Santa Anita Stable Notes Friday, May 30, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN FRIDAY, MAY 30, 2025

• GIII TRIPLE BEND: GRADED WINNER DR. VENKMAN BACK FOR GLATT • AIELLO STEPS IN FOR MIRAHMADI NEXT WEEK AT SANTA ANITA • WORKS: CITIZEN BULL, RODRIGUEZ, RICHI DRILL FOR BAFFERT • CARMOUCHE IN TOWN TO RIDE, RECEIVE GEORGE WOOLF AWARD

GIII TRIPLE BEND: GRADED WINNER DR. VENKMAN BACK FOR GLATT

Grade II winner Dr. Venkman is set to make his belated seasonal debut Saturday in the GIII Triple Bend at seven furlongs for trainer Mark Glatt. Winner of last year’s GII San Diego Handicap, Dr. Venkman is installed as the 2-1 second choice in a lineup that also includes stakes winners Nysos (3-5), Vlahos (10-1) and Spirit of Makena (12-1). Completing the field is the lone 3-year-old entered, Smooth Cruisein (6-1), who exits an allowance win against fellow sophomores going six furlongs on April 26.

Dr. Venkman hasn’t started since last August when he finished fourth in the GI Pacific Classic going 1 ¼ miles at Del Mar. In two previous starts last year, the now 5-year-old gelding by Ghostzppaer won the San Diego going 1 1/16 miles and was second in the Triple Bend.

Glatt said Dr. Venkman exited the Pacific Classic “a little jammed up and needed to get over some minor issues, which we allowed him to do.” He returned to the work tab on March 31 and has since been working weekly without a hitch. On Sunday, he completed his serious preparations with a four-furlong gate work in 47.80 seconds.

“He’s been really solid, especially in his last few works,” Glatt said. “I think he’s set to go.”

Dr. Venkman drew the outside post and will have regular rider Antonio Fresu aboard. In last year’s Triple Bend, which followed a nearly eight-month layoff, Dr. Venkman and Fresu were second-best to winner Happy Jack.

As for program favorite Nysos, he’ll be making his second start following a lengthy layoff of his own for trainer Bob Baffert. On the Kentucky Derby undercard May 3 at Churchill Downs, Nysos returned after 15 months on the sidelines and dead-heated for second, beaten just a neck in the GI Churchill Downs going seven furlongs.

Spirit of Makena, trained by George Papaprodromou, most recently finished a promising third in the GIII San Carlos March 29 after an 18-month layoff. Glatt said he expects Dr. Venkman “will run very well” while also noting the quality of the competition.

“Obviously Nysos is a very good horse, and I think we have a very good horse,” Glatt said. “(Nysos) has a recent race and I’m sure he’ll be even better the second time off such a long layoff. But that’s why they run the race. He’ll either be able to beat him or he won’t, and there’s others in there that are no slouches by any means.”

The Triple Bend goes as the seventh race on a 10-race card Saturday. Post time is set for 4:08 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Vlahos, Edwin Maldonado (10-1); Nysos, Juan Hernandez (3-5); Spirit of Makena, Kyle Frey (12-1); Smooth Cruisein, Tiago Pereira (6-1); Dr. Venkman, Antonio Fresu (2-1).

AIELLO STEPS IN FOR MIRAHMADI NEXT WEEKEND AT SANTA ANITA

Gulfstream Park racecaller Pete Aiello will take over in the Santa Anita Park announcer’s booth next Friday through Sunday as Frank Mirahmadi will be at Saratoga to call its five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. Filling in for Aiello at Gulfstream Park will be young up-and-comer Liam Molilnaro, who earlier this year was the announcer at the Golden State Racing meet at Pleasanton.

Mirahmadi has been Santa Anita’s track announcer since December 2018. In 2023, Mirahmadi was additionally hired by the New York Racing Association to serve as its announcer during the summer meet at Saratoga. Last year, the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival was added to Mirahmadi’s duties when it was moved to Saratoga from its traditional home at Belmont Park as that track undergoes a multi-year renovation project.

