STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN SUNDAY, JUNE 16, 2024

• JOCKEY’S RACE: HERNANDEZ LEADS FRESU BY 1 WIN ON FINAL DAY • D’AMATO CLINCHES 6th SANTA ANITA TRAINER’S TITLE • WORK TAB: PLETHORA OF STAKES WINNERS DRILL ON FATHER’S DAY • CLOSING DAY: FIRST POST 12:30 P.M, MANDATORY PAYOUTS

JOCKEY’S RACE: HERNANDEZ LEADS FRESU BY 1 WIN ON FINAL DAY It’s down to the wire in the race for leading jockey at the Santa Anita Hollywood Meet. Entering closing day Sunday, Juan Hernandez has 35 wins at the stand to hold a one-win advantage over Antonio Fresu.

Hernandez continued his late surge Saturday when earning his third hat trick in as many days. The 32-year-old native of Veracruz won Saturday’s second race aboard favorite Hardmoneymuchachos ($4) for trainer Peter Miller, the seventh on favorite Runamileinmyshoes ($4.60) for trainer Jeff Mullins and the 10th on favorite Hope Road ($3.20) for trainer Bob Baffert.

As for Fresu, he bagged a pair of wins on Saturday’s 11-race card to stay well within striking distance. The 32-year-old native of Sardinia, Italy won the sixth race aboard Thirsty in Vegas ($10.20) for trainer Steve Knapp and the ninth on favorite Divin Propos ($4) for trainer Phil D’Amato.

Fresu will have every chance Sunday to surge past Hernandez in the standings. He is booked to ride 10 of 12 races, which includes four morning line favorites. They are Motorious (3-1) for D’Amato in the opener, Ultimate Gamble (9-5) in the fifth for trainer Mark Glatt, She’z the Law (5-2) in the 10th for Glatt and Villified (3-1) in the 11th for trainer Tim Yakteen.

Hernandez is scheduled on eight mounts. The only program favorite in that group is Final Boss (8-5) in the co-featured Cinema Stakes, which goes as the fourth race at approximately 2:05 p.m. PT. Fresu is on co-third choice British Isles (3-1) in the Cinema for trainer Richard Baltas.

Hernandez is seeking his sixth Santa Anita riding title. Fresu, who has only been riding in the U.S. for about 14 months, is trying for his first domestic riding title. At the Santa Anita Classic meet, which ended April 7, Hernandez and Fresu finished one-two in the jockey’s standings. Hernandez rode 53 winners while Fresu finished with 46 victories.

Fresu and Hernandez also lead all jockeys with four stakes wins each at the Hollywood Meet. In Sunday’s GIII San Juan Capistrano, Hernandez will ride 5-2 second choice Offlee Naughty for trainer Michael McCarthy and Fresu will be on third-choice Rockemperor for D’Amato.

First post Sunday is 12:30 p.m. PT.

D’AMATO CLINCHES 6th SANTA ANITA TRAINER’S TITLE After saddling two winners Saturday, Phil D’Amato has secured his sixth trainer’s title at Santa Anita.

D’Amato scored in Saturday’s ninth race with favorite Divin Propos ($4) and the 11th and final with Sea of Cortez ($11.20). D’Amato enters Sunday’s closing day program with 22 wins at the stand, which is five more than runner-up Doug O’Neill. O’Neill has just one horse entered Sunday, Mucino (4-1) in the second race.

D’Amato’s six stakes wins at the meet also leads all trainers. O’Neill and Bob Baffert are next with four stakes wins. D’Amato’s added-money victories have come with Uncorked in the GIII Royal Heroine, Gold Phoenix in the GII Charles Whittingham, Circle of Trust in the GIII Honeymoon, Musical Rhapsody in the Santa Barbara, King of Gosford in the Desert Code and Shady Tiger in the Snow Chief.

Overall at the Hollywood Meet, D’Amato entering Sunday is 22-for-113 (19 percent) with $1,355,472 in earnings, which also leads all trainers.

D’Amato most recent Santa Anita trainer’s title came at last year’s Hollywood Meet. He’s also been the leading conditioner at Santa Anita’s 2023 Classic Meet, 2022 Winter Meet, 2021 Winter Meet and 2016 Winter Meet.

D’Amato, 44, was born and raised in nearby San Pedro. He was formerly an assistant for the late Mike Mitchell. Entering Sunday, D’Amato has 963 career wins and $71,644,334 in earnings.

