Santa Anita Stable Notes Sunday, March 16, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN SUNDAY, MARCH 16, 2025

• WORKS: JOURNALISM BACK ON TAB AFTER GII SAN FELIPE WIN • PICK 6 DOUBLE CARRYOVER OF $218,963 FOR SUNDAY’S CARD • LADY CLAYPOOLE DOING WELL, SCIPIO HEADED OUT OF TOWN • SPECIAL ST. PATRICK’S DAY CARD SET FOR MONDAY

WORKS: JOURNALISM BACK ON TAB AFTER GII SAN FELIPE WIN

Top 3-year-old Journalism returned to the work tab Sunday at Santa Anita following his sparkling victory in the GII San Felipe March 2.

Journalism and jockey Umberto Rispoli hit the track together under darkness at about 6:30 a.m. PT. The Curlin colt, trained by Michael McCarthy, was clocked working four furlongs in 48.20 seconds. He is targeting the GI Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles on April 5.

“Very good,” McCarthy said of the drill. Rispoli reacted with a wide grin and a thumbs up. In the San Felipe going 1 1/16 miles, Journalism ran down previously unbeaten Barnes in deep stretch and won going away by 1 ¾ lengths with Rispoli aboard. The effort earned a 108 Beyer Speed Figure, which is tied for the highest posted by a 3-year-old this year.

In this weekend’s Kentucky Derby Future Wager, Journalism opened as the 3-1 favorite and remained the favorite at 5-1 as of Sunday morning.

Journalism has a record of 4: 3-0-1 with $338,880 in earnings for breeder Don Alberto Stable and co-owners Bridlewood Farm, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5 LLC and Robert V. LaPenta. He also won the GII Los Alamitos Futurity in December prior to the San Felipe.

Bullard, another graded stakes-winning 3-year-old for McCarthy, worked for the first time in four weeks. The Gun Runner colt was clocked going four furlongs in 48.60 seconds. Bullard has not started since finishing third in the GII San Vicente going seven furlongs on Jan. 4. McCarthy called it a “nice work” and added Bullard is also possible to return in the Santa Anita Derby.

“We’re keeping all of our options open,” McCarthy said.

Prior to the San Vicente, Bullard won his debut in September at Del Mar and came back to win the GIII Bob Hope, also at Del Mar, going seven furlongs on Nov. 17.

Trainer Bob Baffert’s workers included 3-year-old Madaket Road, multiple stakes winner Casalu and Fort Bragg. Madaket Road sizzled four furlongs in 46.40 seconds. It was the fastest of 72 works at the distance. In two starts this year, the Quality Road colt finished second in the GII Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Feb. 23 and was third in the GIII Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita on Feb. 1. He is also part of this weekend’s Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

Casalu worked four furlongs in 49.0 seconds. In two starts at the Classic Meet, both on grass, the 3-year-old Caracaro filly won the Blue Norther going a mile in December and the Sweet Life on Feb. 9 sprinting about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course.

Fort Bragg worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 seconds. The 5-year-old Tapit horse has been off since winning an allowance Dec. 1 at Del Mar. The next graded-stakes sprint at Santa Anita is the GIII San Carlos going seven furlongs on March 29.

Grade I winner Kopion worked four furlongs in 48.40 seconds for trainer Richard Mandella. Winner of the GI La Brea in December and GII Santa Monica on Feb. 1, both at seven furlongs, Kopion had to miss last weekend’s Beholder Mile because of illness. The 3-year-old Omaha Beach filly is 6: 4-1-0 and earned $434,600 for owner Spendthrift Farm.

Grade I winner Gold Phoenix continued on the comeback trail for trainer Phil D’Amato with five-furlong work on the training track in 1:02.40. The 6-year-old Belardo gelding has been off since finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

There were a combined 244 workouts between the main track and training track.

PICK 6 DOUBLE CARRYOVER OF $218,963 FOR SUNDAY’S CARD

For the second consecutive day Saturday, there were no winning tickets in the $2 Pick Six triggering a double carryover of $218,963 for Sunday’s 10-race card. Track officials estimate the pool will exceed $1.25 million.

Sunday’s Pick Six starts with the fifth race at approximately 3:05 p.m. In the 10th race, there is also a Super High 5 carryover of $16,974. The two-day Pick 6 carryover was clinched in Saturday’s 10th and final race when John Shirreffs-trained Misleading, who drew in off the also-eligible list, scored under Hector Berrios and paid $23. With two winning favorites in the sequence, the consolation payout for tickets with 5-of-6 winners was a healthy $7,646,20.

The winning horses in Saturday’s Pick Six beginning with the fourth race were #7 Big Celebration ($4), #4 Boss Sully ($13.20), #1 Roy Hobbs ($6.20), #1 Lady Claypoole ($25.40), #6 Hornsby ($39.40) and #13 Misleading ($23).

First post Sunday is 1 p.m. PT. Full entries are available at Santaanita.com.

LADY CLAYPOOLE DOING WELL, SCIPIO HEADED OUT OF TOWN

Trainer Richard Baltas reported all was well with the Lady Claypoole the morning after earning her first stakes win in Saturday’s GIII Santa Ana Stakes for fillies and mares going 1 ¼ miles on turf.

“She’s already back at San Luis Rey Downs. Everything’s good,” Baltas said.

The Santa Ana was Lady Claypoole’s third-straight victory, which have all come since joining forces with jockey Tiago Pereira earlier this year. Bred in Ireland, the 5-year-old mare by Starspangledbanner is 19: 4-2-2 with $227,428 in earnings. She is owned by Abbondanza Racing LLC and Omar Aldabbbagh.

Baltas’s other recent stakes winner at Santa Anita, Scipio, worked five furlongs Sunday in 1:01.60. It was his third work since winning the Feb. 15 Baffle Stakes for 3-year-olds sprinting about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course.

Scipio is a Caravaggio ridgling owned by Calvin Nguyen and Joey C. Train. Baltas said is slated to ship to Keeneland for a start in the GII Appalachian for 3-year-olds at a mile on turf on April 5.

At the Classic Meet, Baltas has saddled 15 winners from 76 starters (20 percent) to rank sixth in the trainer’s standings.

FINISH LINES: Sunday’s feature, the Irish O’Brien Stakes, goes as the eighth race at approximately 4:35 p.m. PT. Pushiness, ridden by Umberto Rispoli for trainer Michael McCarthy, is the 3-2 morning line favorite…Sunday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:48 p.m. PT with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park…Santa Anita will host a St. Patrick’s Day card Monday with nine races starting at 1 p.m. PT. On-track patrons will receive free parking and admission plus drink specials to help celebrate. Juan Leyva, trainer John Sadler’s top assistant, will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Monday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m.