Santa Anita Stable Notes Friday, Oct. 16, 2026

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

FRIDAY, OCT. 16, 2026

• TRAINER BONDE LOOKS TO MAKE STAKES IMPACT 2nd HALF OF MEET • WORKS: BREEDERS’ CUP CANDIDATES LEAD TAB • CARROVERS FRIDAY IN $2 PICK 6, $1 SUPER HIGH 5, $1 SUNSET PICK 6 • GRAND SLAM SMILE REACHED RARIFIED AIR WITH WINNING IMPOST • HRONIS RACING MOVES TO TOP OF OWNER’S STANDING

TRAINER BONDE LOOKS TO MAKE STAKES IMPACT 2nd HALF OF MEET

With one of the main contenders in Saturday’s Lure Stakes, and a budding star 2-year-old filly nearing her stakes debut, longtime Southern California-based trainer Jeff Bonde will look to have a notable impact on the final three weeks of the Santa Anita Autumn Meet.

First up on Saturday, Bonde will saddle Nesso’s Lastharrah in the restricted Lure Stakes going one mile on turf. The 5-year-old horse by Sharp Azteca is the 3-1 co-second choice on the morning line. The Lure is restricted to horses that have not won a stakes of $60,000 at one mile or over other than statebred in 2026. Then two weeks from Saturday on Oct. 31, Bonde will send out smashing debut winner Ember Royale for her encore performance in the Golden State Juvenile Fillies for California-breds going seven furlongs.

In the Lure, Nesso’s Lastharrah will receive class relief while stretching out in distance as the possible pacemaker. Most recently, Nesso’s Lastharrah tested the GII Eddie D going about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course on Sept. 26 at Santa Anita. He raced up on a lively pace that day, was just a head back of the lead at the sixteenth pole, then weakened late to finish fifth by 3 ½ lengths.

While Nesso’s Lasthurrah has won previously going one mile on turf, this will be his first start around two turns since December in the GIII San Gabriel at Santa Anita when trained by Peter Eurton. He will break from the rail under new rider Hector Berrios.

“He’s a big strong horse that’s very versatile. He can do about anything and has been training well,” Bonde said.

Nesso’s Lasthurrah will look to give Bonde his first stakes win since September 2023 when Crazy Hot won the Generous Portion at Del Mar. Bonde, who turns 72 on Oct. 30, has won 1,833 races since 1976, according to Equibase statistics.

The Lure goes as the third race on a nine-race card Saturday. First post is at 1 p.m. PT and the Lure goes at 2:39 p.m. The field in post position order: Nesso’s Lasthurrah, Hector Berrios (3-1); Artislas, Juan Hernandez (8-5); Astronomer, Joel Rosario (3-1); Twirling Point, Ricky Gonzalez (9-2); Endlessly, Umberto Rispolli (4-1).

Ember Royale will look to provide Bonde with a belated present the day after his birthday on Halloween when she goes in the Golden State Juvenile Fillies. By Halladay, Ember Royale served notice on Sept. 26 when uncorking an eye-catching 17 ½-length victory against statebred maidens going six furlongs. She won in a time of 1:09.34, which earned an 85 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

On Saturday, Ember Royale worked for the second time since her debut romp. She was clocked going five furlongs in 1:00.4.

Bonde purchased Ember Royale as agent for $50,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton California yearling sale. She is owned by Bonde’s longtime client Edward Rusty J. Brown.

“She’s a nice-looking filly, very balanced and correct,” Bonde said. “She had been training outstanding for the race. But I’ve been training horses for a long time and never had one that won by a margin like that.”

Nominations for the Golden State Juvenile Fillies close on Sunday.

WORKS: BREEDERS’ CUP CANDIDATES LEAD TAB

Breeders’ Cup candidates Super Corredora, Sweet Azteca, Formidable Man and Maxify were among the notables on Friday’s work tab at Santa Anita.

Super Corredora, targeting the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, worked five furlongs in 59.4 seconds for trainer John Sadler. It was her second work since winning the GII Zenyatta on Sept. 27 at Santa Anita following a 6 ½-month layoff. Last year, the daughter of Gun Runner won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies to earn the Eclipse Award as outstanding 2-year-old female.

