Santa Anita Stable Notes Sunday, March 22, 2026

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2026

• WORKS: INTREPIDO DRILLS 6F FOR GI SANTA ANITA DERBY • MCCARTHY EYES 3 OPTIONS FOR JOURNALISM’S RETURN • GOLD PHOENIX, GRAND SLAM SMILE DOING WELL AFTER STAKES WINS • GIII WILSHIRE, GIII SAN CARLOS ON TAP NEXT WEEK • NOMINATIONS CLOSE SUNDAY FOR SA DERBY AND SA OAKS

WORKS: INTREPIDO DRILLS 6F FOR G1 SANTA ANITA DERBY

Intrepido worked six furlongs with jockey Hector Berrios aboard Sunday in preparation for the GI Santa Anita Derby on April 4.

Intrepido, trained by Jeff Mullins, was officially clocked completing the work in 1:14.4. Mullins said he timed the work in a shade under 1:14.

“He had a little company behind him at the start,” Mullins said. “We were just looking to get him through another work and come back sound.”

Intrepido figures to be among the leading contenders in the Santa Anita Derby going 1 1/8 miles. In his only start this year, the colt by Maximus Mischief finished second by three-quarters of a length to the since sidelined Plutarch in the GIII Robert B. Lewis going one mile on Feb. 7. Last year, Intrepido won the GI American Pharoah at Santa Anita before finishing in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile after a slow start.

Among those expected to also run in the Santa Anita Derby are Potente, Cherokee Nation, Robusta, So Happy and Start the Ride. Nominations for the race close on Sunday.

Intrepido was among several notables on the work tab Sunday. Big City Lights, a candidate to run in next Sunday’s GIII San Carlos going seven furlongs, worked six furlongs on the training track 1:13.4. Trained by Richard Mandella, Big City Lights has been off since Nov. 30 when finishing off the board in the Stormy Liberal on turf at Del Mar.

Trainer Bob Baffert’s workers included Imagination and Usha. Imagination drilled four furlongs in 49.20. It was his second work since winning the GII Riyadh Dirt Sprint on Feb. 14 in Saudi Arabia. Usha, winner of the GI La Brea on opening day, worked five furlongs in 1:00.4.

Vodka Vodka, trained by Aggie Ordonez, returned to the work tab after finishing second in the GI Santa Anita Handicap March 7. A 5-year-old California-bred gelding by Stay Thirsty, Vodka Vodka drilled four furlongs in 49.0 seconds.

MCCARTHY EYES 3 OPTIONS FOR JOURNALISM’S RETURN

After Journalism worked five furlongs in company Sunday, trainer Michael McCarthy said he is looking at three potential races to kick off the colt’s 4-year-old campaign. Journalism could return in either the GII Oaklawn Handicap or GIII Ben Ali at Keeneland, both on April 18, or wait for the GII Alysheba at Churchill Downs on May 1.

“All three of those races are in play,” McCarthy said.

Both the Oaklawn Handicap and Ben Ali are 1 1/8 miles. The Alysheba is 1 1/16 miles. Journalism’s work Sunday was his fifth since Feb. 22 and first with company. He was timed in 1:01.8.

“Nice solid work,” McCarthy said. “I wanted him to go ahead and eyeball a horse today. I thought it was very professional and he finished up full of run. It seems like his air is coming to him now. We like what we’re seeing.”

Journalism enters 2026 as one of the leading older horses in the country. Last year, the colt by Curlin won the GI Preakness Stakes, GI Santa Anitia Derby, GI Haskell, GII San Felipe and was second in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. He closed out the campaign with a fourth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Journalism sports an overall record of 11: 6-3-1 with $4,348,880 in earnings for an extensive ownership group that includes Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm and breeder Don Alberto Stable.

__GOLD PHOENIX, GRAND SLAM SMILE DOING WELL AFTER STAKES WINS __

Gold Phoenix and Grand Slam Smile were both doing well Sunday morning after each earned a stakes win on Saturday’s program.

Gold Phoenix, trained by Phil D’Amato, won the GIII San Luis Rey on turf under Hector Berrios by three-quarters of a length. It was Gold Phoenix’s eight graded stakes win and his first at the distance of 1 ½ miles. It upped his record to 31: 11-3-5 with $2,363,087 in earnings. D’Amato said Gold Phoenix could return in the GII Charles Whittingham at 1 ¼ miles on May 2 at Santa Anita.

“I’d say that’s a likely possibility, but we’ll keep our options open,” D’Amato said. Grand Slam Smile won the Irish O’Brien for California-breds on the hillside turf course by 2 ¼ lengths under William Antongeorgi III. It was her eighth stakes win and upped her record to 19: 11-6-2 with $912,120 in earnings.

“She’s doing super,” trainer Sean McCarthy reported Sunday morning.

The Irish O’Brien came just three weeks after Grand Slam Smile tested open company in the GII Buena Vista at one mile on turf. She set the pace and led into the stretch before the well-regarded Thought Process blew past the field to win by two lengths. Grand Slam Smile was beaten for second by a head.

Next up for Grand Slam Smile could be the Fran’s Valentine for statebred fillies and mares at one mile on turf on May 23.

“That’s certainly a possibility,” McCarthy said. “We’ll have a little gap now before she runs again, likely towards the end of May or June. That was the thinking when she ran three weeks ago in the graded stakes. I knew if I ran her back in this spot there would be a little bit of a break. And as I’ve said before, we’d also still like to get her a graded stakes win A 5-year-old mare by Smiling Tiger, Grand Slam Smile races for breeders Larry D. Williams and Marianne Williams.

FINISH LINES: Sunday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:55 p.m. PT with the ninth race from Gulfstream Park…The $1 Sunset Pick Six starts at 1:24 p.m. with the eighth race from Gulfstream…Next weekend’s stakes action includes the GIII Wilshire for fillies and mares at one mile on turf on Saturday and the GIII San Carlos for older horses at seven furlongs on Sunday…Nominations close today for the GI Santa Anita Derby, GII Santa Anita Oaks, GIII Monrovia,Echo Eddie and Evening Jewel, all to be run on April 4. Also closing today are nominations for the Providencia and John Shear, both to be run April 5 which is closing day of the Classic Meet…Santa Anita has added two days of racing next month as makeups for cancellations early in the meet. There will now be __live racing on both Thursday, April 2 and Thursday, April 30. __