STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

__SATURDAY, NOV. 4, 2023 __

• GI WINNER QUEEN GODDESS RETURNS IN SUNDAY’S GII GOLDIKOVA • ANISETTE LOOMS LARGE IN GIII AUTUMN MISS ON CLASS DROP SUNDAY • GLATT, D’AMATO REMAIN TIED FOR SANTA ANITA TRAINER’S TITLE • FRIDAY’S PICK 6 RETURNS $82,874; EARLY PICK 5 PAYS $23,309 • FIRST POST CLOSING DAY SUNDAY IS 12 NOON WITH MANDATORY PAYOUTS

GI WINNER QUEEN GODDESS RETURNS IN SUNDAY’S GII GOLDIKOVA The 2023 Santa Anita Autumn Meet closes Sunday with a 10-race card highlighted by the GII Goldikova for fillies and mares at a mile on turf and GIII Autumn Miss for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf.

The Goldikova, which goes as the sixth race on the card, is named in honor of the two-time Breeders’ Cup Mile winner. Goldikova won the Mile in both in 2009 at Santa Anita and again in 2010 at Churchill Downs for trainer Freddie Head.

In this year’s Goldikova Stakes, Queen Goddess for trainer Michael McCarthy is the 2-1 morning line favorite. A 5-year-old mare by Empire Maker, Queen Goddess has been sidelined since a third-place effort in the GI Gamely here on May 29. She has worked five times for her comeback. Prior to the Gamely, in January at Gulfstream Park, Queen Goddess won the rich GIII Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf at Gulfstream Park.

Queen Goddess will be ridden by Luis Saez, who was aboard in both the Pegasus and Gamely. They will break from the outside in post six.

Listed as the co-second choices at 5-2 are Closing Remarks for trainer Carla Gaines and eastern invader Full Count Felicia for trainer Brittany Russell.

Closing Remarks will break from the rail under Santa Anita leading rider Juan Hernandez. A 5-year-old California-bred by Vronsky, Closing Remarks this summer at Del Mar won both the GII Yellow Ribbon and GII John C. Mabee going two turns on turf. Most recently, she finished fourth behind winner Didia in the GII Rodeo Drive at 1 ¼ miles here Oct. 7.

Full Count Felicia exits a front-running win by 8 ½ lengths in the 1 ¼-mile All Along Stakes at Pimlico on Sept. 16. It was her third straight victory following a pair of allowance wins at Laurel Park and Colonial Downs.

A 4-year-old War Front filly, Full Count Felicia will break from post five under Sheldon Russell.

Post time for the Goldikova is scheduled for 2:32 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Closing Remarks, Juan Hernandez (5-2); Lucky Girl, Joe Bravo (10-1); Eddie’s New Dream, Mario Gutierrez (10-1); Hamwood Flier, Flavien Prat (4-1); Full Count Felicia, Sheldon Russell (5-2); Queen Goddess, Luis Saez (2-1).

ANISETTE LOOMS LARGE IN GIII AUTUMN MISS ON CLASS DROP Anisette, runner-up to Breeders’ Cup entrant Didia in last month’s GII Rodeo Drive, looms a major player in Sunday’s GIII Autumn Miss for 3-year-old fillies going a mile on turf.

Trained by Leonard Powell, Anisette is the 8-5 morning line favorite in a 10-horse field. In the Rodeo Drive, Anisette rated in mid-pack under Umberto Rispoli and rallied into contention but proved no match for Didia. She crossed the wire 1 ¾ lengths behind the winner.

Imported from Europe this past winter, Anisette won her first three U.S. starts including the GII San Clemente and GI Del Mar Oaks prior to the Rodeo Drive. She will break from post four.

Eastern invaders Breath Away for trainer Christophe Clement and Be Your Best for trainer Horacio De Paz are the 4-1 co-second choices on the morning line.

Be Your Best was runner-up to Anisette in the Del Mar Oaks. Following that effort, the Irish-bred by Muhaarar returned to New York and finished a disappointing seventh at 2-1 in the GII Sands Point going 1 1/8 miles at the Belmont at Aqueduct meet.

Santa Anita-based Hector Berrios will ride Be Your Best for the first time.

Breath Away will be making her graded-stakes debut. Bred in England, the daughter of Bated Breath has been off since a fifth-place finish in the Wild Applause Stakes on June 24 at Belmont Park. Prior to that effort, Breath Away won the Sanibel Island Stakes at Gulfstream Park in April and was second in the Hilltop Stakes at Pimlico in May.

Breath Away will break from the rail under jockey Joel Rosario.

The Autumn Miss goes as the eighth race with post time scheduled for 3:32 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Breath Away, Joel Rosario (4-1); Impact Warrior, Flavien Prat (5-1); Be Your Best, Hector Berrios (4-1); Anisette, Umberto Rispoli (8-5); Justique, Mike Smith (12-1); Star of The Night, Antonio Fresu (20-1); Coffee in Bed, Juan Hernandez (6-1); Free and Humble, Sheldon Russell (15-1); Tea N Conversation, Luis Saez (12-1); Ruby Nell, Edwin Maldonado (5-1).

FINISH LINES: SPECIAL EARLY FIRST POST TIME FOR A 10-RACE CARD ON SUNDAY IS AT 12 NOON WITH MANDATORY PAYOUTS ON ALL EXOTIC WAGERS… Phil D’Amato and Mark Glatt remain tied atop the Santa Anita trainer’s standings with 11 wins apiece. Over the final two days of meet, D’Amato has 15 horses entered and Glatt has six entered…Trainer Jose Valdez won his first stakes race Friday with favorite Magic Spoon ($6.00) in the Golden State Juvenile…Friday’s Pick 6 returned $82,874.00 to five winning tickets…The early Pick 5 paid $23,309.35 and the late Pick 5 returned $16,347.90…First post Sunday, closing day of the Autumn Meet, is 1 p.m.