Santa Anita Stable Notes Saturday, May 17, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

SATURDAY, MAY 17, 2025

• WORKS: QUARTET OF NOMINEES TO GI SHOEMAKER LEAD TAB • PREAKNESS: JOURNALISM A HEAVY FAVORITE IN EARLY WAGERING • GIII HONEYMOON: 3-YEAR-OLD FILLIES GET DISTANCE TEST SUNDAY __• SATURDAY’S COAST-TO-COAST PICK 5 STARTS AT 2:09 P.M. __

WORKS: QUARTET NOMINATED TO GI SHOEMAKER MILE LEAD TAB

Atitlan, Mi Hermano Ramon, Endlessly and Seal Team—all nominated to the GI Shoemaker Mile on Monday, May 26—were among several nominees for stakes engagements on Memorial Day weekend to record timed workouts Saturday.

Atitlan, trained by John Shirreffs, worked four furlongs on the main track in 49.60 seconds. A 4-year-old colt by The Factor, Atitlan has reeled off consecutive graded stakes wins in the GIII San Luis Rey March 22 and GII Charles Whittingham at 1 ¼ miles on May 3.

Mi Hermano Ramon worked four furlongs on the synthetic training track in 49.60 seconds for trainer Mark Glatt. In two starts this year, Mi Hermano Ramon was fourth in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park in January and fifth in the GI Kilroe Mile March 1 at Santa Anita.

Seal Team, trained by Richard Mandella, worked six furlongs on the main track in 1:12.60. In his only start this year, the 5-year-old horse by War Front finished second in the GIII Thunder Road at a mile on turf Feb. 1.

Endlessly worked five furlongs on the main track in 1:01.20 for trainer Michael McCarthy. A 4-year-old Oscar Performance colt, Endlessly most recently returned from a 9 ½-month layoff and finished third in the GIII American at a mile on turf April 20 at Santa Anita.

Working towards potential starts in the GII Santa Margarita a week from Sunday were Splendora and Seismic Beauty, both trained by Bob Baffert, and Princess of Time for McCarthy.

Seismic Beauty worked five furlongs in 59.40 seconds, which was the fastest of 40 works at the distance on the main track. The 4-year-old Uncle Mo filly most recently aired by 10 lengths when winning an entry-level allowance going a mile April 18 at Santa Anita.

Splendora worked five furlongs in 1:00.00. The 4-year-old Audible filly exits a runner-up finish to stablemate Richi in the GII Santa Maria April 19 at Santa Anita.

As for Princess of Time, she would be making her stakes debut if entered in the 1 1/8-mile Santa Margarita. The 5-year-old mare by Not This Time worked five furlongs in 1:00.80. Princess of Time most recently returned from a nearly 13-month layoff March 28 and finished third in a second-level allowance at a mile.

Also working was Vodka With a Twist, who was entered in Friday’s GIII Miss Preakness Stakes at Pimlico but was scratched. Trained by Phil D’Amato, Vodka With a Twist worked five furlongs in 1:01.00. The 3-year-old Thousand Words filly most recently finished third in the GII Santa Anita Oaks when making her sophomore bow April 5.

Working for trainer Neil Drysdale was Supersonic Blue, recent winner of the John Shear Stakes for 3-year-olds sprinting on the hillside turf course April 6. The Air Force Blue gelding drilled five furlongs on the main track in 1:00.40.

__PREAKNESS: JOURNALISM A HEAVY FAVORITE IN EARLY WAGERING __

The money is pouring in on GI Santa Anita Derby winner Journalism to win Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, the second jewel of the Triple Crown.

As of 11:30 a.m. PT, with nearly $2.5 million in the win pool, Journalism had been bet down to the 6-5 favorite from an 8-5 morning line. He’ll be facing eight rivals in the 1 3/16-mile classic at Pimlico including Santa Anita-based Goal Oriented, who will look to provide trainer Bob Baffert with a record-extending ninth win in the Preakness. Goal Oriented was 7-1 in the early wagering. He’ll break from the rail under Flavien Prat.

Journalism will try and provide trainer Michael McCarthy with his second win in the Preakness. In 2021, McCarthy earned his lone classic victory when Rombauer took down the Preakness.

Journalism will break directly next to Goal Oriented in post two. He’ll have regular rider Umberto Rispoli in the irons. Rispoli, a 36-year-old native of Italy, has never won a Triple Crown race.

In the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, Journalism was also favored at 3-1. The Curlin colt rallied from off the pace to grab the lead inside the three-sixteenths pole, but he could not hold off the late charge of Sovereignty, who would ultimately win by 1 ½ lengths under Junior Alvarado. Goal Oriented, by Not This Time, was a debut winner sprinting at Santa Anita on April 6. He then came right back to score on Kentucky Derby day at Churchill Downs two weeks ago in a 1 1/16-mile allowance.

Post time for the Preakness is 4:01 p.m. PT. At Santa Anita, folks are encouraged to come watch and wager on the Preakness as well as 10 live races starting at 1 p.m. The final race on the card, which goes at 6:05 p.m. PT, is the featured Mizdirection Stakes for older fillies and mares sprinting on the hillside turf course.

GIII HONEYMOON: 3-YEAR-OLD FILLIES GET DISTANCE TEST SUNDAY

Six 3-year-old fillies will step into the unknown Sunday when all in the field race1 1/8 miles for the first time in the GIII Honeymoon Stakes on turf.

Among the half dozen fillies in the lineup is Jungle Peace, the 6-5 program favorite who is undefeated in three U.S. starts for trainer Phil D’Amato. For Jungle Peace, not only has she never gone nine furlongs, the Irish-bred daughter of Bungle Inthejungle has never even raced around two turns. She is the only one in the lineup not to have done so.

In her U.S. debut Feb. 15, Jungle Peace broke her maiden sprinting 6 ½ furlongs on Santa Anita’s flat turf course. She came back to win an allowance at six furlongs on grass then scored in the GIII Senorita sprinting about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course April 27.

Jungle Peace drew the rail and will have regular rider Umberto Rispoli aboard.

The 2-1 second choice on the morning line is As Catch Can, a daughter of Mo Town trained by Jonathan Thomas. As Catch Can is back at Santa Anita after rallying to be second in the 1 1/16-mile Bourbonette Oaks on synthetic at Turfway Park March 25. She’s a two-time winner going at least a mile. In the Honeymoon, As Catch Can will be ridden by Kazushi Kimura for the first time.

The Honeymoon goes as the fourth race Sunday on a 10-race card starting at 1 p.m. Post time for the Honeymoon is set for 2:36 p.m. The field in post position order: Jungle Peace, Umberto Rispoli (6-5); As Catch Can, Kazushi Kimura (2-1); Miso Phansy, Hector Berrios (5-1); Firenze Flavor, Drayden Van Dyke (5-1); Atia, Juan Hernandez (12-1); Schilflied, Antonio Fresu (5-1).

FINISH LINES: Saturday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 2:09 p.m. PT with the ninth race from Gulfstream Park…2-year-old filly Light Won Up won her debut for trainer Doug O’Neill in Friday’s fourth race. A $265,000 auction buy, the daughter of City Of Light covered 4 ½ furlongs in a sharp 51.90 seconds to score by 1 ¼ lengths as the even-money favorite…Jockey Assael Espinoza scored a riding double Friday. Espinoza, a nephew of Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza, won the second race on Western Avenue ($3) for trainer Steve Knapp and the fifth race with Zeus’ War ($2.60) for trainer Tim McCanna…Equine scout Larry Zap will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Sunday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m. PT.