Santa Anita Stable Notes Saturday, February 24, 2024

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2024 

- GI SANTA ANITA HANDICAP, GII SAN FELIPE ON TAP NEXT SATURDAY - CRACK SPRINTER STRAIGHT NO CHASER RETURNS TO WORK TAB - SATURDAY’S $1 COAST-TO-COAST PICK 5 STARTS AT 1:36 P.M. - JOCKEYS/HOLY ANGELS CHARITY HOOPS SET FOR MONDAY

GI SANTA ANITA HANDICAP, GII SAN FELIPE ON TAP NEXT WEEK Santa Anita is set to host four graded stakes next Saturday including the 87th running of the GI Santa Anita Handicap and the GII San Felipe, a significant prep for both the GI Santa Anita Derby on April 6 and Kentucky Derby a month later.

In addition to the Big Cap and San Felipe, next Saturday’s card will also include the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile and GII Buena Vista Stakes for older fillies and mares. Both are at a mile on turf. Nominations for all four graded stakes were released Friday.

The historic 1 ¼-mile Santa Anita Handicap, which was first run in 1935, attracted 12 nominees including the top three finishers in last month’s GII San Pasqual at 1 1/8 miles. Newgrange, trained by Phil D’Amato, won the San Pasqual in front-running fashion by a length over Newgate, who was making his second start off an 11-month layoff for trainer Bob Baffert. A half-length back of Newgate in third was Mixto for trainer Doug O’Neill.

According to the Santa Anita racing office, Newgrange, Newgate and Mixto are all expected in the Big Cap starting gate. Baffert is also possible to run GIII winner Reincarnate and Mr Fisk, who was fifth in the San Pasqual.

Other locals targeting the Big Cap are long-winded Salesman for trainer Richard Mandella, who has been off since winning the 1 5/8-mile GII Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance here Nov. 4, and Subsanador for trainer John Sadler.

The Big Cap is also likely to include multiple Eastern-based contenders. Trainer Brad Cox is slated to ship Highland Falls, a lightly raced 4-year-old Curlin colt who exits a second-level allowance win at Fair Grounds going 1 1/16 miles Jan. 13. Also, Florida-based trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.is expected to send either O’Connor or Skippylongstocking, who both exit the GI Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park Jan. 27. O’Connor was fifth in the Pegasus while Skippylongstocking was pulled up and did not finish.

As for the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe, 15 3-year-olds were nominated. Probables include Wynstock, Wine Me Up and Imagination for Baffert; maiden McVay for trainer John Shirreffs and Scatify, most recently third in the GIII Robert B. Lewis in just his second start for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella. Also listed as “possible” by the racing office is Tapalo, who most recently second in the Feb. 10 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields for trainer John Sadler.

Next Saturday’s blockbuster card will be drawn on Wednesday.

CRACK SPRINTER STRAIGHT NO CHASER RETURNS TO WORK TAB A busy Saturday morning at Santa Anita included the first timed workout of the year by Straight No Chaser, who has been sidelined since last May’s brilliant victory in the GIII Maryland Sprint Championship at Pimlico.

Straight No Chaser earned a lofty 107 Beyer Speed Figure when crushing the field by 7 ½ lengths in the Maryland Sprint going six furlongs on the Preakness Stakes undercard. Shortly after the victory, trainer Dan Blacker revealed an “area of concern” had been discovered in Straight No Chaser’s left front fetlock via a PET scan conducted on-site at Santa Anita.

Straight No Chaser was subsequently sent to the farm to recover. He returned to light training at Santa Anita in December. On Saturday, the 5-year-old full horse by Speightster was clocked going a quarter mile in 25.0 seconds.

Also working were multiple horses nominated to next Saturday’s GI Santa Anita Handicap and GII San Felipe for 3-year-olds. Drilling towards potential starts in the Big Cap were Reincarnate (5f, 59.80) for Bob Baffert, I’m A Gambler (5f, 1:01.20) for trainer Mark Glatt and Salesman (7f, 1:25.80) for Richard Mandella.

Working towards potential starts in the San Felipe were Wine Me Up (5f, 1:00.80) for Baffert, Scatify (5f, 1:02.40) for Mandella, Moonlit Sonata (4f, 49.40) for trainer Tim Yakteen, McVay (5f, 59.80) for trainer John Shirreffs and Island Cruiser (5f, 59.20) for John Sadler.

SATURDAY’S $1 COAST-TO-COAST PICK 5 STARTS AT 1:36 P.M.PT The $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 on Saturday kicks off at 1:36 p.m. PT with the 10th race from Gulfstream.

The Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 includes races from Gulfstream and Santa Anita and features a player-friendly 15 percent takeout rate. Also on Saturday’s slate are the 11th and 12th races from Gulfstream Park and the fifth and seventh races from Santa Anita. The entire sequence will be completed in under two hours.

The 11th race from Gulfstream is the six-furlong Gulfstream Park Sprint, which attracted a field of 10 led by 8-5 morning-line favorite Candy Man Rocket for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. The seventh race from Santa Anita is the featured GIII Santa Ana at 1 ¼ miles on turf. Linda’s Gift is the 5-2 morning-line favorite for trainer Richard Mandella in a field of eight.

The Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 is offered every Saturday and Sunday through the end of Santa Anita’s Classic Meet April 7.

SANTA ANITA JOCKEYS, HOLY ANGELS CHARITY HOOPS GAME FEB. 26 A time-honored tradition dating back more than five decades, the 54th annual Santa Anita Jockeys vs. Holy Angels Middle School Charity Basketball Game will be held Monday, at La Salle High School in nearby Pasadena. The La Salle High gymnasium will open to the public at 6 p.m. and tip-off is set for 7 p.m.  Admission tickets will be available on-site and a $5 donation will generate proceeds to the Permanently Disabled Jockey Fund (PDJF) and Holy Angels athletics.

A distinguished group of Hall of Fame jockeys will be on-hand beginning at 6:30 p.m. to sign posters and other memorabilia courtside.  Three HOF jockeys, Laffit Pincay, Jr., Corey Nakatani and Mike Smith will be available for pre-game autographs. 

Tickets may be purchased at the door.  For additional information, please contact Angela Valenzuela at aavalenz@gmail.com 

FINISH LINES: Jockey Tyler Baze is nearing the top 10 of the jockey’s standings after winning two races on Friday. He scored with Elevado ($8.20) in the second race for trainer Sean McCarthy and Irish Wahine ($23.20) in the eighth race for trainer Gary Stute, giving him eight victories at the Classic Meet…There are 10 races Sunday including the Wishing Well Stakes for older fillies and mares on the hillside turf course. First post is 12:30 p.m. PT... Flavien Prat and Juan Hernandez remain tied atop the jockey’s standings with 32 wins each entering Saturday’s action. Prat will not be at Santa Anita this week as he’s in Saudi Arabia to ride the rich Saudi Cup card on Saturday. Hernandez will also miss Sunday’s card at Santa Anita as he serves a one-day suspension for a riding infraction...Former jockey and Santa Anita simulcast host Jessica Pyfer will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Sunday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed beginning at 11:20 a.m. PT.