Santa Anita Stable Notes Saturday. May 16

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2026

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• 2-YEAR-OLD HE IS NO LIE DAZZLES WITH FAST DEBUT WIN FOR O’NEILL • CINEMA: ASCENDING CHARLIE’S CURLIN MAKES STAKES DEBUT • WORKS: AG BULLET, SCIPIO GEARING UP FOR BALTAS • $18K CARRYOVER IN $1 SUPER HIGH 5 SATURDAY; POST TIME 5:50 P.M.

2-YEAR-OLD HE IS NO LIE DAZZLES WITH FAST DEBUT WIN FOR O’NEILL The 2-year-old colt He Is No Lie served notice Friday with a dazzling debut win going 4 ½ furlongs at Santa Anita. From the first crop of 2022 Preakness winner Early Voting, He Is No Lie shot to the lead under Emisael Jaramillo, scampered away from the field on the turn and then widened his lead in the stretch to win easily at odds of 2-5.

He Is No Lie is trained by Doug O’Neill for owners Purple Rein Racing and Mark D. Davis. He was purchased for $150,000 at the OBS March sale of 2-year-olds in training.

Leandro Mora, O’Neill’s longtime assistant, reported Saturday morning that He Is No Lie “is doing fantastic.

“That was impressive,“ Mora said. “He’s a nice horse. He reminds me of Raging Torrent.”

Raging Torrent was a multiple Grade I winner for Team O’Neill who earned nearly $1.8 million. His victories included the GI Malibu in 2024 and both the GI Metropolitan Handicap and GII Godolphin Mile in 2025.

After setting fractions of 21.43 and 45.42, He Is No Lie crossed the wire in a swift 51.88 seconds. As noted by Daily Racing Form’s Brad Free in a social media post, the final time was the fastest for 4 ½ furlongs at Santa Anita since 2021 when Big City Lights, a California-bred graded stakes winner, broke his maiden in 51.63 seconds.

He Is No Lie was produced by Truth in the Lies, a multiple stakes-placed daughter of Hold Me Back. Purple Rein Racing, whose principal is Janie Buss, and Davis signed the ticket for the colt at the OBS sale.

CINEMA: ASCENDING CHARLIE’S CURLIN MAKES STAKES DEBUT SUNDAY

Charlie’s Curlin lost his first two starts when trained by Peter Miler, was transferred to Jeff Mullins and subsequently lost two more times. Then Mullins put top Santa Anita jockey Juan Hernandez on the 3-year-old colt by Curlin. Charlie’s Curlin promptly broke his maiden in February and came right back to win a first-level allowance, both going one mile on turf at Santa Anita. Now, Charlie’s Curlin will make his stakes debut in the Cinema Stakes for 3-year-olds going one mile on turf Sunday.

“It’s all the jock,” Mullins said. “He knows how to ride him.”

In his maiden win, Charlie’s Curlin settled in mid-pack behind a lively pace and rallied late to win to win going away by 1 ¼ lengths. Then in his allowance victory, Charlie’s Curlin pressed a moderate tempo before scoring by a neck over Bust Out, who also returns in the Cinema for trainer Michael McCarthy.

Both Charlie’s Curlin and Bust Out are listed at 3-1 on the morning line for the Cinema. The 8-5 favorite, Later Than Planned, and 5-2 second choice Iriseach are both trained by Phil D’Amato. Mullins noted the key for Charlie’s Curlin on Sunday will again come down to trip.

“He just needs a good ride. Simple as that,” he said.

Charlie’s Curlin is owned by Les Blake. Out of the War Front mare Compelled, who placed in multiple graded stakes, Charlie’s Curlin was purchased for $225,000 at last year’s OBS March sale of 2-year-olds in training.

First post Sunday is 1 p.m. for a nine-race card. The Cinema goes as the third race at approximately 2 p.m. PT.

The field in post position order: Iriseach, Antonio Fresu (5-2); Go Ralph, Kyle Frey (10-1); Later Than Planned, Hector Berrios (8-5); Charlie’s Curlin, Juan Hernandez (3-1); Bust Out, Emisael Jaramillo (3-1).

WORKS: AG BULLET, SCIPIO GEARING UP FOR BALTAS

Grade I winner Ag Bullet and stakes winner Scipio, both trained by Richard Baltas, continued to gear up for their seasonal debut swith five furlong works on the synthetic training track at Santa Anita on Saturday. Both were clocked in 1:02.4.

Ag Bullet hasn’t started since Nov. 30 when finishing third in the GI Matriarch at Del Mar. Last year she won both the GI Jaipur at Saratoga and GII Ladies Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs, and was second in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

A 6-year-old mare by Twirling Candy, Ag Bullet has worked five times since April 3. Baltas said Ag Bullet will “probably” make her return in this year’s edition of Jaipur, a 5 ½-furlong turf sprint, scheduled for June 6 at Saratoga on the Belmont Stakes undercard.

Baltas is “undecided” where Scipio could resurface. A 4-year-old ridgling by Caravaggio, Scipio hasn’t started since finishing fifth in the GII Twilight Derby on Oct. 25 at Santa Anita. Prior to that effort, Scipio most notably won the Baffle Stakes at Santa Anita and was second in the GIII Transylvania at Keeneland.

Graded stakes-winning 3-year-old Desert Gate worked five furlongs on the main track in 59.6 seconds for trainer Bob Baffertl. It was the second-fastest of 63 works at the distance. By Omaha Beach, Desert Gate most recently won the Hot Springs Stakes going one mile at Oaklawn Park on March 26.

Lilo Lil, winner of the Providencia Stakes on April 5 at Santa Anita, worked five furlongs on the training track in 1:02.2 for trainer Michael McCarthy. A 3-year-old daughter of Caravaggio, Lilo Lil won the 1 1/8-mile Providencia on turf by a nose when making her stakes debut.

Secured Freedom returned to the work tab following a fourth-place finish in the GII Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Trained by Tim Yakteen, Secured Freedom worked four furlongs in 49.2 seconds. By Practical Joke, Secured Freedom in the Pat Day Mile settled in mid-pack in a 12-horse field and then improved his position late to complete the superfecta at 13-1. Previously, he was third in the GIII Robert B. Lewis and fourth in the GII San Felipe both at Santa Anita.

Om N Joy, a California-bred graded stakes winner, worked four furlongs in 49.4 seconds for trainer Aggie Ordonez. By Om, the 4-year-old filly most recently was fifth in the GI Apple Blossom at Oaklawn on April 11.

FINISH LINES: Saturday’s $1 Super High 5 has a $18,492 carryover. It will be offered on the 10th and final race at approximately 5:50 p.m. PT. The 10th race is for maidens going one mile on turf. A field of 10 is entered…Saturday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 2:39 p.m. PT with the 10th race from Gulfstream Park…The $1 Sunset Pick 6 starts at 2:09 p.m. with the ninth race from Gulfstream…Post time for today’s Preakness Stakes from Laurel Park is at 4:01 p.m.