Santa Anita Stable Notes Saturday, April 19, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 2025

Photo: Zoe Metz Photography

- • JOURNALISM WORKS 4F IN COMPANY, SHIPS TO KENTUCKY TUESDAY - • 1/ST TV: ‘TRIPLE CROWN TRAIL’ PORTAL HAS ARRAY OF DERBY WORKS - • GII SANTA MARIA, GIII AMERICAN HIGHLIGHT WEEKEND’S ACTION - • HERNANDEZ BAGS 4 WINS ON OPENING DAY OF HOLLYWOOD MEET

JOURNALISM WORKS 4F IN COMPANY, SHIPS TO KENTUCKY TUESDAY

Journalism had his final work Saturday at Santa Anita before shipping to Churchill Downs where he is expected to be the favorite in the 151st Kentucky Derby on May 3.

With jockey Umberto Rispoli aboard, Journalism worked four furlongs in company with stablemate Feel the Magic, a 4-year-old gelding and one-time winner. Journalism, working on the inside of Feel the Magic, was officially timed covering a half mile in 47.0 seconds. Trainer Michael McCarthy timed the work in 47.40 seconds. As for Feel the Magic, he was also officially timed in 47.0 seconds.

“We’re just keeping him in his routine,” McCarthy said of Journalism. “He’s really been training well and this was kind of maintenance. He looked relaxed out there. We just let him stretch his legs a little bit.”

This was Journalism’s first work since winning the GI Santa Anita Derby on April 5 to improve to 4-for-5 with $638,880 in earnings. He is slated to ship to Churchill Downs on Tuesday where he will have one more work prior to the Kentucky Derby.

“I was very happy,” Rispoli said after Saturday’s drill. “The horse seems to have come out well from the Santa Anita Derby. He’s in good shape and gave me a good feeling. One more (work) to go.”

By Curlin out of graded-stakes winner Mopotism, by Uncle Mo, Journalism is owned in partnership by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, breeder Don Alberto Stable, Bridlewood Farm, Elayne Stables 5 LLC and Robert V. LaPenta. He was purchased by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners for $825,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga select yearling sale.

1/ST TV: ‘TRIPLE CROWN TRAIL’ PORTAL HAS ARRAY OF DERBY WORKS

1/ST TV has curated the workouts by contenders for the 151st Kentucky Derby in one location on the 1/ST.TV website under the heading “Triple Crown Trail.”

With the Kentucky Derby just 14 days out, fans, horsemen and women and horseplayers alike will have free access to not just the all-important penultimate workouts of those looking for a coveted spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate, but previous works for the contenders as well. Using previous works as comparison is helpful to gauge how a horse is coming up to the “Run for the Roses” versus how they prepared for their previous starts.

The “Triple Crown Trail” portal is part of the thousands of workouts that the 1/ST TV teams around the country capture, log and upload each year. The library is free to access with a signup at www.1ST.TV. 1/ST TV also supports the workouts for both FanDuel and TwinSpires Kentucky Derby previews.

RICHI BENOIT PHOTO

GII SANTA MARIA, GIII AMERICAN LEAD WEEKEND’S ACTION

Highlighting this weekend’s action at Santa Anita is the GII Santa Maria Stakes for older fillies and mares on Saturday and the GIII American Stakes for older horses going a mile on turf on Sunday.

The Santa Maria Stakes at 1 1/16 miles goes as the seventh race Saturday with post time set for 4:08 p.m. PT. Looming large in the field is 6-5 morning line favorite Richi, a Grade I-placed mare who is one of two in the field trained by Bob Baffert. Joining Richi in the lineup for Baffert is Grade-1 placed sprinter Splendora (3-2), who will be making her first start around two turns.

Richi most recently set the pace in the GI B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile March 8 at Santa Anita before being overhauled late by star stablemate Cavalieri and losing by three-quarters of a length. Previously this year, the Chilean-bred daughter of Practical Joke won the GIII Las Flores going six furlongs and was third in the GII Santa Monica at seven furlongs, both at Santa Anita.

Scratched Saturday morning from the Santa Maria was Phil D’Amato-trained Sun Of Hill, who was 8-1 on the morning line.

The Santa Maria field in post position order: Richi, Antonio Fresu (6-5); Splendora, Juan Hernandez (3-2); Sun Of Hill, Umberto Rispoli (SCR); Fayette Fox, Reylu Gutierrez (10-1); Ultimate Authority, Kazushi Kimura (6-1); Lisa’s Nonno, Abel Lezcano (12-1).

On Easter Sunday, Santa Anita has an early first post of 12 p.m. PT for a 10-race card. The American Stakes goes as the seventh race at approximately 3:10 p.m. The 3-2 favorite on the morning line is D’Amato-trained King of Gosford, who will have top jockey Flavien Prat in the irons for his 4-year-old debut. King of Gosford last year won the GII Mathis Mile in December at Santa Anita and the Let it Ride Stakes in October at Del Mar. Bred in Great Britain, the colt by Zoustar is 15: 6-2-2 with $519,692 in earnings.

Also in the lineup is Endlessly (9-2), a veteran of last year’s Kentucky Derby for trainer Michael McCarthy whose been sidelined since July; and both Zio Jo (3-1) and Cabo Spirit (4-1), the two-three finishers in last month’s GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile.

The American field in post position order: Zio Jo, Kyle Frey (3-1); Phosphorescence, Kazushi Kimura (12-1); Cabo Spirit, Mike Smith (4-1); Endlessly, Umberto Rispoli (9-2); Il Bellator, Geovanni Franco (8-1); King of Gosford, Flavien Prat (3-2); St Anthony, Juan Hernandez (20-1).

JUAN HERNANDEZ HAS A 4 WIN DAY BENOIT PHOTO

HERNANDEZ BAGS 4 WINS ON OPENING DAY OF HOLLYWOOD MEET

Fresh off claiming his eighth Santa Anita rider’s title at the Classic Meet, which ended April 6, jockey Juan Hernandez got off to a monster start at the Hollywood Meet Friday when riding four winners on a nine-race card.

Hernandez won the second race aboard Mayacama ($9.60) for trainer Jeff Mullins, the fourth race with Toughness ($2.60) for trainer Bob Baffert, the sixth race with Seismic Beauty ($4.20) also for Baffert, and the ninth race on first-time starter Flyover ($5.40) for trainer John Sadler.

At the Classic Meet, Hernandez won 53 race from 232 mounts (23 percent) to finish 10 wins clear of runner-up Flavien Prat. The 33-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico is booked to ride six of the 10 races Saturday including the GII Santa Maria aboard Splendora (3-2) for Baffert.

FINISH LINES: Santa Anita Park extenders condolences to the family and friends of “Professor” Gordon Jones, the longtime turf writer for the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner who passed away Friday just days after his 95th birthday. His survivors include his daughter, Joanne, grandson Ethan, and a legion of fans…Friday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 paid a cool $47,197.30 for one winning ticket. Saturday’s Coast to Coast starts at 2:08 p.m. PT with the ninth race from Gulfstream Park….Saturday was the final episode of “Jason Levin’s Inside Racing,” ending a 22-year run on Los Angeles a.m. radio. A replay of Saturday’s final episode can be accessed at racingjason.com…Sunday’s 10-race card on Easter day has an early first post of 12 p.m. PT. On-track fans can enjoy an array of family fun activities including an Easter egg hunt and Infield Carnival. Ticket packages are now available santaanita.com.