Santa Anita Stable Notes Sunday, March 30, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2025

• • SENSATIONAL STAR: TRAINER BAROCIO LOOKS FOR BACK-TO-BACK
• • GI SANTA ANITA DERBY LEADS OUTSTANDING CARD THIS SATURDAY
• • SATURDAY’S PICK 6 SCOOPED FOR $45K WITH $864 ON-TRACK TICKET
• • SUNDAY’S $1 COAST-TO-COAST PICK 5 STARTS AT 2:50 P.M. PT

SENSATIONAL STAR: TRAINER BAROCIO LOOKS FOR BACK-TO-BACK

In last year’s Sensational Star Stakes for horses bred or sired in California, trainer Librado Barocio found himself in the winner’s circle after his charge Johnny Podres edged runner-up Lovesick Blues by a head.

This time around in the 6 ½ furlong hillside turf sprint, which goes as the eighth race Sunday, Lovesick Blues is back with Barocio as his trainer. The 7-year-old gelding joined the Barocio barn after being purchased privately by Mia Familia Racing Stable from owner-breeder Nick Alexander.

Lovesick Blues who was previously trained by Steve Miyadi made his first start for his new connections in the GIII San Simeon March 8 after a seven-month layoff. He finished a promising second, just a length back of veteran graded stakes winner Air Force Red. “He ran a big-time race coming off a layoff,” Barocio said.

While on paper Lovesick Blues is getting class relief going in with statebreds, the Sensational Star did not come up as an easy spot. Looming in the field is six-time statebred stakes winner Kings River Knight. He makes his first start in 10 months for trainer John Sadler and is the 2-1 morning line favorite.

“I knew he was going to be there,” Barocio said of Kings River Knight. “I just thought if I’m going to catch him, I’m going to catch him off the layoff.”

Also in the lineup are Grade III winner Fast Buck (4-1), multiple statebred stakes winners On the Whim (5-1) and Clovisconnection (10-1); Lonesome Stew (9-2), who exits a dominant 9 ½-length statebred allowance win on dirt; and Tom Horn, who just won an open allowance down the hill and has lured the services of top jockey Flavien Prat.

Lovesick Blues will be ridden by Geovanni Franco, who was also aboard for the San Simeon. They will break directly outside of Kings River Knight in post two.

“There’s a lot of speed in there,” Barocio said. “The good thing about my horse is he’s versatile. I was a little concerned he may be coming back a little quick (22 days), but he’s training well and is the type of horse that it shouldn’t be a problem.”

The Sensational Star goes as the eighth race on a 10-race card Sunday. Post time is approximately 4:30 p.m. The field in post position order: Kings River Knight, Juan Hernandez (2-1); Lovesick Blues, Geovanni Franco (15-1); Clovisconnection, William Antongeorgi III (10-1); Book Smart, Mike Smith (SCR); Tom Horn, Flavien Prat (9-2); Fast Buck, Umberto Rispoli (4-1); On the Whim, Tiago Pereira (5-1); Lonesome Slew, Antonio Fresu (9-2).

GI SANTA ANITA DERBY LEADS AN OUTSTANDING CARD THIS SATURDAY

This Saturday is GI Santa Anita Derby Day at The Great Race Place featuring five stakes and an array of on-track attractions. Ticket packages are now available for purchase at santaanita.com. The GI Santa Anita Derby, which also serves as a qualifying race for the 151st Kentucky Derby on May 3, is expected to include both Citizen Bull, last year’s champion 2-year-old male, and early Kentucky Derby favorite Journalism.

Supporting stakes on the Santa Anita Derby card are the GII Fasig-Tipton Santa Anita Oaks, GIII Monrovia Stakes presented by Don Julio and both the Echo Eddie Stakes and Evening Jewel Stakes for horses bred or sired in California.

The entire Santa Anita Derby Day card will be set on Monday.

The Santa Anita Oaks is also expected to include a marquee matchup between Grade I winner Tenma and Vodka With a Twist, who will be making her first start since gaining worldwide attention with a second-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in November at Del Mar. Both fillies worked Sunday at Santa Anita. Tenma drilled four furlongs in 48.20 seconds for trainer Bob Baffert and Vodka With a Twist worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 for trainer Phil D’Amato.

With the Santa Anita Derby being part of the 1/ST Racing Tour, NBC Sports will provide national television coverage from 4 to 5 p.m. PT on CNBC. It will also be streamed on Peacock.

SATURDAY’S $2 PICK 6 SCOOPED FOR $45K WITH $864 ON-TRACK TICKET

The $2 Pick Six Saturday was scooped for $45,340 with a ticket that was purchased on-track for $864.

The hefty payout was spurred largely by longshot winner Supermax, who won the seventh race under Assael Espinoza and paid $42.80. Supermax is trained by John Sadler. The only other winner paying double digits in the sequence was Velocity, who won the nightcap and paid $18.40. Velocity was ridden by Ricky Gonzalez for trainer Michael McCarthy.

The winning horses in Saturday’s Pick Six were #6 Supermazel ($9.40), #3 Lady Gregory ($4.20), #1 Supermax ($42.80), #1 Tirupati ($4), #2 Positivity ($7.80) and #9 Velocity ($18.40).

Sunday’s Pick Six starts with the fifth race at approximately 3 p.m. The competitive sequence averages 9.3 starters per race before scratches.

FINISH LINES: Sunday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast starts at 2:50 p.m. PT with the 10th race from Gulfstream Park…Pilot Commander earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure for his win in Saturday’s GIII San Carlos, according to Daily Racing Form’s Brad Free. Tirupati got a 93 Beyer for her win in the GIII Wilshire. Pilot Commander is trained by Bob Baffert and Tirupati is trained by Jonathan Thomas…Saturday’s $1 Super High 5, which started with a carryover of $15,005, paid $11,494.90 for five winning tickets…Trainer Jeff Mullins is one win away from his 1,800th career victory. He has one horse entered Sunday, Aggro, who goes in the seventh race and is 7-2 on the morning line…Following Sunday’s card, live racing will resume Friday at Santa Anita with a 1 p.m. first post.