Santa Anita Stable Notes Friday, June 6, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2025

Photo: Joan Fairman Kanes/Eclipse Sportswire/Cal Sport Media

• ESPINOZA RECALLS TRIPLE CROWN TRIUMPH, PONDERS FUTURE • GIII SUMMERTIME OAKS: THOUGHT PROCESS TRIES DIRT OFF LAYOFF • JOURNALISM, BAEZA, RODRIGUEZ SET FOR BELMONT STAKES • AIELLO FILLS IN FOR MIRAHMADI IN ANNOUNCER’S BOOTH

ESPINOZA RECALLS TRIPLE CROWN TRIUMPH, PONDERS FUTURE

Ten years ago today, jockey Victor Espinoza and the great American Pharoah won the Belmont Stakes to complete a sweep of the 2015 Triple Crown. Earlier this week Espinoza, 53, reflected on the historic triumph while also looking ahead to the future.

Trained by Bob Baffert for owner-breeder Ahmed Zayat, American Pharoah rolled to a 5 ½-length victory in the Belmont before a capacity crowd of 90,000 at Belmont Park and a reported television audience of 22 million. With the win, American Pharoah became just the 12th horse to sweep the Triple Crown and first since Affirmed in 1978.

“It was incredible,” Espinoza recalled. “It was an emotional thing for me. Just to ride such an amazing horse and then win the Triple Crown after so many years, so many near misses. It didn’t really sink in until maybe a week later. That’s when I thought ‘wow, I’m really one lucky guy.’ Those are the memories that stick with me forever.”

Following the Triple Crown success, American Pharoah and Espinoza would go on to win the GI Haskell at Monmouth and the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland to clinch Horse of the Year honors for 2015. American Pharoah was retired after the Classic with a record of 11: 9-1-0 and $8,650,300 in earnings. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021 and since his retirement, American Pharoah has served as a stallion at Ashford Stud in Central Kentucky.

“Everything went so smooth with American Pharoah. He could do anything,” said Espinoza, who himself was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2017. “He was built so powerfully and with a lot of endurance. To be able to take all the training to win the Triple Crown, it requires a very unique horse.”

A native of Mexico, Espinoza has been riding in the U.S since 1993. He has won 3,519 races and banked more than $213 million in purse earnings, which ranks 19th all time. In recent years, however, Espinoza’s business has started to wane. Last year, Espinoza had career lows in both mounts (111) and wins (10). This year, he has just two wins from 26 mounts. His most recent ride came on May 18 at Santa Anita.

Espinoza shied away from any talk of retirement while adding he hopes to be more active at Del Mar this summer. But for now, “I’m just enjoying life.

“I’ve been catching up with a lot of things that I’ve had to miss out on over the years,” said Espinoza, who splits his time between his homes in Sierra Madre near Santa Anita and Del Mar. “Being a jockey, you’re pretty much always at the track. It’s every day, seven days a week. You can’t spend as much time with your family or do simple things like having a nice day at the beach.”

The Del Mar summer meet opens July 18.

“Recently I’ve started preparing for Del Mar. I think I’ll have more opportunities down there,” Espinoza said. “You can’t force it, but my plan is to get down there and win some races.”

GIII SUMMERTIME OAKS: THOUGHT PROCESS TRIES DIRT OFF LAYOFF

Thought Process, a multiple stakes winner on grass last year for trainer Phil D’Amato, makes her first start since the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Saturday in the GIII Summertime Oaks going 1 1/16 miles on dirt at Santa Anita.

Trained by Phil D’Amato, Thought Process hasn’t raced on dirt since her debut in July when finishing third going 5 ½ furlongs at Del Mar. She subsequently reeled off three straight victories on grass including the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf and GIII Surfer Girl at Santa Anita. In the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov. 1 at Del Mar, Thought Process set the pace and led at the eighth pole before weakening to ninth in a 14-horse field.

“She’s been training great on the main track and there really wasn’t another stakes spot on grass for her,” D’Amato explained of the surface switch. “We thought we’d give it a shot and see how it goes leading into Del Mar. If she runs well it will give us a lot more options down the road.”

Thought Process is installed as the 2-1 second choice in the Summertime Oaks behind 6-5 favorite Cash Call, who is one of three in the field for trainer Bob Baffert. Thought Process breaks from the rail under regular rider Hector Berrios.

By Collected, Thought Process has been working steadily since early April for her comeback. D’Amato’s liked what he’s seen in the mornings from the now 3-year-old.

“She’s always been a nice, good-sized filly. I think the time off has done her a world of good,” D’Amato said. “She’s come back very well.”

Thought Process is owned by The Estate of Brereton C. Jones and Little Red Feather Racing. She has a record of 5: 3-0-1 with $184,000 in earnings.

The Summertime Oaks goes as the seventh race on a 10-race card Saturday. Post time is set for 4:22 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Thought Process, Hector Berrios (2-1); Howin, Drayden Van Dyke (6-1); Sea Runner, Antonio Fresu (30-1); Our Moonlight, Tiago Pereira (5-1); Allihies, Geovanni Franco (30-1); Silent Law, Kazushi Kimura (8-1); Cash Call, Juan Hernandez (6-5).

JOURNALISM, BAEZA, RODRIGUEZ SET FOR 157th BELMONT STAKES

Santa Anita-based 3-year-olds Journalism, Baeza and Rodriguez are part of an eight-horse field set to go in the 157th Belmont Stakes Saturday at Saratoga.

Journalism three weeks ago won the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico after finishing runner-up in the Kentucky Derby on May 3. The Curlin colt will try and become the first horse to win two legs of the Triple Crown since Justify swept the series in 2018. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Journalism will break from post seven under Umberto Rispoli. He was the 8-5 favorite in early wagering Friday morning.

Baeza finished third in the Kentucky Derby and skipped the Preakness. Trained by John Shirreffs, Baeza will break directly inside of Journalism in post six. The son of McKinzie was the 3-1 second choice in early wagering, just ahead of Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty (7-2).

Rodriguez drew post three and will have Mike Smith aboard for trainer Bob Baffert. The son of Authentic had to be scratched from the Kentucky Derby because of a bruised hoof and did not contest the Preakness. Rodriguez was the 6-1 fourth choice in early Belmont wagering. Post time for the Belmont Stakes is at 4:04 p.m. PT.

FINISH LINES: Pete Aiello will serve as the Santa Anita track announcer this weekend with Frank Mirahmadi at Saratoga to call the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival…Friday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:35 p.m. PT with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park…Sunday’s feature is the Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles. It goes as the third race at approximately 2 p.m. PT.