Santa Anita Stable Notes Thursday, April 3, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2025

• BAFFERT DOUBLE-BARRELED IN GI SANTA ANITA DERBY, GII OAKS • $100K PICK 6 CARRYOVER ADDS SPICE TO FRIDAY’S 10-RACE CARD • GLATT, HERNANDEZ ON TRACK TO CLAIM CLASSIC MEET TITLES • GIII MONROVIA, 2 CAL-BRED STAKES PART OF SA DERBY CARD

BAFFERT DOUBLE-BARRELED IN GI SANTA ANITA DERBY, GII OAKS

Trainer Bob Baffert on Saturday at Santa Anita has a big chance to accomplish something he has done just once in his Hall of Fame career—win both the GI Santa Anita Derby and GII Fasig-Tipton Santa Anita Oaks in the same year.

Baffert’s lone Derby-Oaks double came in 1999 when General Challenge won the Santa Anita Derby and Excellent Meeting scored in the Santa Anita Oaks. This year, Baffert has two chances in each race to try and equal the feat this year.

In the Santa Anita Derby going 1 1/8 miles, Baffert will saddle both 9-5 second choice Citizen Bull and Barnes, who is the 3-1 third choice behind 6-5 favorite Journalism, trained by Michael McCarthy. In the Oaks, Baffert trains both even-money favorite Tenma and Silent Law (8-1), who will be trying two turns for the first time.

Since 1976, only two other trainers beside Baffert have accomplished a Derby-Oaks double. John Sadler was the most recent in 2010 when Sidney’s Candy won the Santa Anita Derby and Crisp took home the Oaks. Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas did it twice in the 1980s. In 1982, Muttering won the Derby for Lukas and Blush With Pride scored in the Oaks. Then in 1988, Winning Colors won the Oaks when it was run in mid-March and four weeks later also won the Santa Anita Derby. She would go on to become just the third and to date last filly to win the Kentucky Derby.

Citizen Bull brings in strong credentials as last year’s 2-year-old male champion. The colt by Into Mischief will be making his first start since a front-running win in the GIII Robert B. Lewis going one mile on Feb. 1 at Santa Aniita. Like all in the Derby field, this will be his first time going 1 1/8 miles.

“He’s a horse that we’re very fortunate to have. He loves what he does and doesn’t miss a beat in his training,” Baffert said. “When it comes to a mile and an eighth, you never know until they do it. But he’s coming in well and I feel pretty good about him.”

Citizen Bull will break from post two under regular rider Martin Garcia, which is directly outside of Journalism in the one hole.

“Citizen Bull is quick. Probably the quickest of the two I have in there, so I don’t think anything is going to change,” Baffert said regarding Citizen Bull’s typical front-running tactics. “But these riders, they have to ride their own race.”

The other key contender in the race, Baeza (6-1), is drawn comfortably on the outside. Baeza, trained by John Shirreffs, will be joined in the field by stablemate Westwood (20-1) in post three.

“I think it’s the toughest (Kentucky Derby) prep of the year,” Baffert said. “Journalism is the horse to beat and we still don’t really know how good Baeza is. He’s a nice horse. I think we’ll know more when they hit the three-eighths pole.”

Barnes most recently was beaten by Journalism when finishing second in the GII San Felipe going 1 1/16 miles March 1 at Santa Anita. It was his first time racing around two turns and only loss in three starts. In the San Felipe, Barnes set the pace under Juan Hernandez and led inside the eighth pole before being overtaken by Journalism. Despite the loss by 1 ¾-lengths, the effort still earned a lofty 105 Beyer Speed Figure.

“At the 2 ½ (furlong marker), he looked like a winner then just got tired the last part of it,” Baffert said. “I think he got a lot out of it. He’s really fit and we already know he’s fast.” The 88th running of the Santa Anita Derby goes as the 10th race on a big 12-race card starting at 12 p.m. PT. Post time for the Derby is set for 4:45 p.m. It will be televised on CNBC and streamed on Peacock with coverage starting at 4 p.m. The field in post position order: Journalism, Umberto Rispoli (6-5); Citizen Bull, Martin Garcia (9-5); Westwood, Tiago Pereira (20-1); Barnes, Juan Hernandez (3-1); Baeza, Hector Berrios (6-1).

