Santa Anita Stable Notes Saturday, May 9, 2026

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2026

• SIREN LURE: UNCONQUERABLE KEEN BACK IN ACTION FOR D’AMATO
• SO HAPPY BACK JOGGING AFTER KY. DERBY TRY, BELMONT POSSIBLE
• WORKS: JOURNALISM PICKS UP THE PACE WITH 47.6 HALF-MILE DRILL
• $8,917 CARRYOVER IN $1 SUNSET PICK 6; STARTS AT 1:34 P.M. PT

SIREN LURE: UNCONQUERABLE KEEN BACK IN ACTION FOR D’AMATO

More than three months after clipping heels and failing to finish in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint, Unconquerable Keen returns to action Sunday in the Siren Lure Stakes going six furlongs on turf at Santa Anita.

Trained by Phil D’Amato, Unconquerable Keen was near the rear of the field when the incident occurred in the stretch at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 24. While Unconquerable Keen emerged relatively unscathed, jockey Umberto Rispoli suffered a broken right ankle and fractured tibia. He remains sidelined.

“He actually came out of it alright,” D’Amato said of Unconquerable Keen. “We really took our time with him after that. We wanted to make sure he was 100 percent ready to go. He’s come back with some really nice, solid drills. We should be ready to go.”

Jockey Kazushi Kimura will ride Unconquerable Keen in the Siren Lure in place of Rispoli. Installed as the 3-1 second choice on the morning line, Unconquerable Keen and Kimura will break from post 6 in a field of 10.

Joining Unconquerable Keen in the lineup for D’Amato is Sorrento Sky, the 5-2 morning line favorite. A 5-year-old horse by Prince of Lir, Sorrento Sky most recently was fourth in the GIII San Simeon sprinting about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course.

“I don’t think that’s his best distance,” D’Amato said. “I think his best distance is five to six furlongs. I think shortening him up here should help him out.”

Sorrento Sky drew the rail and will have Antonio Fresu aboard.

First post Sunday is at 1 p.m. PT. The Siren Lure goes as the ninth and final race at 5:07 p.m. The field in post position order: Sorrento Sky, Antonio Fresu (5-2); Vlahos, Edwin Maldonado (20-1); Charge for Gold, Kyle Frey (30-1); Zio Jo, Emisael Jaramillo (5-1); Friendly Confines, Tiago Pereira (12-1); Unconquerable Keen, Kazushi Kimura (3-1); Aritslas, Juan Hernandez (10-1); Virat, Hector Berrios (8-1); Boss Sully, Joel Rosario (5-1); Bartholdy, Tyler Baze (20-1); Simple Song (AE), Abel Lezcano (20-1).

SO HAPPY BACK JOGGING AFTER KY. DERBY TRY, BELMONT POSSIBLE

After splitting the field in the Kentucky Derby last Saturday, So Happy returned to the track Friday with a light jog. Trainer Mark Glatt said So Happy would not contest in next Saturday’s Preakness, but did not rule out a potential start in the Belmont Stakes on June 6. This year’s Belmont will again be run at Saratoga at 1 ¼ miles.

“We’re going to evaluate things here a little bit, then we’ll make plans about what to do moving forward,” Glatt said.

So Happy, by Runhappy, won both the GI Santa Anita Derby and GII San Vicente at Santa Anita prior to the Kentucky Derby. In the Kentucky Derby, So Happy raced up close to the pace under Mike Smith before weakening in the stretch to finish ninth. So Happy was the first Kentucky Derby starter for Glatt and co-owners Saints or Sinners and Norman Stables.

WORKS: JOURNALISM PICKS UP THE PACE WITH 47.6 HALF-MILE DRILL

Multiple Grade I winner Journalism on Sunday worked for the second time since finishing third in the GII Oaklawn Handicap in his 4-year-old debut April 18. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Journalism was clocked going four furlongs in 47.6 seconds. It was the seventh-fastest of 76 works at the distance. Last Saturday, Journalism worked four furlongs in 48.4 seconds.

Journalism is a candidate to make his next start in the GI Metropolitan Handicap going one mile at Saratoga on the Belmont Stakes undercard June 6. By Curlin, Journalism is owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable and partners. He is 12: 6-3-2 $4,470,755 in earnings.

Vitruvian Man, who was third in the GI Santa Anita Derby April 4, worked five furlongs in 1:00.2 for trainer Doug O’Neill. It was the third work since the Santa Anita Derby for the colt by Vino Rosso. The Santa Anita Derby was the stakes debut for Vitruvian Man, who is campaigned by breeder Glenn Sorgenstein WC Racing Inc.

Desert Gate worked six furlongs in 1:13.2 for trainer Bob Baffert. The 3-year-old colt by Omaha Beach most recently won the Hot Springs Stakes going one mile at Oaklawn Park on March 26.

Simply Joking, winner of the GIII Santa Maria on April 19, worked five furlongs in 1:01.2 for trainer Michael McCarthy. A 4-year-old filly by Practical Joke, Simply Joking romped by 6 ¾ lengths in the 1 1/16-mile Santa Maria by 6 ¾ lengths under Emisael Jaramillo. It was her second stakes win and first at the graded level. Simply Joking is a candidate to return in the GII Santa Margarita going 1 1/8 miles on May 30.

Grade I winner Seismic Beauty continued gearing up for Baffert with a bullet five-furlong work in 59.6 seconds. It was her seventh work since March 19. A 5-year-old mare by Uncle Mo, Seismic Beauty hasn’t started since the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Sent off the 6-5 favorite, Seismic Beauty bobbled at the start, was hustled up into contention and then was eased across the wire. Prior to that effort, she won both the Santa Margarita at Santa Anita and GI Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar.

Top California-bred mare Grand Slam Smile worked for the first time since finishing third as the favorite in the GIII Royal Heroine going one mile on turf April 25. Trained by Sean McCarthy, Grand Slam Smile worked an easy half mile in 51.0 seconds.

$8,917 CARRYOVER IN THE $1 SUNSET PICK 6; STARTS AT 1:34 P.M. PT

The $1 Sunset Pick 6, which links the final three races from Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park, has an $8,917 carryover on Saturday. The wagers starts at 1:34 p.m. PT with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park.

The Sunset Pick 6 features a player-friendly 15 percent takeout rate and is open to retail customers only. Saturday’s Sunset 6 includes the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies Stakes at five furlongs on turf at Gulfstream and the Grade III Senorita Stakes at Santa Anita for 3-year-old fillies going about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course. The sequence averages 8.5 starters per race after scratches.

FINISH LINES: The $1 Coast-to-Coast Saturday starts at 2:05 p.m. PT with the ninth race from Gulfstream Park. The sequence also includes the ninth race from Gulfstream and races three, four and six at Santa Anita…After nearly 16 months on the sidelines, 4-year-old colt Father Ted served notice Saturday with an impressive maiden win going six furlongs. Trained by Mark Glatt for owner Muir Hut Stable, Father Ted aired by 7 ¾ lengths under Antonio Fresu. He finished in a sharp time of 1:09.53. Father Ted made two starts in the winter of 2024-25 before being sidelined. By Practical Joke, he was a $450,000 auction buy as a 2-year-old…Santa Anita simulcast reporter & analyst Jessica Pyfer will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Sunday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m. PT…Nominations close Sunday for GI Shoemaker Mile, GI Gamely and GII Hollywood Gold Cup, all to be run on Monday, May 25. Nominations also close Sunday for the Snow Chief, Melair, Thor’s Echo, Fran’s Valentine and Crystal Water, all for statebreds on Saturday, May 23.