Santa Anita Stable Notes Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

SUNDAY, OCT. 19, 2025

- • WORKS: SWEET AZTECA BLAZES 6F FOR FILLY & MARE SPRINT - • COURSE DESIGNER NAMED FOR ’28 OLYMPIC EVENTS AT SANTA ANITA - • GII TWILIGHT DERBY AMONG 3 STAKES TO CLOSE OUT AUTUMN MEET - • SATURDAY’S $2 PICK 6 PAYS $29K FOR 2 WINNING TICKETS

WORKS: SWEET AZTECA BLAZES 6F FOR FILLY & MARE SPRINT

Less than two weeks before the Breeders’ Cup, a quartet of hopefuls turned in stiff six furlongs works Sunday at Santa Anita. None went faster than Sweet Azteca.

With jockey Juan Hernandez aboard, Sweet Azteca was clocked officially in a swift 1:10.80. Trainer Richard Baltas timed the drill in 1:11.20.

Also working six furlongs on the main track Sunday, all for trainer Bob Baffert, were Nysos (1:11.60), Nevada Beach (1:11.80) and Citizen Bull (1:12.60). Nysos and Citizen Bull are each targeting the Dirt Mile while Nevada Beach is slated to run in the Classic.

As for Sweet Azteca, she is ticketed for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at seven furlongs on Nov. 1. Sunday’s drill was her second since being forced to miss work in late September due to illness.

“I wanted a good work from her,” Baltas said. “She did a little blow at the end, but that’s fine, she needed it. She missed a work. Now we’re two weeks out and I think this puts us where we need to be.”

Sweet Azteca is perfect in two starts this year having won the GII Great Lady M around two turns at Los Alamitos in July and the GIII Rancho Bernando going seven furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 24. She returned to the work tab 28 days later on Sept. 21 but then had a 20-day gap before working again on Oct. 11.

“She wasn’t real sick, her blood work was good. She was just sick enough not to work,” Baltas said.

A 5-year-old mare by Sharp Azteca, Sweet Azteca is campaigned by breeder Pamela C. Zeibarth. She sports a sparkling 9: 7-0-1 record with $667, 200 in earnings. Last year, when trained by Michael McCarthy, Sweet Azteca won the GI Beholder Mile, Great Lady M and Rancho Bernardo, but bypassed the Filly & Mare Sprint after finishing a dull fourth in the GIII Chillingworth at Santa Anita four weeks ahead of the race.

Also on the tab was champion Straight No Chaser, who will try and defend his title in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Trained by Dan Blacker, Straight No Chaser drilled five furlongs in 1:00.60. The 6-year-old horse by Speightster most recently returned from a 5 ½-month layoff and finished third as the odds-on favorite in the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Sept. 28.

Also working for Baffert was Bottle of Rouge, who is pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. The daughter of Vino Rosso was clocked going five furlongs in 59.40 seconds. It was the second-fastest of 71 works at the distance. Bottle of Rouge most recently won the GI Del Mar Debutante going seven furlongs in her stakes debut on Sept. 6.

Motorious, who will make a third try at winning the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, worked a bullet on the training track for trainer Phil D’Amato. Motorious was timed going five furlongs in 59.20 seconds, the fastest of 15 works at the distance. A 7-year-old gelding by Muhaarar, Motorious in two starts this year won the GIII Daytona sprinting on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in June and the GIII Green Flash via disqualification at Del Mar on Aug. 30.

COURSE DESIGNER NAMED FOR ’28 OLYMPIC EVENTS AT SANTA ANITA

The International Federation of Equine Sports has appointed Irish course designer Alan Wade to build the show jumping tracks at Santa Anita for the 2028 Olympic Games. Wade is an FEI Level 4 course designer who creates the majority of his courses in North America, the FEI said in a press release.

