Santa Anita Stable Notes Sunday, May 10, 2026

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2026

- MARJORAM ON THE ASCENT FOR MCCARTHY & JUDDMONTE - $43K CARRYOVER IN $2 PICK 6 SUNDAY; FREE PPS FROM DRF - ROSARIO RIDES 4 SUNDAY IN RETURN TO SANTA ANITA - WORKS: BRITISH ISLES DRILLS FOR HOLLYWOOD GOLD CUP - CINEMA STAKES, MIZDIRECTION STAKES ON TAP NEXT WEEK

MARJORAM ON THE ASCENT FOR MCCARTHY/JUDDMONTE Trainer Michael McCarthy Sunday morning reported Juddmonte homebred Marjoram was doing well the morning after winning her stakes debut in Saturday’s Grade III Senorita for 3-year-old fillies

“All’s good. No complaints,” McCarthy said.

In the Senorita at about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course, Marjoram rallied from last after a slow start under Juan Hernandez and surged past favorite Light Won Up in the final strides to prevail by a head. The Senorita was only Marjoram’s third start and second following a four-plus month layoff.

McCarthy said he currently trains four horses for Juddmonte, one of the world’s top racing and breeding organizations. Two are based at Santa Anita and the other two are with McCarthy’s string in Kentucky.

Marjoram debuted in November at Churchill Downs going 6 ½ furlongs on the dirt main track that was listed as sloppy. After a slow start, which has since become the norm for the filly, she rallied from second-to-last to win by a half-length.

Marjoram was subsequently sent west to Santa Anita in December. Her local debut came in a first-level allowance for 3-year-old fillies sprinting on the hillside turf course on April 4. Coming out of the gate, Marjoram stumbled badly and lost touch with the field. She then ran on to be fifth.

“I had been thinking of sending her to Keeneland, but that race for 3-year-old fillies down the hill came up and we entered,” McCarthy said. “Obviously it was not an ideal start, but all things considered I thought she ran well enough to go ahead and try it again (in the Senorita).”

McCarthy said he has no plans yet on where Marjoram could return. “She can go longer, she also could return to dirt. We’re just kind of playing it by ear right now.”

Marjoram is by Quality Road out of the winning Pioneerof the Nile mare Cardamon.

$43K CARRYOVER IN $2 PICK 6 SUNDAY; FREE PPS FROM DRF AVAILABLE There is a $43,628 carryover in the $2 Pick 6 Sunday. Track officials estimate a total Pick 6 pool of $300,000.

With first post at 1 p.m. for a nine-race card, the Pick 6 begins with the fourth race at 2:33 p.m. PT. Free past performances from Daily Racing Form for Sunday’s entre card are available at https://promos.drf.com/santaanita25.

The Pick 6 carryover was clinched in Saturday’s ninth and final race, the Grade III Senorita Stakes, when Marjoram won under Juan Hernandez for trainer Michael McCarthy and paid $9.20. The consolation payout for tickets with 5-of-6 winners was $317.20.

The winning horses in Saturday’s Pick Six starting with the fourth race were #6 Big Soiree ($41), #4 Midnight Cowgirl ($3.80), #5 Christa McAuliffe ($4.40), #8 Sabertooth ($5.20), #2 Coach Cronin ($8), #6 Marjoram ($9.20).

ROSARIO RIDES 4 SUNDAY IN RETURN TO SANTA ANITA Hall of Fame jockey Joel Rosario makes his return to Santa Anita Sunday with four mounts on a nine-race card. Rosario previously rode this winter at Gulfstream Park and most recently was based in Kentucky.

“I love it here. California is beautiful. This is where I started,” Rosario said Sunday morning. Rosario’s four mounts Sunday include Boss Sully (5-1) for trainer Brian Koriner in the featured Siren Lure Stakes, which goes as the ninth race at 5:07 p.m. He also rides Fire Ban (5-2) in the opener and De Facto (4-1) in the fifth race, both also trained by Koriner; and Big Notion (6-1) in the seventh race for trainer Steve Miyadi.

