Santa Anita Stable Notes Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN SATURDAY, JAN 24, 2026

• JOCKEY KIMURA BACK IN TOP FORM A YEAR AFTER INJURY • BAFFLE: BC VETS HEY NAY NAY, LATER THAN PLANNED ARE THREATS • WORKS: INTREPIDO, OTHER TOP 3YO’S PLUS BAFFERT STARS DRILL • TWO-DAY CARRYOVER OF $41,859 IN SUNDAY’S $1 SUNSET PICK 6

JOCKEY KIMURA BACK IN TOP FORM A YEAR AFTER INJURY

It was about this time last January that jockey Kazushi Kimura fractured his left ankle in a starting gate incident prior to a race at Santa Anita, forcing him to the sidelines for more than two months. The missed time would prove tough on business for the 26-year-old native of Japan as many of his top mounts were lost to other riders.

Now some 53 weeks later, Kimura looks to be back fully at the top of his game. On Friday at Santa Anita, Kimura booted home the winners of the first three races and is now in second place in the jockey’s standings at the Classic Meet.

“It was a great day—we won with a couple of surprises,” Kimura said Saturday morning. Kimura won Friday’s opener on turf with first-time starter Tiyara, who is trained by Michael McCarthy and paid $20.20 for the victory. Kimura then came right back with another winner at 9-1 in the second race. This time it was Tee N Off ($20.00) for trainer Steve Knapp. Then in the third race, which was a split division of the first race, Kimura again teamed with McCarthy to win with favorite Miss Donna ($4.60).

Kimura is now 12-for-53 at the Classic Meet, a 23 percent strike rate. He is three wins behind leading jockey Umberto Rispoli.

Prior to being injured, Kimura’s wins at last winter’s Classic Meet included the GI La Brea with Kopion for trainer Richard Mandella, the GIII Las Flores with Richi for trainer Bob Baffert and the Blue Norther aboard Casalu for Baffert. Brian Beach, Kimura’s agent, acknowledged it’s been a challenge returning to that level of success.

“We’ve spent a long time just trying to get our business back,” Beach said. “We were at a pretty good level last year before he broke his ankle. We won some stakes and had a lot of live mounts. But guys like (Flavien) Prat and (Juan) Hernandez picked them up from us. It’s taken a little while to get that kind of business again, but I think we’re on the right track.”

At the current Classic Meet, Kimura is also tied for second among jockeys in stakes wins. His stakes wins have come in the GI American Oaks aboard Ambaya for trainer Jonathan Thomas on opening day and the Eddie Logan on Stark Contrast for Michael McCarthy.

“After you have an injury, when you come back people look at you with suspicious eyes. It can be difficult,” Kimura said. “But fortunately, we are getting our business back. Now we need to keep up the momentum.”

Kimura won the 2019 Eclipse Award as outstanding apprentice jockey and also added four Sovereign Awards during his time riding in Canada. He was Canada’s outstanding apprentice in 2018 and then outstanding jockey in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Entering Saturday, Kimura had won 1,036 races in North America.

Kimura has six mounts on Saturday’s nine-race card at Santa Anita including Nafisa (5-1) in the GIII La Canada for Baffert. Post time for the La Canada is 4:04 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Ooty, Tiago Pereira (8-1); Fugitive Star, Hector Berrios (12-1); So There She Was, Emisael Jaramillo (9-5); Brilliantly, Juan Hernandez (7-5); Nafisa, Kazushi Kimura (5-1); Jane Austen, Abel Lezcano (6-1).

BAFFLE: BC VETS HEY NAY NAY, LATER THAN PLANNED AMONG THREATS

The feature on Sunday, the Baffle Stakes for 3-year-olds at about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course includes a pair of veterans from last year’s Breeders’ Cup—stakes winner Hey Nay Nay and Later Than Planned—plus Greenwich Village, the 9-5 morning line favorite who makes his turf debut for trainer Bob Baffert.

Hey Nay Nay (2-1), trained by John Sadler, last year won both the Tyro Stakes going five furlongs on turf at Monmouth Park and the GIII Del Mar Juvenile Turf. He then tried the one-mile Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf where he raced on a contested lead before weakening to 10th. Hey Nay Nay then returned in the GIII Cecil B. DeMille at Del Mar at a mile on turf and checked in third after having to steady in the stretch.

“He had a rough trip that day,” Sadler said of the DeMille. “He should love the 6 1/2 on Sunday. It’s kind of a perfect distance. We’re anxious to get him started as a 3-year-old.” By No Nay Never, Hey Nay Nay will be ridden by Hector Berrios.

