Santa Anita Stable Notes Friday, May 16, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2025

Photo: Ernie Belmonte

• WORKS: BAEZA, BARNES RETURN TO TAB WITH 4F DRILLS • MIZDIRECTION: WIDE-OPEN FIELD OF 10 SET FOR SATURDAY FEATURE • $94K CARRYOVER IN FRIDAY’S $2 PICK 6; STARTS AT 2:34 P.M. PT • 2-YEAR-OLD FILLIES: CITY OF LIGHT RUNNERS IN SPOTLIGHT • PREAKNESS SATURDAY: EAST GATE OPENS 7:15 A.M. FOR WAGERING

WORKS: BAEZA, BARNES RETURN TO TAB WITH 4F DRILLS

Baeza, third in the Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs, returned to the work tab Friday at Santa Anita with an easy half mile drill for trainer John Shirreffs. He was joined on the tab by fellow 3-year-old Barnes, who worked for the first time since finishing last of five in the GI Santa Anita Derby April 5.

Baeza was credited with a four-furlong work in 53.60 seconds. The McKinzie colt is slated to start in the Belmont Stakes going 1 ¼ miles on June 7 at Saratoga. Baeza’s half brother, Dornoch, won last year’s Belmont Stakes when also contested at 1 ¼ miles at Saratoga.

In the Kentucky Derby, Baeza and jockey Flavien Prat rallied from 15th after the opening half mile to be beaten less than two lengths by winner Sovereignty. Baeza finished just a neck back of runner-up Journalism, the GI Santa Anita Derby winner who returns in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.

Barnes worked four furlongs in 48.0 seconds for trainer Bob Baffert. In the Santa Anita Derby, Barnes was keen early while racing three wide before weakening in the stretch. Prior to the Santa Anita Derby, Barnes won the GII San Vicente at seven furlongs in January and was second in the GII San Felipe in March when making his two-turn debut.

Queen Maxima also returned to the tab after winning the Unbridle Sidney at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Oaks undercard May 2. Trained by Jeff Mullins, Queen Maxima worked four furlongs on the synthetic training track in 50.60 seconds.

The Unbridled Sidney sprinting on turf was the fifth win in a row for Queen Maxima, a 4-year-old filly by Bucchero. Following a pair of allowance wins to kick off Santa Anita’s Classic Meet, Queen Maxima returned in February to win the Wishing Well at six furlongs on turf and then added the GIII Monrovia sprinting on the hillside turf course in April. In all, there were a combined 115 workouts between the main track and training track.

MIZDIRECTION: WIDE-OPEN FIELD OF 10 SET FOR SATURDAY’S FEATURE

There is no shortage of win contenders in Saturday’s Mizdirection Stakes, which attracted a wide-open field of 10 older fillies and mares who’ll sprint about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course.

The tepid 3-1 program favorite is Miss Roberts. Trained by Jeff Mullins, Miss Roberts most recently rallied to an allowance win on the hillside turf course April 5 at Santa Anita. The 4-year-old daughter of Siyouni, who’ll have Juan Hernandez aboard, is seeking her first stakes win.

Two of the other key contenders in the race, Grade III winner Chismosa (6-1) and Lunar Impact (6-1), are both returning off layoffs. Chismosa, trained by Rafael DeLeon, hasn’t started since Nov. 10 at Del Mar when she won the Betty Grable Stakes for California-breds at seven furlongs on dirt. In last year’s Mizdirection, Chismosa finished third after being up close to the pace throughout. DeLeon said he was considering waiting to run Chismosa in next month’s Desert Stormer at six furlongs on dirt, a race she won last year, “but she’s ready now.

“It’s scared me how well she’s been doing. She looks absolutely beautiful,” DeLeon said Friday. A 5-year-old California-bred mare by Clubhouse Ride, Chismosa is based at Los Alamitos where she has had a string of fast works for her comeback. On April 12, she drilled five furlongs in 58.80 seconds and then came back two weeks later with a six-furlong work clocked in 1:10.00.

“She’s never worked like this before. She just keeps wanting more and more,” DeLeon said. Chismosa will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith for the first time.

Lunar Impact makes her first start since last July’s Osunitas Stakes at Del Mar when she finished off the board going a mile on turf. Trained by Dan Blacker, the 5-year-old mare by Zoustar is a previous winner on the hillside turf course and has been training forwardly for her comeback.

