Santa Anita Stable Notes Friday, March 20, 2026

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2026

• CHAMPION SUPER CORREDORA WILL MISS SANTA ANITA OAKS • WORKS: CHEROKEE NATION, POTENTE DRILL FOR SANTA ANITA DERBY • GIII SAN LUIS REY: MONDEGO AIMS FOR BACK-TO-BACK GRADED WINS • HEAT PROTOCLS IN PLACE AS TEMPERATURES REACH THE HIGH 90’S

CHAMPION SUPER CORREDORA WILL MISS SANTA ANITA OAKS

Super Corredora, last year’s champion 2-year-old filly, will miss the Grade II Santa Anita Oaks on April 4 after getting sick earlier this week, trainer John Sadler reported Friday. “She had a fever and we have to wait for her to get over that,” Sadler said. “The Oaks is out.” Super Corredora last year won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar to clinch the Eclipse Award as outstanding 2-year-old female. In two subsequent starts, both this year, the daughter of Gun Runner has not been a factor.

In the one-mile Las Virgenes on Feb. 8, Super Corredora raced up on a lively pace before weakening in the stretch to finish last in a four-horse field. Then 12 days ago in the GIII Santa Ysabel going 1 1/16 miles, Super Corredora lost all chance at the start when she threw her head and hopped, spotting the field multiple lengths. She ultimately finished seventh.

The winner of the Las Virgenes, Meaning, remains on target for the Santa Anita Oaks after skipping the Santa Ysabel, trainer Michael McCarthy said. On Friday, the daughter of Gun Runner worked five furlongs in 1:00.2.

“Nice work. We’re on track for the Oaks,” McCarthy said.

Meaning won the Las Virgenes by 1 ½ lengths over runner-up Explora, the odds-on favorite who came back to win the GIII Honeymoon at Oaklawn earlier this month. Prior to the Las Virgenes, Meaning finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies when making just her second start and first around two turns. She is owned by Bridlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.

WORKS: CHEROKEE NATION, POTENTE DRILL FOR SANTA ANITA DERBY

Cherokee Nation and Potente, both ticketed for the GI Santa Anita Derby on April 4, were among several standouts from the Bob Baffert barn to record timed workouts Friday at Santa Anita.

Cherokee Nation and Potente each worked four furlongs in 48.0 seconds. Cherokee Nation, by Not This Time, is exiting a superlative maiden win going one mile on Feb. 27 at Santa Anita. The effort earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure, which is the second-highest recorded by a 3-year-old this year. Potente, a high-priced son of Into Mischief, is a perfect 2-for-2. After a debut win sprinting six furlongs on Jan. 31, the $2.4 million auction buy came back to win the GII San Felipe when stretched to 1 1/16 miles on March 7. Friday’s work was his first since that victory.

Also working for Baffert were promising 3-year-old debut winner Crude Velocity, Desert Gate, Splendora and Explora. Crude Velocity’s work was his first since a standout debut win going 6 ½ furlongs on March 7 at Santa Anita. By Beau Liam, Crude Velocity drilled four furlongs in 47.2 seconds. It was the third-fastest of 35 works at the distance.

Desert Gate, who is entered in Thursday’s Hot Springs Stakes at Oaklawn, worked five furlongs in 1:00.2. The Omaha Beach colt most recently was fourth in the GIII Robert B. Lewis on Feb. 7 at Santa Anita.

Splendora worked for the first time since winning the GI B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile on March 7 at Santa Anita. The 4-year-old Audible filly was clocked going three furlongs in 37.2 seconds. Explora had her second work since winning the GIII Honeybee on March 1 at Oaklawn. By Blame, Explora drilled five furlongs in 1:01.4.

GIII SAN LUIS REY: MONDEGO AIMS FOR BACK-TO-BACK GRADED WINS

Following a breakout victory in last month’s GIII San Marcos, Mondego will look to make it back-to-back graded wins for trainer Michael McCarthy in Saturday’s Grade III San Luis Rey Stakes at 1 ½ miles on turf.

A 6-year-old gelding by Lope de Vega, Mondego is installed at 6-1 on the morning line for a competitive edition of the San Luis Rey. His rivals include millionaire stablemates Gold Phoenix (7-5) and Balnikhov (7-2), both trained by Phil D’Amato; and multiple graded stakes winner Truly Quality, the 5-2 second choice for trainer Jonathan Thomas.

In the San Marcos going 1 ¼ miles, Mondego scored by one length while being ridden by Emisael Jaramillo for the first time. Mondego stalked the pace down on the inside, bid four-deep just past the eighth pole and edged clear late for the victory. Truly Quality finished third and splitting those rivals in second was Flashiest, who also returns in the San Luis Rey for trainer Leonard Powell and is 12-1 on the morning.

Mondego had been winless in eight graded stakes tries prior to the San Marcos. “I thought Emisael rode him wonderfully that day,” McCarthy said. “We’re going in with the same strategy. A nice stalking trip and finish up well.”

The San Luis Rey has a notable lack of early speed in the lineup. McCarthy said he does not see the extra quarter of a mile as being an issue for Mondego. In his only previous start at 1 ½ miles, Mondego finished off the board in the GII Hollywood Turf Cup won by Truly Quality in November at Del Mar.

“I think he’ll be fine,” McCarthy said of the added distance.

Gold Phoenix also exits the San Marcos. He raced wide throughout that day and was never a factor to finish seventh as the even-money favorite. The San Marcos was first start since the Breeders’ Cup Turf more than three months earlier.

“I don’t know if it was the four-wide trip that did him in, or if he was short off the layoff, or both,” D’Amato said.

Gold Phoenix will have a new rider in the San Luis Rey as Hector Berrios takes over in the irons.

The San Luis Rey goes as the ninth and final race Saturday. Post time is 5:10 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Flashiest, Armando Ayuso (12-1); Truly Quality, Antonio Fresu (5-2); Balnikhov, Juan Hernandez (9-2); Gold Phoenix, Hector Berrios (7-5); Mondego, Emisael Jaramillo (6-1); City Exile, Tiago Pereira (20-1); Living Life, Ricky Gonzalez (30-1); Watsonville, Mike Smith (12-1).

FINISH LINES: With temperatures in the high 90s, heat protocols will be in place for Friday’s eight-race program. Buckets of ice and hoses will be available for use throughout the property. Also, riders will be legged up in the saddling enclosure and horses will go directly to the track. Following each race, all horses will go back to the barn area down the racetrack rather than through the paddock…Friday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 2:08 p.m. PT with the ninth race from Gulfstream Park. Free past performances for the sequence are available at https://promos.drf.com/coast-to-coast-pick5. Open to retail players only, Sunday’s Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 paid $416,660 for a single winning ticket…Friday’s $1 Sunset Pick Six starts at 1:37 p.m. with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park. Also open to retail players only, Sunday’s Sunset Pick Six paid $156,045 for a single winning ticket…Horseplayer Leo Vukmanovich will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Saturday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m.