National Treasure gets a California work in for Baffert before heading east. (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
+ Knapp, O’Neill Moves Into 4-Way Tie Atop Trainer’s Standings
+ Work Tab: Gi Winner Sweet Azteca Gearing Up For McCarthy
+ Desert Stormer: Anywho, Baffert Import Merit Attention
Stable Notes By Victor Ryan
National Treasure, Imagination and Prince of Monaco will leave for New York Sunday to compete in next week’s Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, Bob Baffert confirmed Saturday morning after observing the trio work over the last two days.
On Saturday, Prince of Monaco fired a bullet when working six furlongs from the gate in 1:11.20. National Treasure also went four furlongs in 48.20 seconds. On Friday, Imagination also earned a bullet when drilling six furlongs in 1:11.40.
“All three look good. They’ll leave tomorrow,” Baffert said.
Imagination and Prince of Monaco are both slated to run in the GI Woody Stephens for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs next Saturday at Saratoga. National Treasure is bound for the GI Metropolitan Handicap, also on Saturday. Both races are part of the undercard for the 156th Belmont Stakes.
National Treasure, winner of last year’s Preakness, hasn’t raced since a fourth-place effort in the GI Saudi Cup in Feb. 24. Prior to that, he won the GI Pegasus World Cup Jan. 27 in his 4-year-old debut at Gulfstream Park.
Imagination will be back in action three weeks after finishing seventh in the Preakness at Pimlico May 18. He previously was second by a neck in the GI Santa Anita Derby April 6.
Prince of Monaco has been off since finishing fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last November at Santa Anita. The Speightstown colt has worked nine times since April 7 for his comeback. Prior to the Breeders’ Cup, Prince of Monaco won the GI Del Mar Futurity.
The Belmont Stakes card including the Metropolitan and Woody Stephens will be drawn on Sunday.
Knapp, O’Neill Moves Into 4-Way Tie Atop Trainer’s Standings
There is now a four-way tie atop the trainer’s standings after both Steve Knapp and Doug O’Neill scored on Friday’s eight-race card. Knapp, O’Neill, Phil D’Amato and Mark Glatt each now has 11 wins at the Hollywood Meet entering Saturday’s action.
On Friday, Knapp won the second race with Lansdowne ($6.20), who was ridden by Diego Herrera. O’Neill won the fifth with favorite Ur in Trouble ($3.60) ridden by Edwin Maldonado.
O’Neill won the Classic Meet trainer’s title earlier this year by a single win over Glatt. It was O’Neill ninth trainer’s title at Santa Anita and first since 2021.
Glatt won his first-ever Santa Anita trainer’s title at last year’s Autumn Meet. D’Amato is a five-time Santa Anita leading trainer with the most recent coming at last year’s Hollywood Meet. Knapp is seeking his first-ever trainer’s title at Santa Anita.
Knapp, who is 11-for-60 (18 percent) at the stand, has nine horses entered over the next two days. Glatt, 11-for-62 (18 percent), has seven horses entered. D’Amato,11-for-71 (15 percent), will start seven horses this weekend. O’Neill will saddle four runners. He is 11-for-76 at the meet (14 percent).
First post is 1 p.m. PT both Saturday and Sunday at Santa Anita. Saturday’s features are the GII Triple Bend at seven furlongs on dirt, which goes at 3:31 p.m., and GIII Honeymoon for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on turf. Scheduled post time is 4:03 p.m.
Work Tab: GI Winner Sweet Azteca Gearing Up For McCarthy
After going five weeks between works, Grade I winner Sweet Azteca is back drilling regularly for trainer Michael McCarthy.
On Saturday, Sweet Azteca worked a half mile in 48.20 seconds. It was the third straight Saturday she’s been on the work tab.
Sweet Azteca has not started since winning the GI Beholder Mile over multiple grade I winner Adare Manor March 9 at Santa Anita. On Friday when asked about Sweet Azteca, McCarthy said he was “keeping all options open” with regards to a next start.
A 4-year-old Sharp Azteca filly, Sweet Azteca races as a homebred for Pamela C. Zeibarth. She is 3-for-4 with $301,200 in earnings.
Also working for McCarthy was Three Witches, winner of the GII Santa Monica Feb. 3 at Santa Anita. The 5-year-old Into Mischief filly drilled four furlongs in 50.40 seconds. Most recently, Three Witches shipped to Churchill Downs and finished seventh in the GI Derby City Distaff on the Kentucky Derby undercard May 4.
Trainer Doug O’Neill’s workers included Vlahos and Miss Lizzy. Vlahos worked five furlongs from the gate in 1:00.60. A 3-year-old Kantharos riddling, Vlahos was an impressive debut winner March 9 at Santa Anita when trained by Luis Mendez. Subsequently sold privately and transferred to O’Neill, Vlahos next tested the deep waters of the GI Pat Day Mile, also on the Kentucky Derby undercard. He finished third after having the lead at the eighth pole.
Miss Lizzy returned to the tab after earning her first stakes win in the Mizdirection Stakes on the hillside turf course May 18. The 4-year-old Classic Empire filly went four furlongs in 50.40 seconds on the training track.
Working for Phil D’Amato on the training track was Grade I winner Gold Phoenix. Most recently inner of the GII Charles Whittingham Stakes here May 4, Gold Phoenix drilled four furlongs in 50.40 seconds.
Desert Stormer: Anywho, Baffert Import Merit Attention Sunday
Sunday’s feature, the Desert Stormer Stakes for older fillies and mares at six furlongs on dirt, looks to have a pair of standouts in Anywho and South American import Richi.
Anywho, trained by John Sadler, wheels back just two weeks after shipping to Churchill Downs and airing by eight lengths in a six-furlong allowance on a sloppy track. It was her first start in 8 ½ months.
Richi, a multiple Group I winner in her native Chile, makes her U.S. debut for trainer Bob Baffert. The 4-year-old daughter of Practical Joke scored in Group Is at both 7 ½ furlongs on dirt and 1 ¼ miles on dirt in Chile.
Morning-line maker Jon White installed Richi, who will be ridden by Juan Hernandez as the 2-1 favorite. Anywho, with Antonio Fresu up, is the 5-2 second choice.
The Desert Stormer goes as the seventh on an eight-race card Sunday. Post time is set for 4:15 p.m. PT.
FINISH LINES ___________
Juan Hernandez won two races Friday to move back on top in the jockey’s standings. He now has 22 wins at the Hollywood Meet, one more than Antonio Fresu. Hernandez Friday won with favorite R Heisman ($2.40) in the third for trainer Peter Miller and favorite Malibu Coast ($3.40) in the sixth for trainer Michael McCarthy….
Edwin Maldonado also won a pair Friday with favorite Ur In Trouble ($3.60) in the fifth for trainer Doug O’Neill and Issa Court ($11.80) in the eighth and final for trainer Bob Hess Jr. Maldonado now has 17 wins at the stand to rank fifth…
Saturday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 2 p.m. with the third race from Santa Anita…
Alan Buchdahl, who next week pinch hits as Santa Anita track announcer, will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Sunday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m.