In the Santa Anita Oaks, Tenma will be shooting for her fifth win in six starts and fourth graded stakes victory. Most recently, the Grade I winner by Nyquist attended the pace in the GIII Las Virgenes going a mile and drew off to win by 6 ½ lengths.

“I think the further the better with her. I wish it was a mile and an eighth,” Baffert said. “But she’s doing well. She’s a very aggressive filly.”

Silent Law has been off since setting the pace and weakening to third in the Fasig-Tipton Santa Ynez going seven furlongs on Jan. 5. Previously as a juvenile, the Tiz the Law filly won the Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita and was second in the Desi Arnaz at Del Mar.

“There wasn’t really anything to run her short,” Baffert said. “I thought if I was going to try her long, she has a lot of speed, maybe she won’t have to go so fast early. We’ll see what she does.”

The Santa Anita Oaks goes as the fourth race with post time at approximately 1:30 p.m. The field in post position order: Look Forward, Mario Gutierrez (10-1); Silent Law, Martin Garcia (8-1); Vodka With a Twist, Antonio Fresu (4-1); Tenma, Juan Hernandez (1-1); No Bad Beats, Hector Berrios (7-2); Madame Secretary, Kazushi Kimura (6-1).

__$100K CARRYOVER ADDS SPICE TO FRIDAY’S 10-RACE CARD __

A $2 Pick Six carryover of $100,818 will be up for grabs Friday on a 10-race card at Santa Anita. Track officials estimate the pool will exceed $500,000.

First post Friday is 1 p.m. PT and the Pick Six starts with the fifth race at approximately 3 p.m. The competitive sequence averages 9.0 starters per race before scratches.

The carryover was generated on Sunday when there were no tickets with all six winners. The consolation payout for tickets with 5-of-6 winners was a robust $7,201.20.

In Sunday’s Pick Six, there was just one winning favorite, King Stephen, who won the sixth race and paid $5.20.

The winning horses in Sunday’s Pick Six starting with the fifth race were #6 Allihies ($39), #7 King Stephen ($5.20), #1 Cody Boy ($17.20), #8 Lonesome Stew ($11.80), #9 Divine Rascal ($33.80) and #7 Public Assembly ($9).

Full entries for Friday’s card are available at santaanita.com.

GLATT, HERNANDEZ ON TRACK TO CLAIM CLASSIC MEET TITLES

With three race days left in the Santa Anita Classic Meet, Mark Glatt is poised to win his second trainer’s title at The Great Race Place and jockey Juan Hernandez has all but clinched his eighth rider’s title at The Great Race Place.

Entering Friday’s card, Glatt holds a four-win lead in the trainer’s race over Bob Baffert. Glatt has won 28 races from 110 starters (25 percent), while Baffert has 24 wins from 78 starters (31 percent).

For closing weekend, Glatt has 13 horses entered in the same number of races. Baffert has nine runners entered in five races.

In the jockey’s race, Hernandez has a four-win lead over Flavien Prat entering Friday. Hernandez has won 46 races from 209 mounts (22 percent), while Prat has ridden 42 winners from 143 mounts (29 percent). Prat is not riding at Santa Anita this weekend, which leaves only Umberto Rispoli with a longshot chance to catch Hernandez.

Rispoli has 35 wins from 166 mounts (21 percent), which is 11 wins shy of Hernandez. Rispoli is booked to ride 21 races this week while Hernandez is named on 23 mounts.

__FINISH LINES: __Supporting the GI Santa Anita Derby and GII Fasig-Tipton Santa Anita Oaks Saturday are the GIII Monrovia presented by Don Julio on the hillside turf course and both the Echo Eddie Stakes and Evening Jewel Stakes for horses bred or sired in California…Friday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:32 p.m. PT with the second race from Santa Anita…Track officials announced this week that both total handle and attendance are up for the Classic Meet entering closing weekend…Due to Saturday morning’s Derby 5k Run & Walk, which starts at 8 a.m., Baldwin Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic between the 210 freeway and Huntington Drive from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.