Santa Anita Stable Notes Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

SATURDAY, OCT. 10, 2026

• CALIF. DISTAFF: GRAND SLAM SMILE LOOKS TO REBOUND • BREEDERS’ CUP CANDIDATES LEAD WORK TAB • $18K CARRYOVER IN SATURDAY’S $2 PICK 6 • LITTLE RED FEATHER MOVES INTO TIE ATOP OWNER’S STANDINGS

CALIF. DISTAFF: GRAND SLAM SMILE LOOKS TO REBOUND

On a rare two-race losing streak, top California-bred mare Grand Slam Smile will look to regain her winning form Sunday in the California Distaff Handicap for statebred fillies and mares going about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course.

Grand Slam Smile is installed as the 8-5 favorite in a field of 10 and will carry highweight of 128, which is eight to 14 pounds more than her rivals. Bit’s Tiger Magic, who was 3-1 on the morning line, was scratched by trainer Peter Miller and will instead run in Monday’s restricted Swingtime Stakes for fillies and mares at one mile on turf. That scratch puts Christel Clean, who was on the also-eligible list and listed at 7-2, into the body of the field.

Trained by Sean McCarthy, Grand Slam Smile has been remarkably consistent in four years on the racetrack. She’s won 12 races, which includes 10 stakes. Through her first 21 starts, she never finished outside of the top three. But in two consecutive starts this summer, she did just that. First, she finished fifth in the GII Great Lady M won by Sweet Azteca going 6 ½ furlongs in July at Los Alamitos after a slow start; then was fourth in the Solana Beach for statebreds going one mile on turf at Del Mar on Aug. 15. In the Solana Beach, Grand Slam Smile raced on a contested pace before weakening late to finish four lengths back.

“In the Great Lady M, there were a couple of the fastest fillies in open company on the West Coast in that race and she missed the break,” McCarthy said. “The horse next to her reared up and she kind of lost her concentration and stumbled slightly. When you do that with that kind of stock, you’re out. It’s just catch up from there, and those were some fast horses to try and catch up to. So that took us out of the game there.

“In the Solana Beach, she broke well and there was a horse on her outside. The two of them were going well, not very fast, but it became kind of a cat-and-mouse game with us and the horse on the outside. I think it forced us to kind of take a hold of her more than we wanted to or should do. That upset her. So that was that.”

McCarthy added he is pleased with how Grand Slam Smile is coming into the Distaff.

“Both races she came out of in great shape and she’s doing as well as she can be for this race,” McCarthy said. “She’s training well, acting well, eating well. I don’t have any excuse going into the race. I’m confident she’s going to run well.”

Grand Slam Smile won the California Distaff in 2024 while trained by the now retired Steve Specht. Last year, she finished second in this race by a head while carrying 125 pounds. McCarthy downplayed the 128-pound impost she’ll tote in this year’s edition.

“I’m not a big weight guy. It is what it is,” he said. “She’s good enough. She can handle it.”

By Smiling Tiger, Grand Slam Smile races as a homebred for Larry D. Williams and Marianne Williams. She enters with $997,120 in earnings.

Christel Clean scratching into the race means trainer John Sadler will have two in the field. He’ll also saddle Liberation, a 20-1 longshot who Sadler believes will run better than her odds. A 3-year-old daughter of Omaha Beach, Liberation finished off the board in her only two starts this year at Del Mar. The half sister to multiple graded stakes winner Rashmi last year won the one-mile Soviet Problem for statebreds at Los Alamitos.

Christel Clean, a 4-year-old daughter of Violence, switches back to turf. She most recently aired by seven lengths in a statebred allowance going one mile on the main track at Del Mar Sept. 3. On her only try on the hillside course, she finished second by a nose in a statebred allowance in February.

“Christel Clean won nicely last out and is sharp. Liberation, she’s starting to round into form. I think she’s going to run well. I think she’ll like the hill,” Sadler said.

First post Sunday is 1 p.m. PT for a 10-race card. The California Distaff goes as the ninth race at 5:09 p.m. The field in post position order: Still Unwritten, Armando Aguilar (30-1); Wink and a Grin, Ricky Gonzalez (12-1); Lino’s Angel, Jose Valdivia Jr. (30-1); Rosa Parks, Umberto Rispoli (5-2); Grand Slam Smile, Juan Hernandez (8-5); Quick Kate, Kazushi Kimura (15-1); No Cap, Drayden Van Dyke (15-1); Miso Phansy, Armando Ayuso (20-1).

