Santa Anita Stable Notes Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN __SATURDAY, JAN. 04, 2025 __

• SANTA YNEZ: BAFFERT TRIO TAKES ON FAVORITE LOOK FORWARD • MAIDEN WATCH: PAIR OF 3-YEAR-OLD TURF SPRINTS SET FOR SUNDAY __• WORKS: GRADE II WINNER MUSICAL MISCHIEF BACK IN TOWN __ • PRAT WINS 3 ON FRIDAY; McCARTHY SWEEPS THE EARLY DOUBLE __• MEMORIAL FOR MEL & ANNABELLE STUTE AT CLOCKERS’ CORNER __

SANTA YNEZ: BAFFERT TRIO TAKES ON FAVORITE LOOKS FORWARD The road to the GII Fasig-Tipton Santa Anita Oaks on April 5 kicks off Sunday with the GII Fasig-Tipton Santa Ynez Stakes, which is also a point-paying prep for the Kentucky Oaks.

Installed as the 2-1 morning line favorite in an eight-horse field is Look Forward. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Look Forward will be cutting back to seven furlongs for her second stakes try.

Following a debut win sprinting six furlongs at Del Mar in early November, Look Forward was stretched-out to 1 1/16 miles for the GII Starlet on Dec. 7 at Los Alamitos. The daughter of Bolt d’Oro dueled on the lead with Grade I winner Tenma through moderate fractions before succumbing to that rival inside the final furlong. Look Forward would ultimately finish 1 ¾ lengths back of Tenma, who is trained by Bob Baffert.

Reddam Racing’s Look Forward has returned with two good works, which includes a bullet four-furlong drill in 47.80 seconds on Sunday. She will be ridden by Mario Gutierrez, who was aboard for both the Starlet and her debut win.
While Tenma was not entered back in the Santa Ynez, Look Forward will still have three Baffert-trained fillies to deal with. The Hall of Fame trainer will saddle Silent Law (9-2), Howin (8-1) and Mawu (12-1).

Silent Law, by Tiz the Law, won her first two starts in the fall including the six-furlong Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 25. She returned in the seven-furlong Desi Arnaz at Del Mar where she was bet down to the 1-2 favorite on Nov. 16 and finished second.

Silent Law broke in front in the Desi Arnaz, but was quickly challenged to her inside by Practical Dream, who also returns in the Santa Ynez for trainer Tim Yakteen. Practical Dream and jockey Antonio Fresu got past Silent Law at about the half mile pole and it was over from there. Silent Law chased Practical Dream the rest of the way before finishing 1 ¼ lengths back of that winner.

“That was sort of a disappointing out by her,” Baffert said. “She had beat that horse before. I don’t know what happened that day. She just didn’t bring her A game. But we know she likes Santa Anita and she’s come back to work well. We’ll see what happens.”

Howin, a debut winner going a mile at Santa Anita in October, and Mawu, who was sixth in the Starlet, both cut back to one turn. Baffert said he envisions both as being two-turn fillies.

“I need to get races into these fillies,” he added. “Mawu, she wants to go two turns. But she was a little heavy when she ran at Los Alamitos and I want to get her another out.”

Mawu, a daughter of Blame, will be ridden by Mike Smith for the first time in the Santa Ynez. She finished third in the Desi Arnaz in her previous sprint effort, two lengths back of Practical Dream.

Howin is a daughter of Gun Runner who will have Kazushi Kimura aboard for the first time. In her debut, she dueled on the pace and kicked clear to win by 3 ¾ lengths.

“She’ll be better going two turns, but she needs to run,” Baffert said.

The Fasig-Tipton Santa Ynez goes as the seventh race on a 10-race card Sunday. First post is 1:30 a.m. PT with the Santa Ynez set to go at approximately 2:36 p.m. The field in post position order: Polythene Pam, Kyle Frey (20-1); Howin, Kazushi Kimura (8-1); A.Z. Wildcat, Flavien Prat (5-2); Practical Dream, Antonio Fresu (10-1); Look Forward, Mario Gutierrez (2-1); Mawu, Mike Smith (12-1); Silent Law, Juan Hernandez (9-2); Arisma, Abel Lezcano (6-1).

MAIDEN WATCH: PAIR OF 3-YEAR-OLD TURF SPRINTS SET FOR SUNDAY Newly tuned 3-year-old maidens will share the stage Sunday in a pair of six-furlong turf sprints that go as the fourth and sixth races, respectively.

