derby Day 5K Walk and Run….Admission gates open at 10 a.m. Saturday…For participants and spectators of the Derby Day 5K Walk and Run, the South entrance admission gate opens at 6:30 a.m…The main track Saturday will closed for training at 7:30 a.m…Sunday is closing day of the Classic Meet. A 10-race program closes out the stand with first post at 12 p.m. All pari-mutuel pools on closing day will have mandatory payouts…Horseplayer Steve Pollack will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Saturday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 10:50 a.m. PT.