“I’ve really liked what I’ve seen, she’s been training very well,” Blacker said. ”When you come back in a stakes race, you need to be ready to go and I think she is. There were a few races we were looking at it, but she’s run well down the hill and I think this is a good place to start her back.”

The Mizdirection goes as the 10th and final race Saturday with post time set for 6:05 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Chismosa, Mike Smith (6-1); Miss Roberts, Juan Hernandez (3-1); Uncorked, Kazushi Kimura (6-1); Ang N Ash, Kyle Frey (10-1); Venganza, Antonio Fresu (8-1); Tahini, Drayden Van Dyke (20-1); Granny Budgie, Tiago Pereira (5-1); Beyond Lucky, Armando Ayuso (10-1); Lunar Impact, Hector Berrios (6-1); Valence, Assael Espinoza (10-1).

$94K CARRYOVER IN FRIDAY’S $2 PICK 6; STARTS AT 2:34 P.M. PT

There is a $94,783 carryover in Friday’s $2 Pick Six after no one successfully navigated Sunday’s Pick Six sequence. Track officials estimate the total pool will reach $600,000.

With first post Friday at 1 p.m. PT for a nine-race card, the Pick Six starts with the fourth race at approximately 2:34 p.m. To help make informed selections, Santa Anita and Daily Racing Form have joined forces to provide free past performances for the entirety of Friday’s card. They can be accessed at promos.drf.com/santaanita25.

Helping to trigger the carryover on Sunday was 3-year-old colt Tariff, who won the fifth race under Armando Ayuso for trainer Peter Eurton and paid $53.20. The carryover was ultimately clinched in the ninth and final race when Miss Jo’s Curlin, ridden by Juan Hernandez for trainer Brendan Galvin, won and paid $24.20.

The consolation payout for tickets with 5-of-6 winners returned $423.00.

The winning horses in Sunday’s Pick Six beginning with fourth race were #8 Miss Miche Lada ($2.20), #3 Tariff ($53.20), #3 Atomic Drop ($7.20), #6 Freedom’s Not Free ($4.00), #6 Momad ($10.20) and #7 Miss Jo’s Curlin ($24.20).

2-YEAR-OLD FILLIES: CITY OF LIGHT RUNNERS IN SPOTLIGHT

Friday’s fourth race for juvenile fillies at 4 ½ furlongs is the first 2-year-old race of the year not restricted to horses bred or sired in California. The two leading contenders in the lineup, 8-5 program favorite La Ville Lumiere and Light Won Up (2-1), are both daughters of City of Light.

Michael McCarthy was the trainer of City of Light during his distinguished career and he also conditions La Ville Lumiere. At this year’s OBS March Sale of 2-year-olds in training, La Ville Lumiere was purchased for $475,000 by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. She has worked seven times since March 27 at Santa Anita for her unveiling, which includes a four-furlong drill from the gate last week clocked in 48.60 seconds. La Ville Lumiere will break from the rail under Umberto Rispoli.

Light Won Up, trained by Doug O’Neill, is out of stakes winner Factorofwon. She was purchased for $265,000 at the OBS March sale by owners Purple Rein Racing and Mark D. Davis. Light Won Up has worked seven times since March 23 at Santa Anita. On May 4, she worked four furlongs from the gate in 47.80 seconds and came right back with another half-mile gate work completed 48.0 seconds. Light Won Up will have Antonio Fresu aboard for her debut.

Post time for the fourth race is 2:34 p.m. PT. It also kicks off the $2 Pick Six. The field in post position order: La Ville Lumiere, Kazushi Kimura (8-5); Light Won Up, Antonio Fresu (2-1); Tippy, Cristobal Herrera (20-1); Fire Ile, Drayden Van Dyke (4-1); Wicked Wind, Armando Aguilar (12-1); Velvet Dream, Tiago Pereira (7-2).

FINISH LINES: With Saturday being Preakness Stakes day, Santa Anita’s East Gate will open early at 7:15 a.m. for simulcast wagering on the Pimlico card. Other gates will open at 9 a.m. Post time for the Preakness is at 4:01 p.m…Friday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:44 p.m. PT with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park…Sunday’s feature at Santa Anita is the GIII Honeymoon Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on turf. The 6-5 favorite is Jungle Peace, who’ll have Umberto Ripoli aboard for trainer Phil D’Amato…Horseplayers Duke Matties and Carson Matties will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guests Saturday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m. PT.