Santa Anita Stable Notes Saturday, March 15, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2025

• IRISH O’BRIEN: SHOCKING GREY RETURNS FOR NEW CONNECTIONS • WORKS: DERBY PROSPECT BAEZA DRILLS 6F IN 1:10.40 WITH COMPANY • PICK 6 CARRYOVER OF $40K SATURDAY; KICKS OFF AT 3:08 P.M. PT • TRAINER NAVARRE BREAKS SANTA ANITA MAIDEN WITH FRIDAY WIN

IRISH O’BRIEN: SHOCKING GREY RETURNS FOR NEW CONNECTIONS

Three days after earning her first stakes win in the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint on Jan. 18 at Santa Anita, Shocking Grey was entered in the CTBA winter mixed sale as part of a dispersal by the Don Valpredo Family Trust. The 6-year-old Grazen mare topped the sale.

Shocking Grey was purchased for $170,000 by Rockingham Ranch and subsequently transferred to trainer George Papaprodromou after previously being trained by Jeff Mullins. She gets started for her new connections Sunday in the Irish O’Brien Stakes for California-breds sprinting about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course.

“She’s a nice mare,” Papaprodromou said Saturday morning. “She had just won prior to the sale and when we saw her, we jumped on it.”

Shocking Grey’s win in the Sunshine Millions under Antonio Fresu also came sprinting down the hill against statebreds. In three starts over the unique layout, she has never missed the board. Shocking Grey is listed at 5-1 on the morning line and will again have Fresu in the irons.

Joining Shocking Grey in the field is stablemate Sneaker, who will be returning from a four-month layoff for Papaprodromou and owner R L Stables. Sneaker had been strictly a turf miler in 11 starts prior to the layoff. Her three victories at that trip all came while on or near the lead, a running style that can play well when cutting back to a downhill sprint.

“She’s doing good, but is coming off a layoff. We’re shortening her up to get her started,” Papaprodromou said.

A 4-year-old Oscar Performance filly, Sneaker has worked five times for her comeback. She is the 7-2 second choice on the morning line and will have Frankie Dettori aboard.

The 3-2 program favorite is Pushiness, who like Sneaker also hasn’t started since November. A statebred stakes winner on dirt last year for trainer Michael McCarthy, Pushiness has made just one prior start on grass. Last August, in a turf allowance for open company sprinting five furlongs at Del Mar, the now 4-year-old Kantharos filly set the pace before being overhauled late to finish third by three-quarters of a length. Pushiness, who is owned by New York-based Mike Repole, will have regular rider Umberto Rispoli aboard.

The Irish O’Brien goes as the eighth race on a 10-race card Sunday. First post is 1 p.m. PT with the feature set to go at 4:35 p.m. The field in post position order: Cornelia Fort, Juan Hernandez; Tam’s Little Angel, Tiago Pereira (6-1); Lamporghini, Geovanni Franco (20-1); Sneaker, Frankie Dettori (7-2); Pushiness, Umberto Rispoli (3-2); Shocking Grey, Antonio Fresu (5-1); Prancingthruparis, Armando Ayuso (10-1); Moment’s Pleasure, Flavien Prat (5-1).

BAEZA (OUTSIDE) WORKS IN COMPANY WITH SOPHISTICATE ERNIE BELMONTE

WORKS: DERBY PROSPECT BAEZA DRILLS 6F IN 1:10.40 WITH COMPANY

Baeza, a leading candidate for the GI Santa Anita Derby on April 5, worked six furlongs with company in a swift 1:10.40 Saturday at Santa Anita.

Trained by John Shirreffs, Baeza was joined in the workout by stablemate Sophisticate, a 4-year-old filly who was timed going five furlongs in 59.40 seconds and earned a bullet. Baeza had the only six-furlong workout on the main track.

Jockey Hector Berrios was aboard Baeza for the work, which was his third since a standout maiden win Feb. 14 at Santa Anita. Berrios, a native of Chile who turns 38 on Sunday, described the drill as “super.” Shirreffs could not be reached for comment.

Baeza is owned by C R K Stable and breeder Grandview Equine. By McKinzie out of the Big Brown mare Puca, Baeza is a half brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage and 2024 Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch.

Returning to the tab for trainer John Sadler was Supa Speed, who was beaten just a nose in the GIII Fasig-Tipton Santa Ysabel for 3-year-old fillies when making her dirt debut two weeks ago. Trained by John Sadler, Supa Speed worked four furlongs in 47.80 seconds. The Justify filly made her first five starts on turf, which included two stakes placings, before switching to the main track for the Santa Ysabel. She is a candidate for the GII Santa Anita Oaks on April 5.

Also working Saturday was Grade III winner Will Then, who was scratched from last Sunday’s Pasadena Stakes. Trained by Jonathan Thomas, the 3-year-old War of Will filly drilled four furlongs in 48.40 seconds.

There were a combined 102 workouts between the main track and training track.

PICK 6 CARRYOVER OF $40K SATURDAY; KICKS OFF AT 3:08 P.M. PT

There is a Pick Six carryover of $40,549 up for grabs on Saturday’s 10-race card. The sequence starts with the fifth race at approximately 3:08 p.m. PT. The pool is estimated to approach $500,000

There were no perfect tickets in Friday’s Pick Six thanks in large part to a pair of longshot winners that closed out the card, both trained by Doug O’Neill and ridden by Antonio Fresu. Fowler Blue won the eighth race for the tandem and paid $51.80 as the longest shot on the board. Then in the nightcap, which was moved from the turf to the main track due to rain, Knightwithlouis won and paid $17.40.

The consolation payout Friday for tickets with 5-of-6 winners was $1,022.20. The winning horses in Friday’s Pick Six were #8 Caviar Cowboy ($8), #5 Awesome Rhythum ($6.80), #1 Om N Joy ($9), #7 Excel Calculator ($3.60), #5 Fowler Blue ($51.80) and #8 Knightwithlouis ($17.40).

Saturday’s Pick Six is a competitive sequence that averages 8.5 starters per race after early scratches.

FINISH LINES: Trainer Jacqui Navarre won at Santa Anita for the first time Friday when favorite Hakuhia ($3.40) scored in the first race under Frank Alvarado. For her career, Navarre has saddled 50 winners from 182 starters…Saturday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 2:20 p.m. PT with the 10th race from Gulfstream Park…After rain disrupted training this week, workouts will be permitted this Tuesday and both starting gates will also be available. Horsemen are asked to submit workout requests for Tuesday by noon Sunday…Santa Anita will host a St. Patrick’s Day card Monday with nine races starting at 1 p.m. PT. On-track patrons will receive free parking and admission plus drink specials to help celebrate.