Santa Anita Stable Notes Sunday, April 27, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 2025

- • GI GAMELY A ‘GOOD POSSIBILITY FOR PUBLIC ASSEMBLY, SUN OF HILL - • WORKS: GI WINNER FORMIDABLE MAN, LIGURIA LEAD TAB - • GII CHARLES WHITTINGHAM, SANTA BARBARA ON TAP NEXT WEEK __- • SATURDAY’S PICK 6 PAYS $66K FOR SINGLE WINNING TICKET __

GI GAMELY A ‘GOOD POSSIBILITY’ FOR PUBLIC ASSEMBLY, SUN OF HILL

Stablemates Public Assembly and Sun Of Hill, the one-two finishers in Saturday’s Grade III Royal Heroine Stakes at a mile on turf, were both in good order and enjoying a leisurely Sunday morning along trainer Phil D’Amato’s shedrow.

“They both came out of the race great,” D’Amato reported.

Public Assembly, who was making her stakes debut, won the Royal Heroine by 1 ¾ lengths over Sun Of Hill, who was compromised at the start when hopping out of the gate. Public Assembly, piloted by Antonio Fresu, had also never raced at a distance as short as a mile. In her first start for D’Amato after previously being based in the east with trainer Chad Brown, Public Assembly won an allowance going 1 ¼ miles on turf March 30 at Santa Anita.

“It’s nice to know she’s effective at a mile all the way up to a mile and a quarter,” D’Amato said. “I was impressed with how she did it. How comfortable she was traveling the whole way. Antonio thought he had a lot of horse late.”

As for Sun Of Hill, her poor break caused her to lose contact with the field. At the quarter pole, she had just one horse beat in a field of 11. But Sun Of Hill then uncorked a furious rally under Tiago Pereira to earn her first U.S. graded stakes placing.

Sun Of Hill was bred in Brazil, where as a 3-year-old in 2023 she won a Group I. She made her first U.S. start last July at Del Mar. In her only other graded stakes try in five U.S. starts, she finished fourth on dirt in the GIII Bayakoa in November at Del Mar.

“She ran great. She just hopped out of the gate and it cost her a few lengths,” D’Amato said. “She was a Grade I winner in South America and those South American horses, it takes them a long time to acclimate. But the good ones, once they do, they show they can compete in graded stakes here. It’s nice to see her finally come around and be of that quality.”

The Royal Heroine serves as a lead-in to the GI Gamely at 1 1/8 miles on May 26 at Santa Anita. D’Amato said “it’s a good possibility as of now” that both Public Assembly and Sun Of Hill go there next.

Public Assembly is a 4-year-old filly by More Than Ready. After making her first four starts for Brown, which included a maiden win at Kentucky Downs, she was entered in last year’s Keeneland November horses of racing age sale. She was purchased for $225,000 by owners Abbondanza Racing and Medallion Racing and sent west to D’Amato.

WORKS: GI WINNER FORMIDABLE MAN, LIGURIA LEAD TAB

Multiple Grade I winner Formidable Man and newly minted graded stakes winner Liguria, both trained by Michael McCarthy, were among 177 horses to record timed workouts Sunday at Santa Anita.

Formidable Man earned a bullet when drilling four furlongs on the main track in 47.40 seconds. It was the fastest of 40 works at the distance. A 4-year-old colt by City of Light, Formidable Man most recently earned his second Grade I win in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile on March 1 at Santa Anita. Last year, Formidable Man won a trio of stakes including the GI Hollywood Derby at Del Mar.

Liguria most recently earned her first graded win in the GII Buena Vista on March 1 at Santa Anita. The 5-year-old mare by War Front worked four furlongs on the main track in 47.80 seconds. It was her second work since the Buena Vista.

Graded stakes winner Atitlan, who is nominated to this Saturday’s GII Charles Whittingham at 1 ¼ miles on turf, worked five furlongs on the main track in 1:02.20 for trainer John Shirreffs. Atitlan most recently earned his second graded stakes victory in the GIII San Luis Rey on March 22 at Santa Anita.

Pilot Commander, who earned his first stakes win in last month’s GIII San Carlos for trainer Bob Baffert, earned a bullet when drilling five furlongs in 59.0 seconds. It was the third work since the San Carlos for the 4-year-old colt by Justify.

Raging Torrent, winner of the GI Malibu in December and GII Godolphin Mile earlier this month in Dubai, worked for the second time since returning from the Middle East. Trained by Doug O’Neill, the 4-year-old Maximus Mischief colt drilled five furlongs in 1:02.40.

Multiple graded stakes winner Mrs. Astor, who is nominated to next Sunday’s Santa Barbara Stakes, worked four furlongs in 49.40 seconds for trainer Jonathan Thomas. The 5-year-old Lookin at Lucky mare most recently was second in the last month’s GIII Santa Ana at Santa Anita following wins in the GIII Robert J. Frankel in December at Santa Anita and GIII Red Carpet in November at Del Mar.

GII CHARLES WHITTINGHAM, SANTA BARBARA ON TAP NEXT WEEK

Next weekend’s stakes action at Santa Anita included the GII Charles Whittingham on Saturday and Santa Barbara Stakes on Sunday.

The Whittingham is for older horses at 1 ¼ miles on turf. It has 10 nominees including recent GIII San Luis Rey winner Atitlan for trainer John Shirreffs; San Luis Rey runner-up Divin Propos for trainer Phill D’Amato; multiple stakes winner Lord Bullingdon for trainer Michael McCarthy and veteran graded stakes winners Balladeer, Dicey Mo Chara, Packs a Wahlop and Maltese Falcon.

The Santa Barbara is for older fillies and mares at 1 ¼ miles on turf. Among the 12 nominees are multiple graded stakes winner Mrs. Astor for trainer Jonathan Thomas; recent GIII Wilshire runner-up Alpha Bella for trainer John Sadler; Starry Heavens, most recently third in the GIII Santa Ana for trainer Phil D’Amato; and Vincero Grande, trained by Mike Puype, who finished third in last year’s Santa Barbara.

The Whittingham field will be set on Monday and the Santa Barbara field will be drawn on Tuesday.

FINISH LINES: There is a $1 Super High 5 carryover of $8,273.26 in Sunday’s 11th and final race… Saturday’s $2 Pick Six paid $66,348 for one winning ticket…There were just two winning favorites on Saturday’s 11-race card…GI Santa Anita Derby winner Journalism drew post eight in this Saturday’s Kentucky Derby and was installed as the 3-1 morning line favorite. Citizen Bull (20-1) drew post 1 and Rodriguez (12-1) will break from post 4…Sunday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 2:09 p.m. PT with the ninth race from Gulfstream Park…Nominations close Sunday for the Siren Lure Stakes on May 10 and Cinema Stakes on May 11.