Rosario, 41, first started race-riding at the age of 14 in his native Dominican Republic. He moved to California in 2006. After having instant success in Northern California, Rosario the following year moved his tack south. He would go on to win riding titles at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park and Del Mar. At Santa Anita, Rosario was leading rider at the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 winter-spring meets.

Entering Sunday, Rosario had won 3,802 races in North America. Those victories include 16 Breeders’ Cup races, one Kentucky Derby (Orb, 2013) and two Belmont Stakes (Tonalist, 2014; Sir Winston, 2019). He won the Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey in 2021 and was inducted in the Racing Hall of Fame in 2024.

This year, Rosario has ridden 20 winners from 168 mounts and tallied $2,995,756 in purse earnings.

Rosario is now represented by Bill Castle after previously being with agent Ron Anderson.

WORKS: BRITISH ISLES WORKS FOR HOLLYWOOD GOLD CUP Grade I Santa Anita Handicap winner British Isles, pointed to the GII Hollywood Gold Cup on May 25, worked a sharp five furlongs for trainer Richard Baltas Sunday at Santa Anita. Other notables on the tab included multiple Grade I winner Formidable Man and El Potente, both candidates for the GI Shoemaker Mile also on May 25.

British Isles worked five furlongs in 59.8 seconds. It was the fifth-fastest of 63 workouts at the distance. A 6-year-old horse by Justify, British Isles won the Big Cap by 4 ½ lengths on March 7. He then returned in the GIII Ben Ali on April 18 at Keeneland and checked in sixth. Formidable Man, trained by Michael McCarthy, worked five furlongs on the main track in 1:00.2. A 6-year-old horse by City of Light, Formidable Man hasn’t started since finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 1.

El Potente worked five furlongs on the synthetic training track in 1:03.4. Trained by Dan Blacker, the 7-year-old horse by Temple City most recently finished second as the favorite in the GII Frank E. Kilroe Mile on March 7.

MIZDIRECTION, CINEMA STAKES SERVE AS NEXT WEEK’S FEATURES Featured next weekend at Santa Anita are the Mizdirection Stakes on Saturday and Cinema Stakes on Sunday. The Mizdirection is for fillies and mares at about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course, and the Cinema is for 3-year-olds going one mile on turf.

On Sunday, a trio of horses nominated to the Mizdirection recorded timed workouts. They include Lee’s Baby Girl, trained by Carla Gaines, who hasn’t started since October. Prior to the layoff, Lee’s Baby Girl finished second by a neck in the GIII John C. Harris sprinting on the hillside course. The 4-year-old filly by Malibu Moon worked five furlongs on the synthetic training track in 1:00.8. Also working on the training track were Antifona (4f, 48.8) for trainer Vladimir Cerin and Midnight Horizon (5f, 1:01.2), who is an import from Europe trained by Dan Blacker.

Three horses nominated to the Cinema also worked. Iriseach, most recently fourth in the John Shear sprinting on the hillside course, drilled five furlongs on the training track in 1:00.6 for trainer Phil D’Amato. Bust Out, trained by Michael McCarthy, worked five furlongs on the main track in 1:0.4 and Charlie’s Curlin worked four furlongs on the training track in 49.8 for trainer Jeff Mullins.

The field for Mizdirection will be drawn on Monday and Cinema field will be set on Tuesday.

FINISH LINES: The $1 Coast-to-Coast Sunday starts at 1:34 p.m. PT with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park…The $1 Sunset Pick 6 starts at 1:04 p.m. with the seventh race from Gulfstream….Nominations close Sunday for the GI Shoemaker Mile, GI Gamely and GII Hollywood Gold Cup, all to be run on Monday, May 25. Nominations also close Sunday for the Snow Chief, Melair, Thor’s Echo, Fran’s Valentine and Crystal Water, all for statebreds on Saturday, May 23.