Old Pal is the morning line fav for the Turf Classic. (Benoit Photo)
• Works: Mirahmadi, Richi, Eagles Flight Return To Tab
• Cal Cup Day: $2 Pick 6 A Challenging Puzzle For Horseplayer
• 1st Santa Anita Wins For Castellanos, Orozco, Trainer Taylor
Stable Notes By Victor Ryan
ARCADIA, Calif.—After being delayed a week because of the Los Angeles County wildfires, California Cup returns Saturday at Santa Anita with an 11-race card featuring many of the best horses bred or sired in the Golden State.
The program, which kicks off at 11:30 a.m. PT, includes five stakes for statebreds totaling $775,000 in prize money. Among the stakes slate is the $175,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic going 1 1/8 miles on Santa Anita’s Camino Real turf course.
A field of 11 is signed on for the Turf Classic, which includes a pair of top contenders for trainer Mark Glatt. The 51-year-old conditioner will saddle both Old Pal, the 8-5 morning line favorite, and 6-1 third choice Aligato. Glatt on Thursday expressed confidence heading into the Turf Classic.
“I think both horses have a big shot. We just need to have an honest pace up front to support their closing kicks,” Glatt said.
Old Pal and Aligato could very well get their needed pace scenarios. Three horses in the lineup—Jimmy Blue Jeans (10-1), Fast Buck (15-1) and Takes Three (12-1)—all boast recent wins on the front-end.
Old Pal will break from post three under Antonio Fresu. Most recently, Old Pal finished a troubled third after launching from last in an open second-level allowance going a mile on turf at Del Mar Nov. 17. Old Pal was caught in traffic from the quarter pole to the eighth pole before closing to within 1 ¼-lengths of the winner on the wire. The runner-up that day, El Potente, returned to clear the second-level allowance condition on Jan. 4 at Santa Anita.
Glatt is also bullish on the extra furlong Old Pal will get to navigate on Saturday.
“That’s probably his best distance, a mile and an eighth,” Glatt said.
A 6-year-old gelding by Grazen, Old Pal won the 2023 Snow Chief Stakes when going 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita.
Aligato will be making his first start since last April. This will be his third try at winning the Turf Classic following two near misses. In 2023, Aligato finished second by a neck to Coalinga Road, who also returns in this year’s edition and is 8-1 on the morning line for trainer Carla Gaines. Last year, Aligato was beaten just a half-length in the Turf Classic by winner Kings River Knight, who has been the top California-bred turf horse the past two seasons.
“Aligato is coming off a pretty substantial layoff, but we think he’s ready to go,” Glatt said.
For his comeback, Aligato has lured the services of top jockey Flavien Prat. Prat has previously ridden Aligato on four different occasions including the 2023 Turf Classic.
The Unusual Heat Turf Classic Field
Works: Mirahmadi, Richi, Eagles Flight Return To Tab
Mirahmadi and Eagles Flight, who ran one-two in first-level allowance going a mile Jan. 4 at Santa Anita, plus GIII Las Flores winner Richi all returned to the work tab Friday.
Mirahmadi wins under @JJHernandezS19 for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. @FrankMirahmadi pic.twitter.com/sWy3VXtIWE
— Ernie Belmonte (@ErnieBPhoto93) January 5, 2025
Mirahmadi worked four furlongs in 48.20 seconds for trainer Bob Baffert. A 4-year-old Into Mischief colt, Mirahmadi led all the way when beating Eagles Flight by 4 ½ lengths earlier this month. Baffert recently said Mirahmadi, who is named in honor of Santa Anita track announcer Frank Mirahmadi, would target the GI Santa Anita Handicap going 1 ¼ miles on March 1.
Richi, a Group I winner in her native Chile, earned her first U.S. stakes win for Baffert when taking the GIII Las Flores going six furlongs, also on Jan. 4. The 5-year-old mare by Practical Joke worked four furlongs in 49.60 seconds. She is being pointed to the GI B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile presented by FanDuel on March 8 at Santa Anita.
Eagles Flight, a half brother to 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline, drilled four furlongs in 47.80 seconds for trainer John Sadler. It was the fourth-fastest of 42 works at the distance.
Eagles Flight was returning from a more than seven-month layoff when bested by Mirahmadi. It was just his second start, first-time facing winners and first time going two turns. In his debut las May at Santa Anita, the 4-year-old Curlin colt rolled to a 2 ¾-length victory going six furlongs.
