Trainer Philip D’Amato, right, celebrates with jockey Antonio Fresu, left, after Laulne’s victory in the $100,000 ANgels Flight Stakes, Sunday, April 7, 2024. (Benoit Photo)
+ Mc Vay, Baffert Pair Clash In Sunday’s Affirmed Stakes
+ 10-Race Card, Infield Party, Wine Tasting And More Saturday
+ Saturday’s $1 Coast-To-Coast Pick 5 Starts At 2:20 P.M. PT
Santa Anita Stable Notes
With just seven race days left in the Hollywood Meet, Phil D’Amato holds the pole position in the race for leading trainer.
D’Amato’s 15 victories at the stand from 80 starters (19 percent) puts him three wins ahead of both Doug O’Neill and Steve Knapp entering Friday. O’Neill has won with 12 of 80 starters (17 percent) while Knapp has 12 wins from 69 starters (17 percent). Also, still in the hunt for leading trainer is Mark Glatt, who has won 11 races from 69 starters (16 percent).
D’Amato is a five-time leading trainer at Santa Anita. His most recent trainer’s title came at last year’s Hollywood Meet.
O’Neill claimed the Classic Meet trainer’s title earlier this year. It was the ninth time he’s been leading trainer at Santa Anita. Knapp has never won a Santa Anita trainer’s title. Glatt won his first Santa Anita training crown at last year’s Autumn Meet.
As for D’Amato, he also leads all trainers in both stakes wins (6) and purse earnings ($1,055,722). O’Neill is second in both categories with four stakes wins and $763,174 in earnings.
D’Amato has 14 horses entered in 12 races over the next three days. Knapp has starters in seven races this weekend while Glatt will saddle 10 starters in 10 races. O’Neill will try and make up ground with five starters in five races.
Mcvay, Baffert Pair Clash In Sunday’s Affirmed Stakes
Mc Vay, who tested the Triple Crown trail earlier this year, returns to the stakes ranks after a dominating maiden win in Sunday’s $100,000 Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles.
Trained by John Shirreffs, Mc Vay romped by seven lengths when earning his diploma going a mile May 18 at Santa Anita. The Constitution colt had previously run in three consecutive graded stakes culminating with the GI Santa Anita Derby. Mc Vay was fourth in the GIII Robert B. Lewis in February, third in the GII San Felipe in March and a troubled seventh in the Santa Anita Derby.
Mc Vay earned a field-high 95 Beyer Speed Figure for his maiden win, which came under Mike Smith. The Hall of Fame jockey will again be aboard Sunday. Owned by C R K Stable, Mc Vay is 6: 1-1-1 with $94,400 in earnings.
Trainer Bob Baffert entered maiden winners Parenting and Cornell.
Parenting makes his second start and first around two turns after winning his debut going 5 ½ furlongs here April 26. By Triple Crown winner Justify, Parenting attended the pace and then pulled clear in the stretch to score by 2 ¾ lengths under Juan Hernandez, who retains the mount.
Parenting was purchased by owner Gandharvi Stable for $750,000 at last year’s OBS Spring Sale of 2-year-olds in training.
Cornell was a supplemental entry after not being originally nominated. By Into Mischief, Cornell has not started since breaking his maiden Jan. 28 at Santa Anita when going a mile on the main track. He has worked seven times for his comeback, which includes a bullet six-furlong work in 1:11.40 last Friday.
A $675,000 auction buy as a yearling, Cornell is 3: 1-0-1 with $47,300 in earnings for an ownership group that includes SF Racing, Madaket Stables and Stonestreet Stables. He will be ridden by Abel Cedillo.
The Affirmed goes as the eighth race on a nine-race card Sunday. Post time is approximately 4:30 p.m. PT.
10-Race Card, Infield Party, Wine Tasting And More Saturday
The action starts early Saturday at Santa Anita. With Saratoga in upstate New York set to host the 156th Belmont Stakes, patrons can enter Santa Anita through the East Gate starting at 7:30 a.m. for full-card simulcasting.
Live racing at Santa Anita will kick off at 1 p.m. In addition to 10 races, which includes the GII Summertime Oaks, there will be an array of other on-track activities for fans to enjoy.
The Infield will host both a Family Fun Zone, featuring pony rides, inflatable jumper, carnival games, face painting and more, as well as the Fiesta de Santa Anita.
The Fiesta de Santa Anita includes a car show, local pop-up vendors, Lucha Libre professional wrestling, folklorico and mariachi music, michelada vendors and more. Admission is free with $5 Infield admission.
The trackside apron will host Wine, Place and Show, a wine-tasting event with multiple packages to choose from. For $40, patrons will receive eight two-ounce wine samples, an acrylic souvenir wine glass, plus a $5 betting voucher and tip sheet. Admission also includes a program and general parking.
The Wine & Plate Starter Pack, which is $52, also includes food from Smorgasburg LA. Vendors include Correas Mariscos, Oysters & Pearls and Lobsterdamus.
Horseplayers on Saturday can also compete in the $1,500 Belmont Challenge live-money handicapping tournament. The $1,500 buy-in includes a $500 entry fee and $1,000 bankroll.
Saturday’s $1 Coast-To-Coast Pick 5 Starts At 2:20 P.M. Pt
The $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 Saturday starts at 2:20 p.m. PT with the ninth race from Gulfstream Park. Also in the sequence is the 11th race from Gulfstream and races six, eight and nine from Santa Anita.
The ninth from Gulfstream is an allowance/optional claimer for fillies and mares at five furlongs on turf. Moanas Power, ridden by Leonel Reyes, is a tepid 3-1 favorite in a field of 10 for trainer Carlos Munoz.
The 11th from Gulfstream is the Martha Washington Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf, which also attracted a field of 10. The 9-5 favorite is De Regreso, also with Reyes aboard, for trainer Antonio Sano.
The sixth from Santa Anita is a straight maiden race at 6 ½ furlongs on turf. D’Oro Dash, with Mike Smith up, is the 5-2 program favorite for trainer Mark Glatt in a field of eight.
The eighth from Santa Anita is a starter/optional claimer at one mile on turf. In a field of nine, Indy’s Star, also with Smith up, is a lukewarm 7-2 favorite for trainer Leonard Powell.
The ninth at Santa Anita is a starter/optional claimer at six furlongs on dirt. Eltonsingsanother with Antonio Fresu aboard is the 9-5 favorite in a field of seven for Glatt.
The Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 features a player-friendly 15 percent takeout rate. It is offered every Saturday and Sunday through the end of the Santa Anita Hollywood Meet June 16.
FINISH LINES … … … …………….
With Santa Anita track announcer Frank Mirahmadi set to call this week’s Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga, veteran racecaller Alan Buchdahl will be on the microphone at Santa Anita the next three days. Buchdahl, 67, formerly was the track announcer at Hollywood Park and the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita. He also served as the backup announcer for decades at Santa Anita, where he supported the likes of Chic Anderson, Dave Johnson and Trevor Denman…
Saturday’s feature is the GII Summertime Oaks led by GII Santa Antia Oaks winner Nothing Like You, the 4-5 favorite for trainer Bob Baffert…
Next week Santa Anita will host four days of racing starting Thursday and ending on Sunday, which is closing day of the Hollywood Meet…
Entries for next Thursday’s card will be taken on Saturday…
Horseplayer and equine scout Larry Zap will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Saturday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m.