“I am honored and grateful to accept the role of Jumping Course Designer for the Olympic Games LA28,” Wade said. “I would like to thank the FEI Board and Olympic Games LA28 Organizing Committee for entrusting me with the important role of creating course and fence designs. I look forward to designing courses that produce good competition and present our sport in the best way possible on the world stage that is the Olympic Games.”

The Los Angeles Olympics will take place July 14-30, 2028. Santa Anita will host the Equestrian events with team and individual competitions in jumping, dressage and eventing.

“I would like to congratulate Alan Wade on his appointment as the jumping course designer for the Olympic Games LA28,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said. “This is a crucial role for the success of equestrian in Los Angeles and I’m convinced that we have made the right choice.

“Alan Wade is hugely experienced and has a profound understanding of the sport. He is well known for his subtle designs, which are challenging but set a fair test for the athletes and the horses and reward skill and horsemanship. I’m looking forward to world class jumping at the LA28 Olympic Games.”

GII TWILIGHT DERBY AMONG 3 STAKES TO CLOSE OUT AUTUMN MEET

Next week is closing weekend of 2025 Autumn Meet at Santa Anita. To help wrap up the stand is a trio of stakes—the GII Twilight Derby and Tokyo City Cup on Saturday, and the GIII Autumn Miss on Sunday.

The Twilight Derby is contested at 1 1/8 miles on turf. Among the nominees known to be targeting the race are stakes winner Scipio and Friendly Confines, both trained by Richard Baltas. Other notable nominees include stakes winner Game Warrior for trainer Peter Miller, Maaz for trainer Michael McCarthy, Namaron for trainer John Sadler, and Test Score for trainer Graham Motion.

The Tokyo City Cup will be run at one mile this year after previously being 1 ½ miles. Leading the nominees is graded stakes winner Gaming for trainer Bob Baffert. Baffert also nominated Goal Oriented and Privman, who have both been on a steady work pattern.

Other nominees to the Tokyo City include Pony Express and Ultimate Gamble. Pony Express, trained by John Sadler, was eye-catching allowance winner going a mile in June at Santa Anita following a lengthy layoff. Ultimate Gamble, trained by Mark Glatt, most recently finished fifth in the GI Goodwood on Sept. 27.

The fields for both the Twilight Derby and Tokyo City Cup will be drawn on Monday.

The Autumn Miss is for 3-year-old fillies at one mile on turf. It attracted 20 nominees including several from outside of California. Four of the nominees are for the top turf trainer in California, Phil D’Amato. His potential runners are Innovative, recent winner of the GIII John C. Harris at about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course; Grade III winner Jungle Peace; allowance winner Slick; and maiden winner Madonna of Loreto.

The field for the Autumn Miss will be drawn on Tuesday.

FINISH LINES: Sumter earned a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure for his dominant victory in Saturday’s Lure Stakes at one mile on turf, Daily Racing Form reported. The 6-year-old gelding by War Front, ridden by Mike Smith for trainer Richard Mandella, won the Lure by four lengths in a time of 1:32.46…$2 Pick Six paid $29,368 for two winning tickets. The winning horses in the sequence starting with the fifth race were #7 Eighties ($16.40), #4 Opus Uno ($11.20), #6 Empire’s Classic ($12.40), #6 Tiger Fire ($4.80), #6 Sumter ($6.80) and #6 Stay In Line ($10.20)…Sunday’s $2 Pick Six starts with the fourth race at 2:32 p.m. PT…Sunday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 2:38 p.m. with the 10th race from Gulfstream Park…The $1 Sunset Pick Six starts at 2:06 p.m. with the ninth race from Gulfstream Park…Following Sunday’s card, live racing resumes Friday for closing week of the Autumn Meet. Next Saturday and Sunday, Santa Anita will offer on-track patrons a free draw from a $30,000 Cherry Tree presented by Oak Tree Racing Association with $5,000 grand prize, a Pumpkin Patch and Fall Fun Fest in the infield, and Japan Family Days on both Saturday and Sunday. On closing day next Sunday, all pools will have mandatory payouts.