“I am beyond grateful to have the privilege of calling the Belmont Stakes again for NYRA and FOX,” Mirahmadi said. “Santa Anita management once again kindly let me take the time off. Our fans will be delighted to welcome Pete Aiello from our sister track into the booth at ‘The Great Race Place’ and they should get ready for some high-energy, fun calls from Pete!”'

Aiello has served as Gulfstream’s year-round announcer since 2016. A 39-year-old native of West Palm Beach, Fla., Aiello previously served as a guest racecaller at Santa Anita during the 2023 Breeders’ Cup, calling the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and Juvenile Turf Fillies, as well as the Sen. Ken Maddy on the undercard. This will, however, mark his first full weekend foray to The Great Race Place.

“It’s exciting because this time I’ll get to call every race and be able to get into a rhythm,” Aiello said this week. “Everything about this job is rhythm.”

Aiello acknowledged there will be additional challenges that come anytime an announcer moves to a new track, most notably a lack of familiarity with the local horse population.

“Like with the silks. There are some I know as a fan, but others that I’ve never seen before, so it will be a little tricky,” Aiello said. “But one good thing in the equation is Santa Anita isn’t new to me, and I have great a resource in the sense I can call Frank anytime I have a question.”

Mirahmadi’s run at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will be highlighted by the 157th running of the Belmont Stakes a week from Saturday. Among those expected to compete in the Belmont are GI Santa Anita Derby and Preakness winner Journalism; plus fellow Santa Anita-based 3-year-olds Baeza, most recently third in the Kentucky Derby; and Rodriguez, who won the GI Wood Memorial in April prior to being scratched from the Kentucky Derby because of a bruised foot. The post-position draw for the Belmont is Monday.

WORKS: CITIZEN BULL, RODRIGUEZ, RICHI DRILL FOR BAFFERT

Rodriguez, a candidate for next week’s Belmont Stakes at Saratoga, plus stablemates Citizen Bull and Richi were all on the work tab Friday at Santa Anita.

Rodriguez worked five furlongs in 1:00.40. The Authentic colt won the GII Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in April and was scratched from the Kentucky Derby because of a bruised hoof. Citizen Bull drilled five furlongs in 1:00.40. It was his third work since finishing 15th in the Kentucky Derby. Richi, winner of the GII Santa Maria last out on April 19, worked six furlongs in 1:12.20.

Other notables on the tab included Miso Phansy (4f, 49.0), Dicey Mo Chara (4f, 49.40), Miss Roberts (4f, 48.0), Bran (5f, 1:01.20) and Mbagnick (5f, 1:00.0)

CARMOUCHE IN TOWN TO RIDE, RECEIVE GEORGE WOOLF AWARD

Jockey Kendrick Carmouche is at Santa Anita this weekend where on Saturday he’ll be presented with the 2025 George Woolf Memorial Award in a winner’s circle ceremony after the eighth race. Awarded annually since 1950, the George Woolf award goes to the jockey who demonstrates the highest standards of personal and professional conduct both on and off the racetrack. The winner is determined by a nationwide vote of fellow jockeys. This will also be a work trip for Carmouche as he has five mounts booked including in Friday’s fifth race aboard Got the Ring (5-2) for trainer Peter Miller. A 41-year-old native of Vinton, La.., Carmouche’s father was the late jockey Sylvester Carmouche Jr. Kendrick Carmouche has won 4,027 races in a career that started in 2000. “I’m honored, very honored,” Carmouche said. “I just wish my dad could be here.”

FINISH LINES: With temperatures in the 90s, heat protocols will be in place both Friday and Saturday. Ice buckets and hoses will be available for use throughout the property, riders will be legged up in the saddling barn and horses will then go directly to the racetrack. Post parades will also be shortened…Friday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:37 p.m. PT with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park…TOC President and CEO Bill Nader will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Saturday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m.