Santa Anita Stable Notes Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

SATURDAY, SEPT 27, 2025

- • GII SA SPRINT: STRAIGHT NO CHASER READY FOR TITLE DEFENSE - • GII ZENYATTA: FAVE CAVALIERI RETURNS AFTER 6 ½-MONTH LAYOFF - • $28K CARRYOVER IN SANTA ANITA PICK 6; $12K FOR $1 SUNSET 6 - • MILLION-DOLLAR MAN BERRIOS BAGS 3 WINS ON OPENING DAY

GII SANTA ANITA SPRINT: STRAIGHT NO CHASER SET FOR TITLE DEFENSE

A year ago, Straight No Chaser parlayed a win in the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint to earn the Eclipse Award as North America’s outstanding sprinter. The 6-year-old horse will try and equal that distinguished feat starting with this year’s Santa Anita Sprint Championship going six furlongs on Sunday, which provides the winner an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Trained by Dan Blacker, Straight No Chaser hasn’t started since a two-race Middle East campaign early in the year. He first won the GII Riyadh Dirt Sprint in February in Saudi Arabia, then turned in an atypical performance when fading to eighth in the GI Dubai Golden Shaheen. Both races were six furlongs.

“He obviously ran a great race in Saudi, then things didn’t go quite our way in Dubai,” Blacker said Saturday morning. “I think there were a number of factors that caused the poor performance. He came back fine, but we wanted to give him some time after such an unusually uncharacteristic performance.”

Blacker had considered the GI Bing Crosby on July 26 at Del Mar for Straight No Chaser’s return, but felt the timing wasn’t quite right.

“I wanted to run him at home and at six furlongs. That meant it’s either the Bing Crosby or Santa Anita Sprint Championship,” Blacker said. “Based on what the horse was telling me, as things progressed, I felt he needed more time. I talked to all the partners, and we decided it would be better to have him ready to fire for a two-race campaign.”

Straight No Chaser has worked nine times since mid-July for his comeback. Blacker said he is training similarly to the lead-up to last year’s Santa Anita Sprint, which he won by 6 ½ lengths.

“There’s not much difference. He’s just a talented racehorse and exceptional work horse. When he goes at the track, he’s all business.”

Installed as the 7-5 program favorite, Straight No Chaser will break from post two in an eight-horse field with regular rider John Velazquez in the irons.

“This is not an easy race. There are some nice horses in there,” Blacker said. “I’d prefer to be outside, I don’t love being inside particularly off a layoff. But he’s the fastest horse out of the gate of the bunch. As long as he breaks sharp as usual, anyone that wants go with him will have to have their running shoes on.”

Among Straight No Chaser’s chief rivals are Dr. Venkman (3-1), winner of the seven-furlong GII Pat O’Brien last out at Del Mar; and Speed Boat Beach, who set the pace in the Pat O’Brien before weakening late.

Dr. Venkman prevailed from the inside post in the Pat O’Brien. He will again break from the rail on Sunday. In the Pat O’Brien, Dr. Venkman got a perfect ground-saving trip under Umberto Rispoli and prevailed by a half-length.

“He had a dream trip,” trainer Mark Glatt said. “I don’t know if we’ll be fortunate enough to get a trip like that again, but that is the key for his success.”

Speed Boat Beach, trained by Bob Baffert, is making his third start of the year. “He’s a little high-strung. In the O’Brien, he was very aggressive and hooked up with another horse. He seems to be doing much better,” Baffert said.

Baffert also has in the field two-turn graded stakes winner Imagination, who hasn’t raced since January.

“I freshened him up. This is probably too short for him,” Baffert said. “There’s a race at the end of the meet and I wanted to get him an out before that.”

The Santa Anita Sprint Championship goes as the ninth race on a 10-race card Saturday. Post time is set for 5:08 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Dr. Venkman, Umberto Rispoli (3-1); Straight No Chaser, John Velazquez (7-5); Awesome Rhythm, Armando Ayuso (12-1); Smooth Cruisein (30-1); Speed Boat Beach, Mike Smith (10-1); Wound Up, David Cohen (15-1); Mbagnick, Hector Berrios (12-1); Imagination, Juan Hernandez (5-2).

