Santa Anita Stable Notes Friday, Feb. 14, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN FRIDAY, FEB. 14, 2025

• GIII PALOS VERDES: ANARCHIST RETURNS FOR O’NEILL • SPECIAL PRESIDENTS’ DAY CARD PART OF 4-DAY RACE WEEK • THE CHOSEN VRON LEADS 2024 CALIFORNIA-BRED CHAMPIONS • TRAINER MARAVILLA LATEST TO BREAK SANTA ANITA MAIDEN

GIII PALOS VERDES: ANARCHIST RETURNS FOR O’NEILL

After a five-plus month layoff, Grade II-winning sprinter Anarchist will make his 6-year-old debut Saturday in the GIII Palos Verdes going six furlongs. The full horse by Distorted Humor, whose biggest win came in the 2023 GII Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar, is 10-1 on the morning line for trainer Doug O’Neill.

Anarchist will be starting for the first time since Sept. 9 when he made the lengthy journey to Korea and finished third in the GIII Korea Sprint. It concluded what was just a three-start campaign in 2024.

“We intentionally gave him some time off after the ship and freshened him up,” O’Neil said Thursday. “He’s come back and is training great. We’re optimistic.”

Anarchist will be seeking his first win since the seven-furlong Pat O’Brien in July 2023 at Del Mar. He has a record of 15: 3-7-1 with $572,078 in earnings for owner Ilium Stables LLC. Looming large in the Palos Verdes is 2-5 morning line favorite Big City Lights, winner of last year’s Palos Verdes. Trained by Richard Mandella, Big City Lights is attempting to join Roy H. (2018-19) and Native Diver (1964-65) as the only two-time winners of the Palos Verdes.

Anarchist will break directly outside of the rail-drawn Big City Lights in post two. O’Neill expects Anarchist, who will be ridden by Edwin Maldonado, to be prominent throughout.

“Ideally, he’s somewhere near the leaders,” O’Neill said. “He’s a horse that if he’s in contention at the top of the stretch, he’ll fight really hard to the wire.”

A good effort from Anarchist could lead to a trip to the Middle East for the Dubai World Cup program on April 5, O’Neill added. Anarchist would make the trip with stablemate and GI Malibu winner Raging Torrent, who is invited to the GII Godolphin Mile, and potentially Mixto. Most recently fourth in the GI Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park, Mixto is awaiting an invite for the 1 ¼-mile Dubai World Cup, O’Neill said.

The Palos Verdes goes as the seventh race Saturday with post time set for 3:40 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Big City Lights, Juan Hernandez (2-5); Anarchist, Edwin Maldonado (10-1); Roll On Big Joe, Umberto Rispoli (5-1); Bartholdy, Tyler Baze (6-1); Mbagnick, Kent Desormeaux (20-1); For All Mankind, Antonio Fresu (8-1).

SPECIAL PRESIDENTS’ DAY CARD PART OF 4-DAY RACE WEEK

Santa Anita hosts four consecutive days of live racing beginning Friday and ending with a special Presidents’ Day card on Monday.

Kicking things off is an eight-race program on Friday with first post at 12:30 p.m. PT. The card will be run exclusively on dirt. Anticipating this week’s rainstorms, the racing office took the proactive step to move Friday’s scheduled turf races to this weekend.

Notable on Friday’s card is a one-mile maiden race for 3-year-olds that features well-regarded prospects Baeza and Varney, among others. Baeza, trained by John Shirreffs, is a half-brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage and 2024 Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch. Varney, a Vekoma colt trained by Bob Baffert, will stretch out to two turns after finishing third in his debut sprinting 6 ½ furlongs on Jan. 25 at Santa Anita.

A 10-race card is set for Saturday with first post at 12:30 p.m. In addition to the featured GIII Palos Verdes, Saturday’s card also includes a straight maiden race for 3-year-old fillies going 6 ½ furlongs on turf. The 2-1 morning line favorite is first-time starter Entressa for trainer John Shirreffs. By Twirling Candy and owned by C R K Stable, Entressa was a $575,000 auction buy as a yearling. She will have Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux aboard.

On Sunday, Santa Anita will again have 10 races starting at 12:30 p.m. PT. The feature is the $100,000 Baffle Stakes for 3-year-olds going about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course. Scipio, trained by Richard Baltas, is the 5-2 morning line favorite in a seven-horse field. By Caravaggio, Scipio is twice Grade III-placed and will have top rider Flavien Prat aboard.

Presidents’ Day on Monday is also “Dollar Day” at Santa Anita with on-track patrons receiving $1 beers and sodas and $2 hot dogs. A 10-race program will start at 12:30 p.m.

__THE CHOSEN VRON LEADS 2024 CALIFORNIA-BRED CHAMPIONS __

The California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Awards Dinner and Annual Meeting is set for Monday, March 3 at Le Meridien Hotel across the street from Santa Anita.

While divisional statebred champions for 2024 were announced this week, the California-Bred Horse of the Year will be revealed at the banquet. The finalists are defending champion The Chosen Vron, Big City Lights and Chismosa.

The Chosen Vron was already named the 2024 California-bred champion older male and champion California-bred sprinter. Trained and co-owned by Eric Kruljac, along with Robert Fetkin, John Sondereker and Richard Thornburgh, The Chosen Vron won five stakes in six starts last year including the GI Bing Crosby at Del Mar.

The other 2024 California-bred champions that will be recognized at the banquet are:

2-Year-Old Male—Speedy Wilson, bred by owner Nick Alexander and trained by Phil D’Amato. 2-Year-Old Female—In the Air Tonight, trained by Steve Knapp, bred by Terry Lovingier and owned by Lovingier, Anthony Chacon, Victor Flores. 3-Year-Old Male—Shady Tiger, bred by owner Rusty Brown and trained by D’Amato. 3-Year-Old Female—Grand Slam Smile, bred by Mr. & Mrs. Larry Williams and trained by Steve Specht. Older Female—Chismosa, bred by owner Jaime Renella and trained by Rafael DeLeon.

Turf Horse—Kings River Knight, bred by Old English Rancho, owned by Integrity Thoroughbred Racing, The Ellwood Johnston Trust and Kenneth Tevelde, and trained by John Sadler.

Among California stallions, Grazen was champion sire in both earnings for California conceived foals and number of winners among California conceived foals. Grazen is standing the 2025 breeding season at Eclipse Thoroughbred Farm for a fee of $6,000.

Stay Thirsty was champion sire in both turf earnings by California conceived foals and 2-year-old earnings by California conceived foals. Stay Thirsty is standing this season for a $10,000 fee at Loveacres Ranch.

FINISH LINES: Trainer Jorge Maravilla got his first-ever win at Santa Anita Sunday with Major Tom ($5) in the eighth race. Maravilla, who started training in 2022, has 20 career wins from 161 starters…Jockey Flavien Prat won three races on Sunday’s nine-race card. He now has 27 wins at the stand, one fewer than leading jockey Juan Hernandez. Prat scored in the fifth with favorite Sir Rocket ($6.20) for trainer Neil Drysdale, the Sweet Life Stakes with favorite Casalu ($3.20) for trainer Bob Baffert and the nightcap aboard Terry’s Boy ($7.20) for trainer Jeff Mullins…This year’s 2-year-olds will begin arriving at Santa Anita on Saturday…Friday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 12:44 p.m. PT with the seventh race from Gulfstream Park.