The sixth race features the second start by Unique Power, a colt by Into Mischief out of two-time champion Unique Bella. He is the 3-1 favorite for trainer John Sadler in a 10-horse field. Unique Power debuted going 5 ½ furlongs at Del Mar Aug. 17 and finished fourth behind winner Citizen Bull, who would go on to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Unique Power will have Frankie Dettori aboard for the first time in his turf debut.

In the fourth race, first-time starter Tamino is the 5-2 morning line favorite for trainer Richard Mandella. The son of Candy Ride, who races for breeder George Strawbridge and co-owner Stone Farm, has lured the services of top rider Flavien Prat for his unveiling. Tamino has been working steadily since early November.

Morning line favorite is Freedom’s Not Free for trainer Mark Glatt. The Omaha Beach colt switches to turf and cut back to one turn after finishing off the board in her first two starts.

Trainer Neil Drysdale has a pair of first-time starters, Flaubert (5-1) and Just Resilience (15-1). Flaubert is by City of Light out of stakes winner Amnesia. He will have Kazushi Kimura aboard. Just Resilience is by Justify out of the Galileo mare Satin and Silk. He will break from the outside in post nine under Mike Smith.

Trainer Phil D’Amato will unveil European import Mythical Reel for owner Michael House. By Highland Reel, Mythical Reel finished off the board in two starts this summer in his native Ireland. Listed at 6-1 on the morning line, he will have Umberto Rispoli in the irons.

WORKS: GII WINER MUSICAL MISCHIEF BACK IN TOWN FOR MCCARTHY Grade II winner Musical Mischief, who spent the majority of last year based with trainer Michael McCarthy’s string in Kentucky, is back at Santa Anita and gearing up. She was among several notable horses to have timed workouts Sunday at Santa Anita.

Winner of the 1 1/16-mile GII Locust Grove at Churchill Downs in September, Musical Mischief worked four furlongs in a sharp 47.60 seconds. It was her third work since returning from Kentucky. Most recently, Musical Mischief finished off the board in the GIII Falls City at Churchill Downs going 1 1/16 miles.

Also working for McCarthy was Grade I winner Formidable Man and There Goes Harvard, who returned to the tab following a 10th-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Nov. 2 at Del Mar. Formidable Man, winner of the GI Hollywood Derby Nov. 30 at Del Mar, earned a bullet when drilling four furlongs in 46.60 seconds on the main track. There Goes Harvard went four furlongs on the main track in 49.20 seconds.

Among the workers for Bob Baffert were Imagination, third in the GI Malibu on opening day; and Cavalieri, who was scratched from the GI La Brea on opening day. Imagination worked four furlongs in 47.80 seconds. Cavalieri, a daughter of Nyquist who rolled to a 3 ½ -length allowance win going a mile in October at Santa Anita, worked four furlongs in 48.60 seconds.

FINISH LINES: Flavien Prat, who many expect will win the 2024 Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding jockey, rode three winners on Friday’s nine-race card. The 32-year-old Frenchman scored with favorite Just As Fancy ($5.20) in the second race for trainer Michael McCarthy, the fourth race aboard favorite Halo Rando ($4) for trainer Dean Pederson and seventh on favorite Lady Montclaire ($6.20) for trainer Richard Baltas…Just as Fancy helped Michael.McCarthy sweep the early daily double with offspring of Volatile. Prior to Just as Fancy scoring in the second race, first-time starter Cultural ($6.80) won the opener with Serafin Carmona up…Veteran Triple Crown-winning jockeys Mike Smith and Victor Espinoza each got off the mark at the Classic Meet with wins on Friday. Smith, 59, won the third race on Danzingwith Maxine ($7.80) for trainer Cliff Sise Jr. Espinoza, 52 won the nightcap aboard favorite Earned Not Given ($7.60) for trainer Mark Glatt…Saturday’s co-features are the GII San Vicente going for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs and the GIII Las Flores for fillies and mare going six furlongs. The San Vicente goes as the fifth race at 1:33 p.m. PT and the Las Flores goes as the seventh at 2:36 p.m…Saturday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:02 p.m. PT with the fourth race from Santa Anita… First post for a 10-race card Sunday is 11:30 a.m...Horseplayer David Vance will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Sunday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 10:20 a.m…There will be a Celebration of Life at Clockers’ Corner Sunday Jan. 12 for late trainer Mel Stute and his wife Annabelle starting at 9 a.m….The Stute’s memorial service on Jan. 11 at Hope Lutheran Church in Glendora has been moved to 2 p.m. It was originally set to begin at 11 a.m.