Santa Anita Stable Notes Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN SUNDAY, FEB. 15, 2026

•     MCCARTHY ON STAKES STREAK FOLLOWING MONDEGO’S WIN •     WORKS: BAEZA, WESTWOOD DRILL FOR NEW TRAINER EURTON •     MONDAY’S HOLIDAY CARD CANCELED DUE TO INCOMING RAINSTORMS •     $19K CARRYOVER IN SUNDAY’S $1 SUNSET PICK 6

MCCARTHY ON STAKES STREAK FOLLOWING MONDEGO’S WIN SATURDAY After winning both stakes on last Sunday’s card at Santa Anita, trainer Michael McCarthy added a third consecutive stakes victory on Saturday when Mondego upset the GIII San Marcos going 1 ¼ miles on turf. Last Sunday, McCarthy won both the Las Virgenes Stakes for 3-year-old fillies with Meaning and the Clockers’ Corner Stakes on the hillside turf course with Yellow Card.

McCarthy has now won five stakes total at the Classic Meet. Among trainers, he trails only Bob Baffert, who has eight stakes wins through the first 24 days of the stand.

“That works,’ McCarthy said Sunday morning.

Mondego won the San Marcos by one length under Emisael Jaramillo and paid $21.20. Bred in England, Mondego is a 6-year-old gelding by Lope de Vega. He improved to 19: 4-1-3 with $407,047 in earnings for Cheyenne Stable.

Next up for Mondego will “probably” be a start in the GIII San Luis Rey going 1 ½ miles on March 21 at Santa Anita, McCarthy said.

McCarthy also reported Meaning was doing well a week after notching her first stakes win in the Las Virgenes. By Gun Runner, Meaning won the one-mile Las Virgenes by 1 ½ lengths under Flavien Prat. She is owned by Bridlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.

McCarthy said Meaning could return in the GIII Santa Ysabel at 1 1/16 miles on March 1 or wait for the GII Santa Anita Oaks on April 4.

“All of them are in play. We’ll wait to see her back on the work tab before making a decision,” McCarthy said.

As for the McCarthy barn’s leading star, Journalism, the 4-year-old colt is nearing his first work of the year.

“He kind of ran through the lane yesterday,” McCarthy said. “We have weather coming, so we’ll see about (working) next weekend. It will depend on how much we’re able to do with him during the week.”

WORKS: BAEZA, WESTWOOD DRILL FOR NEW TRAINER EURTON Grade I winner Baeza and Westwood, winner of the GII San Pasqual on Jan. 31, each worked for new trainer Peter Eurton Sunday at Santa Anita.

Baeza and Westwood, both owned by C R K Stable, were transferred to Eurton this week following the death Thursday of their former trainer, John Shirreffs. Baeza drilled four furlongs in 48.8 seconds. It was his second work on the comeback trail. A 4-year-old colt by McKinzie, Baeza has been off since finishing sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Eurton on Sunday was in New Orleans tending to his stable at Fair Grounds and was unavailable for comment.

Westwood worked four furlongs in 48.0. A 4-year-old gelding by Authentic, Westwood earned his first stakes win in the San Pasqual going 1 1 /8 miles. He is a candidate for the GI Santa Anita Handicap on March 7.

Also working for Eurton was Paradise Lake, winner of the GIII Robert J. Frankel on Jan. 8. The 5-year-old Uncle Mo mare drilled four furlongs on the synthetic training track in 48.0 seconds.

So Happy, winner of the GII San Vicente on Jan. 10, worked five furlongs in 59.8 seconds for trainer Mark Glatt. It was the second work since the San Vicente for the Runhappy colt.

Bob Baffert’s workers included 3-year-olds Potente, Boyd and Greenwich Village; and comebacking graded stakes winner Cash Call.

Potente worked five furlongs in 59.8 seconds. It was his first work since earning a debut win going six furlongs here on Jan. 31. By Into Mischief, Potente was a $2.4 million auction buy as a yearling.

Boyd also worked five furlongs in 59.8 seconds. By Violence, Boyd is a perfect 2-for-2 with his most recent win coming in the 6 ½-furlong Ed Brown Stakes at Churchill Downs on Nov. 29.

Greenwich Village, winner of the Baffle Stakes on turf Jan. 25, worked four furlongs in 49.0 seconds. Cash Call, last year’s GIII Summertime Oaks winner, hasn’t started since finishing fifth in the GI Test at Saratoga on Aug. 2. The 4-year-old McKinzie filly worked five furlongs in 1:00.4.

Working on the comeback trail for trainer Richard Mandella was Subsanador, who’s been sidelined since September 2024 when winning the GI California Crown at Santa Anita. The 7-year-old horse from Argentina worked four furlongs in 47.6 seconds

Among trainer Phil D’Amato’s workers were Stronghold, the 2024 GI Santa Anita Derby winner. A 5-year-old horse by Ghostzapper, Stronghold worked four furlongs in 47.6 seconds. He hasn’t started since a second-place finish in the GII Pat O’Brien on Aug. 23 at Del Mar.

Almendares, third in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Jan. 24, worked four furlongs in 48.80 seconds. Also working for D’Amato were GIII winner Iron Man Cal (5f, 1:02.6), GIII winner T__hought Process__ (5f, 1:02.6) and stakes winner Later Than Planned (5f, 59.8).

Om N Joy, who is targeting the GI B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile on March 7, worked five furlongs in 1:02.6 for trainer Aggie Ordonez. The 4-year-old California-bred filly by Om has been off since finishing fourth in the GII Rave Run on Oct. 18 at Keeneland.

Top California-bred mare Grand Slam Smile worked five furlongs in 1:01.6 for trainer Sean McCarthy.

Princesa Moche, winner of the GIII Megahertz Jan. 31, worked four furlongs in 48.0 seconds for trainer Doug O’Neill. Cee Drew, winner of the California Cup Oaks on turf Jan. 17, worked five furlongs in 1:01.2 for trainer Dan Blacker.

MONDAY’S HOLIDAY CARD CANCELED DUE TO INCOMING RAINSTORMS Monday’s special holiday card is canceled due to a declining weather forecast. Simulcast wagering will be available at Santa Anita.

A three-day storm is slated to hit the area beginning Sunday evening after the conclusion of the day’s races. The storm is expected to bring up to three inches of rain to the area, prompting evacuation warnings in several surrounding communities.

The eight races carded for Monday will be rescheduled in the coming week. A makeup day for the postponed President’s Day card will be added to the Classic Meet prior to the end of the season.

FINISH LINES: Sunday’s $1 Sunset Pick 6 has a $19,676 carryover. The sequence starts at 1:38 p.m. PT with the ninth race from Gulfstream Park… Sunday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:07 p.m. with the eighth race from Gulfstream…Santa Anita’s $2 Pick 6 Saturday was scooped for $32,376 by a single winning ticket. The ticket was purchased for $216 at Los Alamitos, according to track officials… Next weekend’s stakes action includes the restricted Wishing Well Stakes for older fillies and mares going six furlongs on turf on Saturday and the Pasadena Stakes for 3-year-olds at one mile on turf on Sunday…