Later Than Planned (7-2), trained by Phil D’Amato, won the Speakeasy Stakes going five furlongs on turf in October at Santa Anita. He then tried the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar, also at five furlongs. Later Than Planned was last of 12 after the opening three furlongs before rallying in the stretch to split the field in sixth.

An Irish-bred colt by Cotai Glory, Later Than Planned will have regular rider Umberto Rispoli aboard in the Baffle.

Greenwich Village will be adding blinkers for his turf debut. By Quality Road, Greenwich Village won his debut going 6 ½ furlongs on dirt in December at Los Alamitos and last out finished fifth in the GII San Vicente going seven furlongs on Jan. 10 at Santa Anita. He’ll be ridden by Juan Hernandez, who was previously aboard for his maiden win.

The Baffle goes as the seventh race on a nine-race card Sunday. First post is 12:30 p.m. and the Baffle goes as the seventh race at 3:35 p.m. The field in post position order: Won for Lou, Edwin Maldonado (30-1); Greenwich Village, Juan Hernandez (9-5); Hey Nay Nay, Hector Berrios (2-1); Cal’s Goal, Armando Ayuso (5-1); Track Tiger, Emisael Jaramillo (15-1); Bust Out, Kazushi Kimura (10-1); Later Than Planned, Umberto Rispoli (7-2).

WORKS: INTREPIDO, OTHER TOP 3YO’S PLUS BAFFERT STARS DRILL

Grade I American Pharoah winner Intrepido and recent promising maiden winners Robusta and Secured Freedom were among the top 3-year-olds on the work tab on Saturday at Santa Anita. Also working were several notables from the Bob Baffert barn including Nysos, Nevada Beach, Splendora and Imagination.

Intrepido, trained by Jeff Mullins, worked five furlongs from the gate in 59.40 seconds. It was the third-fastest of 42 works at the distance. By Maximus Mischief, Intrepido is slated to make his 3-year-old debut in the GIII Robert B. Lewis going a mile on Feb. 7. He most recently finished fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Oc. 31 following his win in the American Pharoah at Santa Anita.

Robusta, trained by Doug O’Neill, broke his maiden here Jan. 9 at Santa Anita when stretched out to a mile for his second start. By Accelerate, Robusta returned to the tab with a four-furlong work in 50.20 seconds.

Secured Freedom broke his maiden in his second start here on Dec. 28 when rolling to a 4 ½ length victory going 6 ½ furlongs. Trained by Tim Yakteen, the colt by Practical Joke worked five furlongs in 59.80 seconds.

Nysos and Nevada Beach both worked seven furlongs for Baffert. Nysos was timed in 1:25.00 and Nevada Beach was clocked in 1:25.60. Splendora, winner of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, fired a bullet when working five furlongs in 58.20 seconds. She is targeting the GII D. Wayne Lukas going seven furlongs on Feb. 7 at Santa Anita. Imagination, second in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint last out, also earned a bullet with a six-furlong work in 1:11.60.

Revera, who was third in the Santa Ynez for 3-year-old fillies on Jan. 10, returned to the tab for Baffert with a four-furlong work in 48.40 seconds.

Formula Rossa, second as the favorite in the GI La Brea on opening day Dec. 28, worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 for trainer Mark Glatt.

Simply Joking, who was third in the La Brea, worked four furlongs in 47.80 seconds for trainer Michael McCarthy.

FINISH LINES: Finalists for the 2026 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award announced Friday by Santa Anita are Tyler Baze, Alex Birzer, Julien Leparoux, Jareth Loveberry and Tim Thornton. The winner will be announced in March. Last year, Kendrick Carmouche was voted the Woolf Award winner by his fellow jockeys. The 2026 winner will be announced in March. Saturday’s $1 Sunset Pick Six has a two-day carryover of $41,859. The wager starts at 1:18 p.m. PT with the 11th race from Gulfstream Park… Saturday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick starts at 12:45 p.m. PT with the 10th race from Gulfstream…Little Red Feather’s Billy Koch will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Sunday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:20 a.m…This Thursday is the annual charity basketball game pitting Santa Anita jockeys versus Holy Angels Middle School. It is at LaSalle High School in Pasadena. Doors open at 6 p.m. There will be an autograph signing by Santa Anita jockeys starting at 6:30 p.m. and tip-off is at 7 p.m.