Sweet Azteca, pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, worked five furlongs in 59.6 seconds for trainer Richard Baltas. A 6-year-old mare by Sharp Azteca, Sweet Azteca in two starts this year won both the GII Great Lady M in July at Los Alamitos and GIII Rancho Bernardo on Aug. 16 at Del Mar.

Formidable Man and Maxify are both trained by Michael McCarthy. Formidable man, a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Mile, worked five furlongs on the main track in 1:01.2. A 5-year-old horse by City of Light, Formidable Man finished second in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar. Winner of the GI Shoemaker Mile in May at Santa Anita, Formidable Man most recently finished seventh the GIII Mint Millions Invitational Stakes at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 7.

Maxify is possible for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. By Justify, he worked for the first time since finishing second by a head to stablemate Repo Man in the GIII Zuma Beach going one mile on turf on Oct. 4 at Santa Anita. Maxify was clocked going four furlongs on the main track in 47.0 seconds.

Atitlan worked for the first time since winning the GII John Henry Turf Championship on Sept. 26 at Santa Anita. He drilled four furlongs on the training track in 47.8 seconds. Last week, trainer Richard Mandella told Daily Racing Form that Atitlan “came out of the race a little jarred up” and would not contest the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Instead, the 5-year-old horse by The Factor will wait for the GII Hollywood Turf Cup on Nov. 27 at Del Mar.

CARROVERS FRIDAY IN $2 PICK 6, $1 SUPER HIGH 5, $1 SUNSET PICK 6

There are three separate carryovers Friday on a nine-race card. The $2 Pick 6 has a $54,223 carryover, the $1 Super High 5 has a $15,220 carryover and the $1 Sunset Pick 6, which combines the final three races from Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park, has a $13,306 carryover. First post at Santa Anita is at 1 p.m. PT for a nine-race card.

Santa Anita officials estimate the $2 Pick 6 will have a total pool of $375,000. The wager begins with Friday’s fourth race at approximately 2:30 p.m. To help bettors make informed selections, Santa Anita has teamed with Daily Racing Form to provide free full card past performances. They can be accessed at https://promos.drf.com/santaanita25.

The Super High 5 carryover will be up for grabs in the ninth and final race at approximately 5 p.m. The Sunset Pick 6, which features a low 15 percent takeout rate, begins at approximately 1 p.m. with the seventh race from Gulfstream Park.

GRAND SLAM SMILE REACHED RARIFIED AIR WITH WINNING IMPOST

When Grand Slam Smile earned her 12th stakes win in a thriller while toting highweight of 128 pounds in Sunday’s California Distaff Handicap, the star California-bred mare joined rare company at Santa Anita

The 128 pounds carried by Grand Slam Smile was the most by a stakes winner at Santa Anita since the 1982 Santa Anita Handicap when legendary John Henry won under 130 pounds. Since 1966, only 13 horses have won a stakes at Santa Anita while carrying at least 128 pounds.

HRONIS RACING MOVES TO TOP OF OWNER’S STANDINGS

Hronis Racing reached the winner’s circle all three days last week at Santa Anita and is now the leading owner at the Autumn Meet entering Friday.

Last Friday, Little Hidden Port won the fifth race under Joel Rosario to get the ball rolling for Hronis Racing. Then on Saturday, Midway Lane won the fourth race under Juan Hernandez. On Sunday, Namaron prevailed in the 10th race. Hronis also owned the runner-up Sunday’s 10th race, Packs a Wahlop. All three winners are trained by John Sadler.

FINISH LINES: Friday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:04 p.m. PT with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park…Trainer Doug O’Neill won three races Sunday and enters this week’s action as the leading trainer at the Autumn Meet with 11 wins from 33 starters. O’Neill won Sunday’s second race with Throwthefirstpunch ($7.40) with Kazushi Kimura aboard; the sixth race with Mooberry ($5), ridden by Emisael Jaramilo; and the ninth race with Jimmy’s Dailys ($16.60), who also had Jaramillo aboard…According to statistics provided by Horse Racing Nation, Santa Anita in October leads all North American tracks in both average win price ($13.99) and average daily double payout ($63.38). Only 29.4 percent of favorites have won through the first 10 days of the Autumn Meet, which is below the historical norm.