Santa Anita Stable Notes Thursday, June 11, 2026

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

• • POSSIBLY PERFECT: POWELL, D’AMATO EACH SADDLE A PAIR
• • FRESU, AYUSO TIED FOR LEADING RIDER ENTERING FINAL WEEK
• • THURSDAY’S DESERT STORMER, AFFIRMED KICK OFF STAKES ACTION
• • WORKS: FORMIDABLE MAN, UNNAMED 3YO OUT OF GAMINE DRILL

POSSIBLY PERFECT: POWELL, D’AMATO EACH SADDLE A PAIR

Two of Santa Anita’s leading turf trainers, Phil D’Amato and Leonard Powell, will each send out a pair of runners in Friday’s Possibly Perfect Stakes. They are part of a wide-open field of nine fillies and mares set to go 1 ¼ miles on turf.

D’Amato’s entrants are Innovative and Kentucky Gal, who are each listed at 5-1 on the morning line. Powell will send out the duo of Resolve (4-1) and Dreaming Abba (15-1), the latter of which is a new acquisition previously based in Florida with trainer Kathleen O’Connell.

Installed as the tepid 7-2 favorite is Hey Jessie, who goes for trainer Sean McCarthy. Hey Jessie last month won the Santa Barbara Stakes at 1 ½ miles. Among those Hey Jessie vanquished that day was Resolve, who was the 4-5 favorite.

Resolve in the Santa Barbara found herself in the uncustomary position of being up close to the pace. She then took the lead with a quarter mile left to run before weakening to finish fourth.

“Those were not the instructions,” Powell said of being close to the pace. “And she didn’t perform as expected.”

Resolve returned in a 1 1/8-mile turf allowance with new rider Joel Rosario. She promptly rallied from last to win by a head.

“She got covered up,” Powell said. “That’s more her style of running.”

In the Possibly Perfect, Rosario will not ride Resolve as the Hall of Famer serves a one-day suspension for a riding violation. Instead, Kazushi Kimura will take over on the 4-year-old daughter of Midnight Lute.

Dreaming of Abba was sent to Powell last month after being purchased by Thiele Thoroughbreds for $110,000 during the Fasig-Tipton May digital sale. She’s worked twice since joining her new barn.

“The first work was just OK. I wasn’t very impressed and I had my mind set on Del Mar,” Powell said. “But then her last work was much improved. That’s why I thought we’d give her a run here. Especially because with the Ship & Win program, you can run once here and still be eligible at Del Mar. We thought this would be a good race to get a gauge on her.”

Dreaming of Abba will be ridden by young jockey Cesar Belmont, who like Powell is a native of France.

“I think he’s got potential, he just needs to get more experience,” Powell said. “A mile and a quarter turf race should be good. And I figure he’ll follow instructions.”

Innovative and Kentucky Gal will both be making their second starts following layoffs. Innovative returned after six months in the GIII Royal Heroine going one mile on turf on April 25. She was never a factor after having to steady some down the backstretch.

“That may have affected things a little,” D’Amato said of the mild trouble. “But I think it was more she needed the race. Now she gets to do what I think she wants to do, which is go long and be on or near the lead.”

Kentucky Gal finished fourth in last year’s Possibly Perfect. She returned after a seven-plus month layoff in a one-mile allowance April 30 and finished seventh after pressing the pace. “She definitely needed the race,” D’Amato said. “I think she’s going to run like she’s been training, which is markedly better.”

The Possibly Perfect goes as the eighth race. Post time is 4:32 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Watchtower, Welfin Orantes (6-1); Resolve, Kazushi Kimura (4-1); Innovative, Ricky Gonzalez (5-1); The Mizen Queen, Hector Berrios (10-1); Ulysses Rose, Juan Hernandez (9-2); Dreaming of Abba, Cesar Belmont (15-1); Cailin Dana, Armando Ayuso (20-1); Hey Jessie, Emisael Jaramillo (7-2); Kentucky Gal, Antonio Fresu (5-1).

