Santa Anita Stable Notes Friday, Oct. 10, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

FRIDAY, OCT. 10, 2025

- • CALIFORNIA FLAG: LOVESICK BLUES PREPS FOR BC SPRINT - • WORKS: JOURNALISM, BAEZA, BRANT AMONG BC HOPEFULS ON TAB - • FRIDAY CARRYOVERS: $45K IN $2 PICK 6; $35K IN $1 SUPER HIGH 5 - • MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR JEFF SIEGEL SET FOR THIS MONDAY - • 4-DAY RACE WEEK INCLUDES SPECIAL HOLIDAY CARD MONDAY

CALIFORNIA FLAG: LOVESICK BLUES PREPS FOR BC SPRINT

After Lovesick Blues won the GI Bing Crosby on July 26 at Del Mar to secure a bid to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, owner-trainer Librado Barocio’s initial idea was for the California-bred gelding to train up to the $2 million Sprint on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Further contemplation changed that plan.

On Saturday, three weeks ahead of the six-furlong Breeders’ Cup Sprint on dirt, Lovesick Blues will take on fellow statebreds in the California Flag Handicap at about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course. Installed as the 5-2 program favorite, Lovesick Blues will carry highweight of 126 pounds in a field of seven.

“The Breeders’ Cup is a big race and I just want to make sure I have him hitting on all cylinders,” Barocio said Friday morning.

In the Bing Crosby, Lovesick Blues sprung a 16-1 upset when scoring by 1 ¾ lengths from off the pace under Geovanni Franco. It was the first graded stakes win in 41 starts for the 7-year-old grey son of Grazen.

Since the Bing Crosby, Lovesick Blues has worked five times including a half-mile drill in 51.0 seconds last Saturday.

“He’s training good, feeling good,” Barocio said. “He’s been a little tough in the stall. I thought rather than working him hard a few more times, this race would set him up.” If the next three weeks go as planned, Lovesick Blues would be the first Breeders’ Cup starter for Barocio, a 61-year-old native of Richmond, Calif. and UCLA film school graduate. Barocio got his start in racing working under late trainer Julio Canani.

Lovesick Blues was purchased by Barocio from breeder Nick Alexander late last year in a private deal. The win in the Bing Crosby was Barocio’s first at the Grade I level and second graded stakes win overall.

“It’s been a dream come true,” Barocio said.

Since Lovesick Blues was not nominated to the Breeders’ Cup as a foal, Barocio will have to pony up a $100,000 supplemental entry to run in the Sprint.

Among Lovesick Blues’ chief rivals on Saturday is 3-year-old Shea Brennan, the 3-1 second choice for trainer Phil D’Amato. While a two-time stakes winner against statebreds going long on dirt, Shea Brennan has never raced on turf.

“We’re going to see if he likes the grass. If he does, that will open up many more options for him,” D’Amato said.

By Tough Sunday, Shea Brennan won the 1 1/16-mile California Cup Derby in January at Santa Anita and the King Glorious Stakes at one mile in December. He’ll be ridden by Umberto Rispoli for the first time Saturday.

The California Flag goes as the seventh race on a nine-race card Saturday starting at 1 p.m. PT. Post time for the California Flag is set for 4:08 p.m. The field in post position order: Shea Brennan, Umberto Rispoli (3-1); Lovesick Blues, Geovanni Franco (5-2); Book Smart, Mike Smith (8-1); Sir Rocket, Armando Ayuso (10-1); Cali Cat, Juan Hernandez (12-1); Man O Rose, Edwin Maldonado (7-2); Stamp My Passport, Diego Herrera (20-1); Flyover, Hector Berrios (9-2).

WORKS: JOURNALISM, BAEZA, BRANT AMONG BC HOPEFULS ON TAB

Top 3-year-olds Journalism and Baeza and Grade I winners Brant and Formidable Man were among the Breeders’ Cup hopefuls recording timed workouts Friday at Santa Anita.

Journalism and Baeza are both candidates to run in the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic going 1 ¼ miles on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Journalism, trained by Michael McCarthy, was clocked going a half mile in 49.0 seconds. It was Journalism’s fourth work since finishing second in the GI Pacific Classic Aug. 30 at Del Mar.