Other notable workers included Grade I winner Formidable Man, GIII Jimmy Durante winner Will Then and Kathynmarissa, most recently second in the GI American Oaks.
Formidable Man continued on the comeback trail for trainer Michael McCarthy with a five-furlong work in 1:00.80. It was his fifth work since winning the GI Hollywood Derby Nov. 30 at Del Mar.
Will Then, trained by Jonathan Thomas, worked four furlongs in 49.60 seconds. The 3-year-old War of Will filly was a dominant 2 ¼-length winner of the Durante going a mile on turf when making her stakes debut.
Kathynmarissa, trained by Richard Dutrow Jr., worked five furlongs in 1:01.00 in what was her second drill since the American Oaks. In the Dec. 26 American Oaks going 1 ¼ miles on turf at Santa Anita, Kathynmarissa finished 2 ½ lengths back of highly regarded winner She Feels Pretty.
Cal Cup Day: $2 Pick 6 A Challenging Puzzle For Horseplayers
With an average of 10.0 starters per race before scratches, Saturday’s $2 Pick 6 on California Cup Day figures to be a challenging sequence for horseplayers.
The Pick 6 starts with the sixth race at approximately 2 p.m. It includes four stakes for horses bred or sired in California: The Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint (seventh race), Unusual Heat Turf Classic (ninth race), California Chrome California Derby (10th race) and Leigh Ann Howard California Cup Oaks (11th race).
Below is a brief overview of the sequence.
Race 6 (eight starters): Top contenders in this six-furlong allowance/optional claimer on dirt are 7-5 morning line favorite Lonesome Slew and 5-2 second choice Our Bucky Charm. Lonesome Slew, ridden by Antonio Fresu, enters with a two-race winning streak for trainer Mark Glatt. Our Bucky Charm, with Juan Hernandez up, is a perfect 2-for-2 for trainer Mike Puype but has not started since last May.
Race 7 (nine starters): The Turf Sprint going about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course is led by Stay and Scam, who at 6-5 on the morning line is the shortest-priced favorite in the sequence. The Grade III winner will be ridden by Umberto Rispoli for trainer Doug O’Neill.
Race 8 (12 starters): This is a wide-open $50,000 maiden claimer for 3-year-olds going six furlongs on dirt. The tepid 7-2 favorite is The Gypsy Cowboy for trainer Steve Knapp. The Gypsy Cowboy, ridden by Tyler Baze, cuts back in distance and drops in class after finishing last in the King Glorious Stakes for statebreds going a mile at Los Alamitos.
Race 9 (11 starters): The Turf Classic is led by 8-5 favorite Old Pal, who is joined by stablemate Aligato (6-1) for trainer Mark Glatt. Old Pal, who will have Fresu aboard, most recently was a troubled third in a second-level allowance going a mile in November at Del Mar.
Race 10 (eight starters): The Cal Cup Derby going 1 1/16 miles has three key principals in 5-2 favorite Shea Brennan, R Heisman (3-1) and I’m a Bad Boy (7-2). All three exit the King Glorious. Shea Brennan, trained by Phil D’Amato, and I’m a Bad Boy, trained by Luis Mendez, were separated by just a nose on the wire. R Heisman, trained by Peter Miller, was another half-length back in third.
Race 11 (12 starters plus one also-eligible): The Cal Cup Oaks going a mile on turf features an overflow field led by 5-2 favorite Hey Jessie, who will have Kyle Frey up for trainer Sean McCarthy. Hey Jessie broke her maiden going a mile on turf at Del Mar in November and came right back to win the one-mile Soviet Problem on dirt at Los Alamitos Dec. 8.
FINISH LINES _____________
After suffering a minor injury in the starting gate Thursday, Kazushi Kimura is off all mounts Friday. He is expected to return Saturday…
Jockeys Adrian Castellanos and Kevin Orozco and trainer Faith Taylor all won their first-ever races at Santa Anita Thursday. Castellanos won the second race on favorite Getemdusty ($3.20) for trainer Steve Miyadi. Orozco and Taylor teamed to win the third race with Bobby Anton ($7)…
Jockey Umberto Rispoli rode three winners Thursday. He scored in the fourth race with favorite Desert Rocket ($5.60) for trainer Simon Callaghan, the sixth on favorite Yacowlef ($4) for trainer Jeff Mullins and the ninth with favorite Speed Grazy ($5.40) for trainer Mark Glatt…
Friday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:05 p.m. PT with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park…
Clocker and bloodstock agent Gary Young will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Saturday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:20 a.m. PT.
