Santa Anita Stable Notes Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN SATURDAY, FEB. 15, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2025

• BAEZA EYES GI SANTA ANITA DERBY AFTER SHARP MAIDEN WIN • FAVORITE BIG CITY LIGHTS SCRATCHED FROM GIII PALOS VERDES • BAFFLE: FAVORITE SCIPIO SHORTENS UP, REMOVES BLINKERS • SATURDAY’S COAST-TO-COAST PICK 5 STARTS AT 1:52 P.M. PT

BAEZA EYES GI SANTA ANITA DERBY AFTER SHARP MAIDEN WIN

All was well with promising 3-year-old Baeza the morning after his sharp maiden win going a mile against fellow sophomores Friday at Santa Anita, trainer John Shirreffs reported.

“He looks good,” Shirreffs said Saturday morning.

Baeza, who is a half-brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage and 2024 Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch, scored by 4 ¾ lengths under Hector Berrios in what was his third career start. Baeza eagerly tracked a longshot pacesetter in second, took over midway on the second turn and kicked clear in the stretch to win going away. His winning time of 1:37.84, which came on a track that had been upgraded to fast after starting the day good due to recent rain, earned a 93 Beyer Speed Figure.

Baeza is likely now headed to stakes company. The next stop in Santa Anita’s stakes series for 3-year-olds on dirt, the GII San Felipe going 1 1/16 miles, is just two weeks away on March 1. Shirreffs said “that might be a little quick” but the GI Santa Anita Derby on April 5 is on the radar. A win or runner-up finish in the Santa Anita Derby would likely earn Baeza a berth in the 151st Kentucky Derby May 5 at Churchill Downs.

Baeza is owned in partnership by C R K Stable and breeder Grandview Equine. By McKinzie out of the Big Brown mare Puca, Baeza commanded $1.2 million at the 2023 Keeneland September yearling sale.

While Baeza graduated as the 2-1 second choice, the 8-5 favorite in Friday’s sixth race—Varney—did not finish. Trained by Bob Baffert, Varney was eased on the first turn by jockey Juan Hernandez after he had to check while racing on the inside.

Baffert reported Varney was no worse for wear Saturday morning.

“He’s fine. It looked like his hind end might have just slipped a bit when the rider took up,” Baffert said.

Varney, by Vekoma, was making just his second start and first around two turns. Baffert said he’ll look for another maiden spot for Varney, who is owned by Talla Racing and breeder Spendthrift Farm.

BIG CITY LIGHTS SCRATCHED FROM GIII PALOS VERDES

Big City Lights, the 2-5 morning line favorite in Saturday’s GIII Palos Verdes, was scratched Saturday morning by trainer Richard Mandella.

“No big deal, I was just worried it might be coming back a little quick,” Mandella said. “I had been going back and forth on it.”

Big City Lights, who won last year’s Palos Verdes, ran four weeks ago when rolling to a 7 ¾-length win in the California Cup Sprint for statebreds on Jan. 18 at Santa Anita. Mandella has previously said Big City Lights could ship to the Middle East later this winter for a tilt in the GI Dubai Golden Shaheen on April 5.

A 6-year-old horse by Mr. Big, Big City Lights is 13: 7-4-2 with $578,420 in earnings for owner William R. Peeples.

The Palos Verdes goes as the seventh race on a 10-race card Saturday. Post time is set for 3:40 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Big City Lights, Juan Hernandez (SCR); Anarchist, Edwin Maldonado (10-1); Roll On Big Joe, Umberto Rispoli (5-1); Bartholdy, Tyler Baze (6-1); Mbagnick, Kent Desormeaux (20-1); For All Mankind, Antonio Fresu (8-1).

BAFFLE: FAVORITE SCIPIO CUTS BACK IN DISTANCE, REMOVES BLINKERS

Scipio, the 5-2 program favorite in Sunday’s Baffle Stakes for 3-year-olds going about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course, will be shortening up in distance while also racing without blinkers for the first time.

As for the equipment change, the decision by trainer Richard Baltas to remove the blinkers came after Scipio worked a bullet four furlongs in 47.0 seconds without the hood on Monday.

“He did it pretty easy too,” Baltas said. Top jockey Flavien Prat was aboard for the quick drill and will be riding Scipio for the fourth consecutive time in the Baffle. Last year’s champion jockey in the U.S. had suggested the equipment change.

Scipio’s last four starts have all been at a mile on turf. They include a maiden win Dec. 28 at Santa Anita and board hits in both the GIII Cecil B. DeMille in early December and GIII Del Mar Juvenile Turf in September. Scipio’s only previous sprint try was his debut in August when finishing third in five-furlong maiden race on turf at Del Mar. He finished 1 ½ lengths back of winner Artislas, who has gone to be a multiple stakes winner for trainer Jeff Mullins.

“He’s shortening up, but he did almost win going five-eighths,” Baltas duly noted. “He’s doing good and is ready to run. This is the right spot.”

Scipio, a ridgling by Caravaggio, is 5: 1-1-2 with $89,000 in earnings for owners Calvin Nguyen and Joey C. Tran. He was purchased by Baltas for $60,000 at last year’s OBS March sale of 2-year-olds in training.

Scipio’s chief rivals are a pair of runners for trainer Mark Glatt, Triple Diamonds (3-1) and Freedom’s Not Free (7-2). Both are making their stakes debuts. Triple Diamonds in two starts, both against California-breds, has shown an affinity for the wire. He won his debut going five furlongs on turf by a head after pressing the pace in November at Del Mar. Then on Jan. 19 at Santa Anita, the Sir Prancealot gelding came from off the pace to score by a nose in a statebred allowance. A $35,000 auction buy, Freedom’s Not Free is owned by Saints or Sinners and Seahawk Racing.

After a pair of dirt tries to start his career, Freedom’s Not Free was switched to turf Jan. 5 at Santa Anita and promptly scored by 1 ½ lengths. The effort earned a field-high 83 Beyer Speed Figure. Frankie Dettori was aboard for the maiden tally and retains the mount on Sunday.

Freedom’s Not Free, by Omaha Beach, was purchased by co-owner Blinkers On Racing for $300,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale.

The Baffle goes as the ninth race on a 10-race card Sunday. Post time is set for 4:35 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Game Warrior, Antonio Fresu (15-1); Triple Diamonds, Umberto Rispoli (3-1); Style Cat, Hector Berrios (10-1); Fomo Joe, Adrian Escobedo (10-1); Scipio, Flavien Prat (5-2); Freedom’s Not Free, Frankie Dettori (7-2); Maximus, Diego Herrera (6-1).

FINISH LINES: After the recent rain, the turf course is listed as good Saturday and the main track fast...Workouts Saturday were limited to the training track due to the CHRB’s inclement weather policy. 52 horses were on the tab including California Cup Oaks winner Take Another Card (4f, 47.80) for trainer Simon Callaghan and promising European import Canto Della Terra (5f, 1:01.80), a sharp maiden winner sprinting six furlongs on turf in her U.S. debut Jan. 19 for trainer Phil D’Amato…Saturday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:52 p.m. PT with the 10th race from Gulfstream Park. Friday’s Coast to Coast paid $12,160.60…Santa Anita will host a special Presidents’ Day card Monday with on-track patrons receiving $1 beers and sodas and $2 hot dogs. First post is 12:30 p.m. for a 10-race card.