Baeza, trained by John Shirreffs, worked five furlongs in 59.0 seconds. It was the second-fastest of 33 works at the distance. Baeza most recently won the GI Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 20 at Parx.

Brant, winner of the GI Del Mar Futurity Sept. 7 at Del Mar, fired a bullet when working six furlongs in 1:11.80. It was his fourth work since improving to 2-for-2 in the seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity. Trained by Bob Baffert, the colt by Gun Runner is ticketed for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Oct. 31 at Del Mar.

Formidable Man, trained by Michael McCarthy, worked five furlongs in 1:01.20. At the recent Del Mar summer meet, the 4-year-old colt by City of Light won both the GII Del Mar Mile and GII Eddie Read.

Also working towards expected tilts at the Breeders’ Cup were Richi and Hey Nay Nay. Richi, also trained by Baffert, worked four furlongs in 49.20. She is pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Most recently, Richi was second to stablemate Cavalieri in the GII Zenyatta going 1 1/16 miles on Sept. 28 at Santa Anita.

Hey Nay Nay, trained by John Sadler, worked five furlongs in 1:00.0. A 2-year-old colt by No Nay Never, Hey Nay Nay improved to 3-for-3 when winning the GIII Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes Sept. 7 at Del Mar. He is targeting the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

FRIDAY CARRYOVERS: $45K IN $2 PICK 6; $35K IN $1 SUPER HIGH 5

Friday’s card at Santa Anita has a $45,583 carryover in the $2 Pick Six and a $35,706 carryover in the $1 Super High 5. The scheduled carryovers in the $1 Sunset Pick Six ($54,236) and $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 ($45,583) for Friday have been moved to Saturday following the cancellation of today’s racing at Gulfstream Park due to inclement weather.

Santa Anita’s Pick Six starts with the fourth race at 2:31 p.m. PT. The competitive sequence averages 7.8 starters per race and includes three allowance races and an open maiden event at six furlongs on dirt. Track officials estimate the total Pick Six pool will exceed $300,000. The $1 Super High 5 carryover will be up for grabs in Friday’s ninth and final race. Post time is scheduled for 5:03 p.m.

The ninth race is an allowance/optional claimer for statebreds going one mile on turf. It has a field of nine entered. The 2-1 favorite on the morning line is Winning Patriot, who was a troubled second in a similar event on Aug. 30 at Del Mar. Winning Patriot will have Ricky Gonzalez aboard for trainer Carla Gaines.

To help make informed selections, Santa Anita has teamed with Daily Racing Form to provide free past performances for Friday’s card. They can be accessed at https://promos.drf.com/santaanita25.

MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR JEFF SIEGEL SET FOR THIS MONDAY A memorial service for longtime racing analyst and handicapper Jeff Siegel will be held this Monday at Mt. Sinai Memorial Park in Simi Valley. The ceremony, which is open to the public, will begin at 10 a.m. The address for Mt. Sinai is 6150 Mount Sinai Drive, Simi Valley, CA 91063. Siegel passed away last Saturday from cancer after more than 50 years as one of the most respected voices in the Thoroughbred industry in Southern California.

FINISH LINES: Friday’s nine-race program kicks off a four-day race week at Santa Anita ending with a special holiday card on Monday. On Saturday, Santa Anita will host a nine-race program starting at 1 p.m. highlighted by the California Flag Handicap on the hillside turf course. On Sunday, 10 races are on tap with first post at 1 p.m. The feature is the California Distaff Handicap on the hillside turf course. A nine-race card is set for Monday led by the Swingtime Stakes at one mile on turf. As part of the holiday festivities, on-track fans will receive free parking, $2 beers and hot dogs and $1 sodas….Through the first two weeks of the Autumn Meet, Umberto Rispoli has won 11 races at the stand to lead Juan Hernandez (10) by a single victory atop the jockey’s standings. Phil D’Amato leads all trainers with 10 wins, which is double the total of runner-up Bob Baffert (5)….Jockey agent Brian Beach (Kazushi Kimura, Asa Espinoza) will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Saturday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m. PT…