Santa Anita Stable Notes Saturday, January 6, 2024

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 2024

• DETTORI PUTS ON A RIDING CLINIC WITH 3 WINNERS FRIDAY • GIII SANTA YNEZ: KOPION LOOMS A MAJOR THREAT FOR MANDELLA • KNAPP SADDLES THREE WINNERS FRIDAY; CERIN DOUBLES UP • JOCKEYS AGUILAR, ALSAGOOR, PEREIRA GET OFF THE MARK • 1/ST COAST-TO-COAST PICK 5 SET FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

DETTORI PUTS ON A RIDING CLINIC WITH 3 WINNERS FRIDAY International star Franke Dettori was in prime form Friday at Santa Anita Park. Five days into his 36th professional season in the saddle, the 53-year-old Italian jockey uncorked three eye-catching rides to steal the show.

“I was thinking if I went 1-for-4 that would be good. But to go 3-for-4, that was fantastic,” Dettori said Saturday morning after working a horse recently claimed by trainer Mark Glatt.

On Friday’s nine-race card, Dettori won the opener by a nose with third-choice Doncic ($10.20) going six furlongs on turf for trainer Vladimir Cerin. He then added wins in the third race with odds-on favorite Ze’bul ($2.60) going 6 ½ furlongs on turf and the nightcap with Virat ($7.40) in a six-furlong turf race for trainer Dan Blacker.

“In the first, I had a good post in No. 1 and then got stopped for room a little bit. But he finished with great style,” Dettori said. “I thought the 1-5 shot (Ze’bul) should win, but he made hard work of it. Dan’s horse flew in the last, which surprised me because it looked like a very competitive race.”

While all three rides were exquisite, it was on Virat that Dettori’s immense riding talents were laid bare. Virat was exiting a gate-to-wire win going 6 ½ furlongs on turf here Nov. 2. Given that effort, the 5-year-old gelding figured to be on or near the lead again Friday.

Dettori had other ideas.

Virat did break quickest of all but was soon met by multiple challenges on his inside. Dettori saw what was developing and decided to take back. After the leaders ran a half mile in 44.97 seconds, Dettori pulled the trigger on Virat. The pair blew by the leaders entering the stretch and won easily by 1 ¾ lengths.

“I had never ridden the horse, but he seemed very sensible. I saw there were three horses inside me determined to make the lead, so I asked him to slow down, and he did,” Dettori said. “That was the winning move really. I let the speed in front of me collapse and then came flying.”

For Blacker, the win was particularly satisfying. As a youngster growing up in Oxford, England, the now 41-year-old saw Dettori at the height of his powers when he dominated British racing. This was their first win together.

“The horse ran well obviously, but it came down to the tactics used by Frankie,” Blacker said Saturday morning. “This win really means a lot to me. Back home, I would watch him from the sidelines when year after year he was champion jockey and won all the big races.

With the hat trick, Dettori now has six wins at the Classic Meet to move into a tie for third in the jockey’s standing behind Juan Hernandez (9) and Umberto Rispoli (7).

“All in all it was a great day,” Dettori said. “But that was yesterday. Today is a new day.”

On Saturday’s nine-card, Dettori is booked on four mounts. He’ll be aboard De’Medici (20-1) in the fourth for trainer Michael McCarthy, Newgate (4-1) for Bob Baffert in the sixth race, Lunar Impact (4-1) for Blacker in the seventh race and Reckless Spirit (6-1) in the ninth race for Phil D’Amato.

GIII SANTA YNEZ: KOPION LOOMS A MAJOR THREAT FOR MANDELLA Kopion, the 3-5 morning line favorite in Sunday’s GIII Santa Ynez for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs, was no secret ahead of her debut going 6 ½ furlongs at Del Mar Nov. 26.

Sent off at 1-5 for her unveiling, Kopion settled nicely under Frankie Dettori before launching a bid leaving the turn and drawing off to win easily by 3 ½ lengths. The runner-up, She’s A Tempest, returned here Friday and graduated impressively when going a mile on dirt for trainer Steve Knapp.

“She’s a very smart, classy filly who’s always shown us a lot of ability,” said Kopion’s trainer, Hall of Famer Richard Mandella. “Her maiden win was no surprise,”

Owned by Spendthrift Farm, Kopion is by emerging stallion Omaha Beach, who Mandella also trained. She was purchased for $270,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale.

In the Santa Ynez, Kopion will break from the rail under new rider Flavien Prat. She has worked four times for her encore including a six-furlong move in 1:12.60 on Christmas Day.

“We’re hoping she can step up again,” Mandella said. The 2-1 second choice is Tambo for trainer Peter Eurton. The Enticed filly exits a nose loss to Nothing Like You in the seven-furlong Desi Arnaz at Del Mar Nov. 18. Nothing Like You returned to win last month’s GII Starlet at Los Alamitos for Bob Baffert.

The Santa Ynez goes as the eighth race Sunday with post time scheduled for 3:40 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Kopion, Flavien Prat (3-5); Tambo, Antonio Fresu (2-1); Bossy Bruin Gal, J.G. Torrealba (15-1); Petit Filet, Kazushi Kimura (8-1); Don’t Bring Crazy, Juan Hernandez (6-1).

KNAPP SADDLES THREE WINNERS FRIDAY; CERIN DOUBLES UP It was a good day at the office Friday for trainers Steve Knapp and Vladimir Cerin.

On Santa Anita’s nine-race card, Knapp bagged three wins while Cerin scored with his only two starters on the program.

Knapp’s wins came in the second race with Violet Storm ($7.40), the fourth with Tembo ($8.60) and sixth race with She’s A Tempest ($3.80).

“It’s always nice to have days like that. Let’s keep it going,” Knapp said Saturday morning.

Knapp now has four wins at the Classic Meet to tie for second in the trainer’s standings behind Mark Glatt (6).

Cerin’s wins came with Doncic ($10.20) in the opener and Chasingserendipity ($8.20) in the fifth race. They were Cerin’s first two wins of the meet.

FINISH LINES: Jockeys Antonio Aguilar, Abdul Alsagoor and Tiago Pereira each won their first races of the Classic Meet Friday, all for trainer Steve Knapp. Aguilar won the second race with Violet Storm ($7.40), Alsagoor scored in the fourth race with Tembo ($8.60) and Pereira tallied in the sixth race with She’s A Tempest ($3.80). The $1 Coast to Coast Pick 5 from Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park returns this weekend with a player-friendly 15 percent takeout rate. Saturday’s sequence kicks off at 1:06 p.m. PT and tomorrow’s starts at 1:04 p.m.… Owner Jeffrey Sengara will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Saturday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 10:50 a.m. PT.