Santa Anita Stable Notes Saturday, April 25, 2026

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2026

•     ROYAL HEROINE: GRAND SLAM SMILE GETS ANOTHER GRADED SHOT •     WORKS: THE PADRE DRILLS FOR NEXT WEEK’S GII WHITTINGHAM •     TRAINER MATHIS SCORES HAT TRICK FRIDAY ON 9-RACE CARD •     $2K CARRYOVER SATURDAY IN THE $1 SUNSET PICK 6

GIII ROYAL HEROINE: GRAND SLAM SMILE GETS ANOTHER GRADED SHOT Top California-bred mare Grand Slam Smile has won nine stakes, which includes a win versus open company in last year’s Solana Beach at Del Mar, but still missing from her superlative resume is a win in at the graded-stakes level. On Saturday, Grand Slam Smile will get her third opportunity to do so in the GIII Royal Heroine for fillies and mares at one mile on turf.

Trained by Sean McCarthy for owners-breeders Larry Williams and Marianne Williams, Grand Slam Smile most recently beat statebreds in the Irish O’Brien Stakes sprinting on the hillside turf course March 21. The victory improved her record 19: 11-6-2 with $912,120 in earnings.

In the Royal Heroine, Grand Slam Smile is the 5-2 morning line favorite. She has worked twice since the Irish O’Brien, which prompted McCarthy to note “she just doesn’t miss a beat.

“She’s as consistent as you can be, all the way around,” he added.

Grand Slam Smile will have regular rider William Antongeorgi III aboard. McCarthy said the jockey was scheduled to arrive at Santa Anita around 9 a.m. Saturday morning after flying in from Kentucky where he is now based.

Grand Slam Smile and Antongeorgi will break on the far outside in post nine. McCarthy sees the draw as being a positive for his charge.

“I think it’s advantageous to us,” McCarthy said. “Obviously she has speed. She jumps away from there. But if someone really wants to rock on out of there, she’s also ratable. It gives Billy a chance to just take a look and see what’s happening. If she’s lucky enough to jump away from there well and cross over nicely, that’s fine. If not, she can be tactical.”

Grand Slam Smile’s previous graded stakes try also came at one mile on turf. In the GII Buena Vista on Feb. 28 at Santa Anita, Grand Slam Smile set lively fractions before being overtaken at the top of the stretch and finishing third. Overall at one mile on turf, Grand Slam Smile in four starts has won twice and never missed the board.

Post time for the Royal Heroine is at 5:09 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Innovative, Ricky Gonzalez (15-1); Tirupati, Kazushi Kimura (9-2); A Thousand Miles, Mike Smith (15-1); Ripassare, Armando Ayuso (10-1); May Day Ready, Antonio Fresu (9-2); Rosie Jeeks, Florent Geroux (15-1); Watchtower, Welfin Orantes (6-1); Take A Breath, Emisael Jaramillo (4-1); Grand Slam Smile, William Antongeorgi III (5-2).

WORKS: THE PADRE DRILLS FOR NEXT WEEK’S GII WHITTINGHAM Multiple graded stakes winner The Padre, who is expected to start in next Saturday’s GII Charles Whittingham Stakes, worked five furlongs on the training track Saturday at Santa Anita. Fellow Whittingham nominee Hiding in Honduras, a Grade II winner trained by Jonathan Thomas, worked five furlongs on the main track.

The Padre, trained by Phil D’Amato, was timed in 1:01.6. A 4-year-old Irish-bred colt by Ghaiyyath, The Padre on April 3 returned from a seven-month layoff and finished second by a half-length in an allowance going 1 1/8 miles on turf. The Whittingham is contested at 1 ¼ miles.

Last year, The Padre won both the La Jolla Handicap and GII Del Mar Derby before being sidelined. He is owned by Little Red Feather, Sterling Stables and Marsha Naify.

Hiding in Honduras was clocked in 1:00.6. A 4-year-old gelding by Dialed In, Hiding in Honduras most notably won the GII Mathis Mile on opening day of the Classic Meet on Dec. 28. He is owned by Robert V. LaPenta.

Grade I winner Seismic Beauty continued on the comeback trail for trainer Bob Baffert with her fifth work since March 19. A 5-year-old mare by Uncle Mo, Seismic Beauty worked four furlongs in 48.40. She has not started since being eased to the wire in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 1.

Start the Ride, who was fifth in the GI Santa Anita Derby, worked five four furlongs in 50.2 seconds for trainer Dan Blacker. Owned and bred by Harris Farms, the California-bred colt by Upstart is a candidate to run in the Snow Chief for statebreds on May 23. It would be his first time racing on turf.

El Potente, who is awaiting the GI Shoemaker Mile on May 25, worked five furlongs in 1:02.4 for Blacker and owner My Way Racing. A 7-year-old horse by Temple City, the multiple graded stakes winner most recently was second in the GII Frank E. Kilroe Mile on March 7.

Secured Freedom, who earned minor awards in both the GII San Felipe and GIII Robert B. Lewis, worked five furlongs in 1:00.8. The colt by Practical Joke is trained by Tim Yakteen for owners Leslie A. Amestoy, Pierre Jean Amestoy and Roger K. Beasley.

TRAINER MATHIS SCORES HAT TRICK FRIDAY ON 9-RACE CARD Trainer Andy Mathis won three races on Friday’s nine-race card to snap what had been cold spell for the veteran conditioner.

Mathis won the second race with Thank You India ($3), ridden by Ricky Gonzalez; the sixth race with Clubhouse Bride ($11.40); and the eighth race with Jaguar Jon ($6). Both Clubhouse Bride and Jaguar Jon were ridden by Cesar Belmont.

Mathis has been training since 2001. The native of Sonoma, Calif. has won 841 races in his career and tallied more than $16 million in purse earnings. He got his start in racing working as a groom while attending City College of San Francisco. His top horses include the California-bred stakes winner Jimmy Blue Jeans, who is currently active; and the California-bred Give Me the Lute, who was a stakes winner and also graded-stakes placed.

FINISH LINES: There is a $2,896 carryover in Saturday’s $1 Sunset Pick 6. The sequence starts at 1:19 p.m. PT with the ninth race from Gulfstream Park…The $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:49 p.m. with the 10th race from Gulfstream…Next week Santa Anita will host four consecutive days of racing starting with a special Thursday card, which is a makeup for weather-related cancellations that occurred during the Classic Meet. On Friday, Santa Anita will have a later first post of 3:15 p.m. to align with the Kentucky Oaks program at Churchill Downs. Post time for the Kentucky Oaks is 5:40 p.m. PT…Nominations close Sunday for the GIII Senorita to be run on Saturday, May 9 and the Siren Lure Stakes contested on Sunday, May 10.