Santa Anita Stable Notes Friday, May 29, 2026

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2026

• GII SANTA MARGARITA: OM N JOY RETURNS IN 7 DAYS, BACK ON DIRT
• WORK TAB: GI WINNER SWEET AZTECA WORKS FOR 1st TIME THIS YEAR
• LONGTIME WEST COAST IRB REP CINDY NIEMETZ PASSES AWAY
• AYUSO RECLAIMS TOP SPOT IN TIGHT RACE FOR LEADING JOCKEY -MAKEUP DAY ADDED FOR CLOSING WEEK ON THURSDAY, JUNE 11

GII SANTA MARGARITA: OM N JOY RETURNS IN 7 DAYS, BACK ON DIRT

After a lackluster performance when trying turf last Saturday in the Fran’s Valentine Stakes, Om N Joy wheels back in seven days and returns to dirt in the Grade II Santa Margarita Stakes for fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles on Saturday.

In the one-mile Fran’s Valentine, Om N Joy made her first turf start since the beginning of her carrer in late 2024. She stalked the leaders in mid-pack early before fading to last in a seven-horse field. Trainer Aggie Ordonez noted Om N Joy “didn’t expend a lot of energy in that race. She came back bouncing to the barn.

“I thought this was a perfect opportunity to do it,” Ordonez said of the quick return. “She’s a big strong filly, sound. And I like the way the race could potentially set up for her with a lot of speed.”

Ordonez noted she has rarely made this move in her 30-plus years as a trainer. She recalled a time at Remington Park she experimented running a horse on turf, then came back in four days on dirt and won.

“When I was handicapping, that was one of my favorite angles,” Ordonez said. “A race on an unpreferred surface, whether it be mud or turf or whatever. Then when they come back on their preferred surface and can fire big. This filly won’t run again until August most likely and we had this in mind going into the grass race.”

Om N Joy is installed as the 5-1 third choice in the Santa Margarita. Looming as the heavy 2-5 favorite on the morning line is Seismic Beauty, last year’s winner who makes her first start since the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Om N Joy, a 4-year-old California-bred daughter of Om, will break from the rail under regular rider Kent Desormeaux.

In two starts this year prior to the Fran’s Valentine, Om N Joy was third in the GI B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile in March at Santa Anita and fifth in the GI Apple Blossom last month at Oaklawn Park. This will be her first time going 1 1/8 miles.

“I don’t have much concern at the distance. That’s probably my least concern,” Ordonez said. “She has that big, long easy stride. And the way she galloped out on grass the other day, she went by the whole field, and Kent had a hard time pulling her up. She really gets into her rhythm late. Maybe we’ll find that’s one of the things she likes most about the race. The one thing she’ll probably like least is Seismic Beauty. She’s obviously been working like a champion and is an incredible filly. I know I’m swinging big here.”

Om N Joy is campaigned by breeders Jerry Baker and Connie Baker and partners Michael Golovko and Terrence J. Scanlan. Last year, she won five of seven starts with four stakes wins including the GIII Torrey Pines going one mile at Del Mar.

First post Saturday for a nine-race card is at 1 p.m. PT. The Santa Margarita goes as the eighth race at 4:37 p.m. The field in post position order: Om N Joy, Kent Desormeaux (5-1); Lemon Muffin, Kazushi Kimura (15-1); Seismic Beauty, Juan Hernandez (2-5); Simply Joking, Emisael Jaramillo (3-1); Lavender Love, Armando Ayuso (10-1).

WORK TAB: GI WINNER SWEET AZTECA WORKS FOR 1st TIME THIS YEAR Grade I winner Sweet Azteca, sidelined since August, worked for the first time this year Friday at Santa Anita. Trained by Richard Baltas, Sweet Azteca drilled three furlongs on the main track in 36.20 seconds.

A 6-year-old mare by Sharp Azteca, Sweet Azteca hasn’t started since Aug. 24 when winning the GIII Rancho Bernardo for the second year in a row going 6 ½ furlongs at Del Mar. In her only other start last year she won the GII Great Lady M, also for the second year in a row, at Los Alamitos in July. Sweet Azteca in 2024, in addition to the Rancho Bernardo and Great Lady M, also won the GI B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile at Santa Anita. A homebred for Pamela C. Zeibarth, Sweet Azteca is 9: 7-0-1 with $667,200 in earnings.