BREEDERS’ CUP CANDIDATES LEAD WORK TAB

Cabo Spirit returned to the work tab following his win in the GII City Hope Mile, Sweet Azteca worked a stiff furlongs and Majestic Oops worked for the first time since finishing second in the GII Zenyatta Saturday at Santa Anita. Also working towards potential starts in the Breeders’ Cup were Gold Phoenix and Iron Man Cal.

Cabo Spirit, trained by George Papaprodomou, worked five furlongs on the main track in 1:03.6. The 7-year-old gelding by Pioneerof the Nile went gate-to-wire when winning the City of Hope by a head on Sept. 26. The victory earned him a fees-paid berth to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile on Oct. 31 at Keeneland.

Sweet Azteca, trained by Richard Baltas, completed her work in 1:12.4. The 5-year-old mare by Sharp Azteca is targeting the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint going seven furlongs on Oct. 31. Sweet Azteca has won both of her starts this year. She returned from a 10 ½-month layoff on July 4 and won the GII Great Lady M going 6 ½ furlongs at Los Alamitos, then came back to win the GIII Rancho Bernardo going six furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 16.

Majestic Oops, Gold Phoenix and Iron Man Cal are all trained by Phil D’Amato. Majestic Oops finished 2 ¾ lengths back of winner Super Corredora in the 1 1/16-mile Zenyatta on Sept. 27. The 6-year-old mare by Majestic Harbor worked three furlongs in 36.2 seconds.

Gold Phoenix worked five furlongs in 59.8 seconds. Since finishing fourth in the GII Del Mar Handicap on Aug. 29, the 7-year-old gelding by Belardo has been working steadily towards a potential start in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Iron Man Cal is a candidate for either the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint going six furlongs or $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. He worked five furlongs in 1:00.4. A 4-year-old gelding by Collected, Iron Man Cal most recently won the GII Pat O’Brien going seven furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 29.

Pre-entries for the Breeders’ Cup close on Oct. 19.

$18K CARRYOVER IN SATURDAY’S $2 PICK 6

There is a $18,457 carryover in the $2 Pick 6 at Santa Anita Park. First post is at 1 p.m. PT for a 10-race card and the Pick 6 starts with the fifth race at 3:09 p.m. Track officials estimate the pool to reach $175,000.

In Friday’s $2 Pick 6, the carryover was clinched in the ninth and final race when, with only one horse covered in a field of nine, longshot Miss Donna prevailed under Emisael Jaramillo for trainer Michael McCarthy and paid $49.20. The consolation payout for tickets with 5-of-6 winners was $2,636.60.

The winning horses in Friday’s Pick 6 starting with the fourth race were #1 Clubhouse Cutie ($10.60), #7 Little Hidden Port ($5.20), #8 Monsieur Big ($7.60), #7 Pavel Is Appealing ($11), #1 Fractious ($5.80) and #3 Miss Donna ($49.20).

LITTLE RED FEATHER MOVES INTO A TIE ATOP THE OWNER’S STANDINGS

The win by Thought Process in last Saturday’s GII Rodeo Drive Stakes pushed Little Red Feather Racing into a tie atop the owner’s standings with Harris Farms. Trained by Phil D’Amato, Thought Process rolled to a 4 ¼-length victory under Hector Berrios in the 1 ¼-mile Rodeo Drive for fillies and mares on turf, and earned a berth to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf on Oct. 31 at Keeneland. Little Red Feather owns Thought Process in partnership with Estate of Brereton C. Jones and Madaket Stables.

FINISH LINES: Jockey Joel Rosario won three races on Friday’s nine-race card. The Hall of Famer won the opener aboard Sogno Di Vino ($3.40) for trainer Peter Miller, the fifth race on Little Hidden Port ($5.20) for trainer John Sadler and the eighth race with Fractious ($5.80) for trainer Doug O’Neill. Rosario has won eight races through the first seven days of the stand to rank second in the jockey’s standings…The $1 Sunset Pick 6 has a carryover of $2,671. It starts at 1:03 p.m. PT with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park…The $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 begins at 1:35 p.m. with the ninth race from Gulfstream…Santa Anita will host a special holiday program on Monday with 10 races starting at 1 p.m…Fans in attendance can park for free through Gate 3 off Huntington Drive and also enjoy $2 hot dogs, $2 beers and $2 sodas.