GII ZENYATTA: CAVALIERI RETURNS AFTER 6 ½-MONTH LAYOFF

After a 6 ½-month layoff, Grade I winner Cavalieri puts her perfect record on the line in Sunday’s GII Zenyatta Stakes with an eye towards the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

Cavalieri hasn’t started since March 8 when winning the GI B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile at Santa Anita to improve to 4-for-4 for trainer Bob Baffert and owner Speedway Stable. The 4-year-old Nyquist filly is installed as the 7-5 favorite for her comeback. “I just freshened her up to have her ready for the fall,” Baffert said. “She’s a big filly and this should set her up.”

Cavalieri will be joined in the field by Baffert-trained stablemates Richi (3-2) and Howin (8-1). Richi won the GII Santa Maria going 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita in April before getting a freshening of her own. She returned on Aug. 2 in the GI Clement L. Hirsch going 1 1/8 miles and finished third behind standouts Seismic Beauty and Kopion.

“She has had a recent race and will be tough in there,” Baffert said.

Howin, a 3-year-old, is the longest shot on the board. She most recently finished fourth in the GIII Torrey Pines going a mile at Del Mar Aug. 30. In two previous graded stakes tries at Santa Anita, she was second in the GIII Summertime Oaks in June and third in the GIII Santa Ysabel in March.

“There wasn’t really a good spot for Howin and we thought we’d see if we could get some black type,” Baffert said. “She a big lanky filly and is taking time to grow into herself.” The Zenyatta goes as the seventh race with post time set for 4:08 p.m. The field in post position order: Sugar Fish, Tyler Baze (6-1); La Kika, Hector Berrios (9-2); Cavalieri, Juan Hernandez (7-5); Howin, Kazushi Kimura (8-1); Richi, Antonio Fresu (3-2).

__SATURDAY CARRYOVERS: $28K IN SANTA ANITA PICK 6; $12K SUNSET 6 __

There are carryovers Saturday in both the $2 Pick Six at Santa Anita and the $1 Sunset Pick Six, a new wager this year that combines races from Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park.

Santa Anita’s Pick Six begins with the fifth race at 3:06 p.m. PT. The Sunset Pick Six, which has a low 15 percent takeout and is available to retail players only, starts at 2:07 p.m. with the ninth race from Gulfstream Park.

Free Daily Racing Form past performances for Santa Anita’s card can be accessed at https://v.fastcdn.co/u/1361f4ff/65687283-0-SA--09-27-2025.pdf

The carryover in Santa Anita’s Pick Six was triggered in Friday’s eighth and penultimate race when Come Out Fighting, ridden by Geovanni Franco for trainer Bil McLean, gamely prevailed and paid $17.40. Two races earlier another longshot, Newport Dreamz, also scored for trainer Tim Yakteen with Welfin Orantes up and paid $60.

The consolation payout for tickets with five of six winners was $581.

The winning horses in Santa Anita’s Pick Six Friday starting with the fourth race were #6 Seager Man ($5.60), #1 Church Lady ($6.60), #7 Newport Dreamz ($60), #9 Lady Gregory ($4), #1 Come Out Fighting ($17.40) and #7 Infinity Dream ($6.80).

FINISH LINES: Six days after winning the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby aboard Baeza at Parx, jockey Hector Berrios got off to a quick start at the Santa Anita Autumn Meet with three wins on opening day Friday. Berrios won the third race aboard Umbralle ($4.40) for trainer John Sadler, the seventh race with Lady Gregory ($4) for trainer Jeff Mullins and the ninth and final race on Infinity Dream ($6.80) for trainer Richard Baltas. Berrios, a native of Chile, finished third in the jockey’s standings at the Hollywood Meet…Lovesick Blues and Seismic Beauty, each slated to run in the Breeders’ Cup, worked Saturday at Santa Anita. Lovesick Blues, who won the GI Bing Crosby for an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, drilled five furlongs in 1:03.00 for trainer Librado Barocio. Seismic Beauty, who is training up to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff for trainer Bob Baffert, worked six furlongs in 1:12.20…Saturday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 2:34 p.m. PT with the fourth race from Santa Anita…Santa Anita simulcast host and analyst Michelle Yu will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Sunday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed staring at 11:50 a.m. PT.