Also gearing up for a return to action was multiple graded stakes winner Gaming. Trained by Bob Baffert, Gaming drilled four furlongs in 48.4 seconds. It was his fourth work this month. A 4-year-old colt by Game Winner, Gaming hasn’t started since Oct. 25 when finishing third in the Tokyo City Cup at Santa Anita. He most notably won the GI Del Mar Futurity in 2024 and the Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds in 2025 at Santa Anita. Gaming is owned by Michael Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman.

Hey Jessie, winner of the Santa Barbara Stakes on May 3, worked four furlongs in 48.0 seconds for trainer Sean McCarthy. The Santa Barbara at 1 ½ miles on turf was the first stakes win versus open company for the 4-year-old California-bred filly by Grazen. She is a homebred for Sayjay Racing.

Bank Shot, trained by Ryan Hanson, worked for the second time since finishing third in the GII Santa Anita Oaks on April 4. The daughter of Game Winner was clocked going four furlongs in 48.8 seconds. Prior to the Santa Anita Oaks, Bank Shot was second in the GIII Santa Ysabel and third in the Las Virgenes. She is owned by WSS Racing.

CINDY NIEMETZ BENOIT PHOTO

LONGTIME WEST COAST IRB REP CINDY NIEMETZ PASSES AWAY

Cindy Niemetz, the longtime West Coast representative for the International Racing Bureau, passed away earlier this month after a long battle with cancer. The veteran horsewoman was an omni-present figure at the annual Breeders’ Cup for more than three decades, running the quarantine barn for international shippers. Self-described as a “Mother Hen,” she worked as a conduit between the international entrants, the Breeders’ Cup, the host track and the U.S. Department of Agriculture rules and regulations.

“Some people do a job; others become part of the fabric of an industry,” said Dora Delgado, Executive Vice President & Chief Racing Officer for the Breeders’ Cup. “Cindy was the latter- tireless in her work, extraordinary in her life story and deeply respected by everyone fortunate enough to know her. Behind every successful international foray was Cindy Niemetz and the IRB team. She will be missed by so many.”

Niemetz had a wide-ranging and colorful life that included dating rock star Eric Clapton and befriending Andy Warhol. She began her career out of college by working for “The Thoroughbred of California” magazine, where she put her art history degree to work in the art department. She and her first husband were married in the Santa Anita Press Box in 1977.

But it was working directly with horses where Niemetz felt most at home. She was an assistant trainer to Hall of Famer Gary Jones for five years in the mid-1980s. Niemetz opened her own stable in 1987 and became the first woman to train a stakes winner at the Orange County Fair at Los Alamitos, taking the T.S.C. Lowe Stakes with Thai Dye prior to joining the IRB that fall.

Niemetz devoted much of her free time to working with her therapy dog as docents for Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena. Niemetz was preceded in death by her second husband, former Santa Anita Park veterinarian Ray Baran.

Per her request, there will not be a formal funeral, but her many friends may celebrate her memory at a date to be named later.

FINISH LINES: Armando Ayuso and Antonio Fresu continue to volley at the top of the jockey’s standings. On Monday, Ayuso reclaimed the top spot when riding two winners on a 10-race Memorial Day card. Ayuso won the second race aboard Novinophobia ($21.40) for trainer Bill McLean and the ninth race with The G M ($13.40) for trainer Mike Puype. Ayuso, who has never won a Santa Anita riding title, has 20 wins at the Hollywood Meet entering Friday. Fresu, the leading rider at last year’s Hollywood Meet, has won 19 races…The $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 Friday starts at 1:35 p.m. PT with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park…The $1 Sunset Pick 6 begins at 1:04 p.m. with the seventh race from Gulfstream…NTRA Chief Operating Officer Keith Chamblin will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Saturday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m. PT…A makeup day of live racing has been added for Thursday June 11. It will kick off a four-day race week to close out the Hollywood Meet.