FRESU, AYUSO TIED FOR LEADING RIDER ENTERING FINAL WEEK

Antonio Fresu, the leading rider at last year’s Hollywood Meet, and challenger Armando Ayuso are deadlocked atop the jockey’s standings with four days remaining in this year’s Hollywood Meet. Both enter Thursday with 27 wins at the stand, which is six wins clear of next closest pursuer Juan Hernandez.

Fresu and Ayuso are both winning at an 18 percent clip. Fresu’s victories have come from 152 mounts, while Ayuso has had149 mounts. This week Fresu, a 34-year-old native of Italy, has 31 rides scheduled. Ayuso, a 32-year-old native of Panama, has 36 mounts booked.

Fresu tied Ayuso in the standings on Sunday when riding three winners on a 10-race card. His victories came in the fourth race aboard Gregory’s Pride ($7) for trainer Phil D’Amato, the seventh race on Duke Silver ($5.40) for trainer Mark Glatt and the eighth race with Iron Man Cal ($7.60) for D’Amato.

THURSDAY’S DESERT STORMER, AFFIRMED KICK OFF STAKES ACTION

Thursday’s Desert Stormer and Affirmed are among six stakes races to be run over the final four days of the Hollywood Meet. They will be joined by the Possibly Perfect Stakes on Friday, both the GIII Daytona and GIII Summertime Oaks on Saturday, and GIII San Juan Capistrano on Sunday.

The Desert Stomer is for fillies and mares at six furlongs. It goes as Thursday’s second race at 1:33 p.m. PT. The field was reduced on Thursday morning when even-money favorite Nooni was scratched by trainer Bob Baffert. Inheriting the role of program favorite is Magnificat, a dual-surface threat who exits an allowance win on turf for trainer Richard Mandella.

The remaining field for the Desert Stormer in post position order: Antifona, Tiago Pereira; Revera, Joel Rosario; Magnificat, Antonio Fresu; Syntax, Kyle Frey.

The Affirmed Stakes is for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles. It goes as the eighth race at 4:36 p.m. Installed as the 8-5 favorite is Secured Freedom for trainer Tim Yakteen. Secured Freedom most recently was fourth in the GII Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs.

The Affirmed field in post position order: One More Freud, Mike Smith (3-1); Mo Koko, Armando Ayuso (6-1); Secured Freedom, Joel Rosario (8-5); Decisive Win, Antonio Fresu (9-5); Constitution Andi, Victor Espinoza (12-1); Court of Appeal, Juan Hernandez (15-1).

WORKS: FORMIDABLE MAN, UNNAMED 3YO OUT OF GAMINE DRILL

Formidable Man worked Thursday for the first time since earning his third Grade I win in the Shoemaker Mile on May 25. Joining Formidable Man on the tab for trainer Michael McCarthy was Stark Contrast, winner of last month’s GI American Turf for 3-year-olds at Churchill Downs. Also on the tab was an unnamed 3-year-old colt by Quality Road out of 2020 champion female sprinter Gamine.

Formidable Man worked four furlongs in 48.8 seconds. The 6-year-old horse by City of Light won the Shoemaker Mile by 1 ¼ lengths. His previous Grade I wins came last year in the Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita and in 2024 in the Hollywood Derby at Del Mar.

Stark Contrast also worked four furlongs in 48.8 seconds. By Caravaggio, Stark Contrast’s win the American Turf was his third stakes victory after previously winning the Eddie Logan in January and GIII Zuma Beach in October, both at Santa Anita.

The unnamed colt out of Gamine is trained by Bob Baffert for owner-breeder Gamine Syndicate. He worked five furlongs from the gate in company with March of Time in 1:00.2. It was his seventh work since April 22.

FINISH LINES: Inshallah, a 2-year-old colt by Flightline out of Breeders’ Cup winner Bar of Gold, worked for the first time Wednesday. Trained by John Sadler, he was clocked going two furlongs in 24.8 seconds. Inshallah was purchased for $2.1 million last month at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale by owner KAS Stable…Clocker Toby Turrell will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Friday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m PT…__On Sunday, closing day of the Hollywood Meet, there will be mandatory payouts in all pari-mutuel pools… __