WORK TAB: PLETHORA OF STAKES WINNERS DRILL ON FATHER’S DAY There was a slew of notable workers on a beautiful Father’s Day Sunday at Santa Anita.

Working for Bob Baffert were Arabian Knight (5f, 59.20*) and Reincarnate (4f, 49.20). Grade I winner Arabian Knight has been sidelined since a fourth-place finish in the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita. Reincarnate most recently was second in the GII Hollywood Gold Cup May 27.

Trainer John Sadler worked Tapalo, who was a smashing seven-length winner of the Lazaro Barrera Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs May 12. The Tapiture ridgling drilled six furlongs in 1:12.80. Tapalo is targeting the 1 1/8-mile Los Alamitos Derby June 29.

Johannes had his first work for trainer Tim Yakteen since becoming a newly minted Grade I winner in the May 27 Shoemaker Mile. The 4-year-old Nyquist colt worked four furlongs in 48.60 seconds.

Trainer Peter Eurton worked his stakes-winning triumvirate of Exaulted, Medoro and Stay Hot. Exaulted, winner of last year’s GI Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita, earned a bullet when working five furlongs in 59.60 seconds. The 7-year-old Twirling Candy horse hasn’t started since last September when second in the GII Del Mar Mile.

Medoro, who is a perfect 4-for-4 with three stakes wins, worked four furlongs on the main track in 47.60 seconds. The 3-year-old Honor Code filly most recently won the GIII Providencia April 20 at Santa Anita.

Stay Hot, a three-time stakes winner including last December’s GIII Cecil B. DeMille at Del Mar, drilled three furlongs in 37.60 seconds. It was the 3-year-old Summer Front ridgling’s first work since shipping to Churchill Downs and finishing last in the GII American Turf on the Kentucky Derby undercard May 4.

Trainer Doug O’Neill worked stakes winners Happy Jack, E J Won the Cup, Anarchist and Miss Lizzy. Happy Jack, winner of the GII Triple Bend June 1, returned to the tab with a four furlong move in 49.20 seconds. E J Won the Cup, who collected his second stakes win in the Texas Derby May 27 at Lone Star Park, drilled four furlongs in 48.80 seconds. Graded winner Anarchist, who is on the comeback trail, worked five furlongs in 1:02.00. Miss Lizzy earned a bullet when working four furlongs on the training track in 46.80 seconds.

Also working on the comeback trail was Masteroffoxhounds for trainer Phil D’Amato. Off since finishing 13th in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile, Masteroffoxhounds worked five furlongs in 1:01.20. D’Amato also worked multiple graded stakes winners Balnikhov and Desert Dawn.

Balnikhov, recent winner of the GIII Dinner Party on the Preakness undercard May 18 at Plimlico, went three furlongs on the training track in 36.60 seconds. Desert Dawn went three furlongs in 36.60 seconds. She has been off since a third-place finish in the GII Santa Maria April 21 at Santa Anita.

There were a combined 184 timed workouts on the main track and training track.

CLOSING DAY: FIRST POST 12:30 P.M., MANDATORY PAYOUTS A big 12-race card awaits horseplayers on Sunday, closing day of the 29-day Hollywood Meet. All pools including the $1 Pick Six and Super High Five will have mandatory payouts.

The Pick Six starts with the seventh race at 3:38 p.m. PT. The competitive sequence averages 10.3 starters per race before scratches.

Sunday’s card includes the Cinema Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on turf and the GIII San Juan Capistrano at about 1 ¾ miles on turf. The Cinema goes as the fourth race at approximately 2 p.m. The San Juan Capistrano goes as the sixth race at approximately 3 p.m.

FINISH LINES: After the curtain closes on the Hollywood Meet, live racing returns to Santa Anita with the start of the Autumn Meet Friday, Sept. 27. This year’s Autumn Meet will feature the inaugural $1 million California Crown for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on dirt…Santa Anita will be open for simulcast wagering Thursday through Sunday during the offseason. Admission gates will open at 10 a.m.…Comebacking Hope Road served notice Saturday when winning the 10th race for maidens by 5 ½ lengths. Making her first start for trainer Bob Baffert, the 3-year-old Quality Road filly went six furlongs in a sharp 1:09.17… Saturday’s $1 Pick Six returned $5,029.70 for 25 winning tickets …Sunday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:25 p.m. PT with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park.