Santa Anita Stable Notes Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY SANTA ANITA PRESS BOX __SUNDAY, JAN. 05, 2025 __

__• HOF TRAINER BOB BAFFERT MAPS OUT HIS STARS • 2024 ECLIPSE AWARD FINALISTS ANNOUNCED SUNDAY • MYSTERY VOUCHER PROMOTION UNVEILS $10,000 • JUAN HERNANDEZ HAS WINNING DAY SATURDAY • MEMORIAL FOR MEL & ANNABELLE STUTE AT CLOCKERS’ CORNER __

HALL OF FAME TRAINER BOB BAFFERT MAPS OUT HIS STARS Trainer Bob Baffert holds the Santa Anita Park record with five winners on a single card, but he only had starters in four races on Saturday. On Sunday, he began mapping out plans for the four winners, which included two highly regarded 3-year-olds in Barnes and Rodriguez, along with older horse Mirahmadi and the Chilean filly Richi.

“I thought I had a great shot to win four races, but we had to get lucky,” reflected Baffert. “I’ve thought that before and I’ve been lucky to get one or instead I got a donut. We got great rides yesterday and good racing luck. It was great to win for these clients who continue to support us and it really raises the morale of all the people who work so hard in the barn.

“I was happy with Barnes. Amr (owner Amr Zedan) had to stretch to buy him, and I really made him stretch, but he’s a very good horse. We’re going to nominate everywhere and take a look. Citizen Bull (the favorite for the 2-year-old Male Eclipse Award) and a couple of the others will point for the Robert B. Lewis here on February 1st.”

Barnes, who was named after Baffert’s longtime assistant Jimmy Barnes, was purchased by Zedan for $3.2 million at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale. Baffert suggested to Zedan that they name the horse in Barnes’ honor after the assistant trainer told Baffert they better find a good name for the horse because he was training so well. He didn’t tell Barnes about the name until one day he handed him a halter with the name plate already engraved and gave it to the assistant to put on the colt. “Rodriguez was very impressive going two turns and he showed us what we expected. Mirahmadi has always been a good horse, but he’s had some tough luck. He’ll point to the Big ‘Cap (on March 1).”

Baffert won the 2024 Santa Anita Handicap with Newgate for the same ownership group as Citizen Bull, Rodriguez and Mirahmadi. The partnership is known as the Avengers and consists primarily of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Tom Royan, Robert Masterson, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan. Determined Stables appears on the ownership line of Rodriguez as well.

Richi, a Chilean-bred daughter of Practical Joke now owned by John Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale and Stud Vendaval, was making her second start in the United States. The win came over the Baffert-trained Pleasant, who was sent off as the 1-5 favorite.

“Richi will be pointed for the Beholder Mile. She should stretch out fine. Pleasant was just a little rusty, but she’ll stick around here,” said Baffert.

2024 ECLIPSE AWARD FINALISTS ANNOUNCED SUNDAY The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, National Turf Writers And Broadcasters (NTWAB), and Daily Racing Form announced today via FanDuel TV the finalists for the 2024 Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards.

Out of 48 Eclipse Award finalists there are 10 that call Santa Anita Park home. Citizen Bull and Gaming for 2-Year-Old Male. In the Older Dirt Male division, Full Serrano (ARG), National Treasure and Straight No Chaser. For Older Dirt Female, Adare Manor. Male Sprinter Straight No Chaser and The Chosen Vron. Male Turf Horse in the running is Johannes. For outstanding jockey, Flavien Prat who surpassed Jerry Bailey’s stakes record with 56 wins in a calendar year.

The award winners, including Horse of the Year will be announced at the 54th annual Eclispse Award ceremony taking place at The Breakers Palm Beach, a luxury resort in Palm Beach, Fl. on Jan. 23. The Eclipse Awards which honor excellence in Thoroughbred racing, are voted upon by the NTRA, represented by member racetrack racing officials and Equibase field personnel, NTWAB, and Daily Racing Form, and are produced by the NTRA.

SANTA ANITA’S MYSTERY MUTUEL VOUCHER PROMOTION REVEALS $10,000 It was a winning day at Santa Anita Park Saturday for Manuel Baldera of Garden Grove, CA, who participated in Santa Anita’s Mystery Mutuel Voucher promotion and won the grand prize of $10,000.

Baldera, who has regularly attended Santa Anita for more than 15 years, said he has participated in every previous Mystery Mutuel Voucher promotion and had only cashed $2 or $5 tickets. He said he loves Santa Anita and playing the horses. Baldera added plans to use the $10,000 toward the purchase of a new car.

All Santa Anita 1/ST REWARDS members receive direct mailers throughout Santa Anita’s live race meets, which include Mystery Mutuel Vouchers. Participants win rewards of either $5, $10, $20, $100, $1,000 or in some lucky cases, $10,000. It's FREE to sign up for Santa Anita’s 1/ST REWARDS customer loyalty program. You can sign up on track at the 1/ST REWARDS Center.

Mystery Mutuel vouchers are mailed to 1/ST REWARDS members periodically throughout the Classic, Hollywood and Autumn Meets.

For more information on Santa Anita’s 1/ST REWARDS program, please visit santaanita.com.

FINISH LINES: Juan Hernandez rode five winners on Saturday’s 10-race card beginning in the opener with Baldoro for Leonard Powell ($6.40), then scored three times for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert aboard Rodriguez ($3) in the second race, Barnes ($4) in the fifth and Mirahmadi ($6.80) in the seventh race. Hernandez piloted Carla Gaines’s Afternoon Nap ($15) home in the eighth race and was just 1 ½ length shy aboard 1-5 favorite Pleasant in the co-feature Las Flores stakes. The current record of seven wins in a day is held by the great Laffit Pincay,Jr. accomplished on March 14, 1987. There are 15 jockeys who have come close to tying the feat with six winners … Santa Anita Park’s 76th Woolf Award finalists will be announced Monday morning…There will be a Celebration of Life at Clockers’ Corner Sunday Jan. 12 for late trainer Mel Stute and his wife Annabelle starting at 9 a.m….The Stute’s memorial service on Jan. 11 at Hope Lutheran Church in Glendora has been moved to 2 p.m. It was originally set to begin at 11 a.m. Live racing resumes on Friday with a 10 race card with first post at noon.