Richard Mandella gives jockey instructions. (Benoit Photo)
GII Whittingham: Gold Phoenix, Planetario Among Noms
Newgate, Adare Manor Return To Work Tab For Baffert
Santa Anita Stable Notes By Victor Ryan
ARCADIA, Calif.—Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella this week shared potential upcoming graded stakes assignments for three of his top fillies, Coffee in Bed, Ruby Nell and Tamara. All three are owned by Spendthrift Farm.
Coffee in Bed last Saturday became the newest graded-stakes winner on Mandella’s shedrow when prevailing by a neck in the GII Santa Maria Stakes for older fillies and mares. It was Coffee in Bed’s fifth attempt at a stakes victory.
“That was very gratifying,” Mandella said. “She’s always made us think she’s a pretty good filly.”
Mandella added it hadn’t been the smoothest of winters for Coffee in Bed. Weather-related interruptions to training had an effect on the 4-year-old Curlin filly.
“She’s very delicate in her mind,” Mandella said. “With fillies like that, when their training gets interrupted, they tend to tie up. It interfered with her making any real progress this winter.”
Prior to her breakout win in the Santa Maria, Coffee in Bed was second in the GIII La Canada Jan. 20 and sixth in the GI Beholder Mile March 9.
“In the last month, we haven’t had those interruptions, and I was able to give her a nice, steady training regimen,” Mandella said. “She ran the way she should the other day. It was a good feeling.”
Coffee in Bed is now 9: 3-2-1 with $253,860 in earnings. Next up will likely be the GII Santa Margarita at 1 1/8 miles May 26, Mandella said.
Multiple graded stakes winner Ruby Nell is likely to make her next start here in the GI, $300,000 Gamely Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf May 27, Mandella said. In two previous Grade I attempts, both last year, she was fourth in the Del Mar Oaks in August and fifth in the Matriarch Dec. 3, both at Del Mar.
Most recently, Ruby Nell collected her fourth stakes win in the GII Buena Vista at a mile on turf here March 3. The 4-year-old Bolt d’Oro filly is 12: 6-2-2 with $491,520 in earnings.
Regally bred Tamara is on the comeback trail after emerging from last November’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with a hind leg injury. By Bolt d’Oro out of Hall of Fame mare Beholder, Tamara finished seventh as the 4-5 favorite in the Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita. It was later discovered she had a small fracture in her splint bone in her left hind. The injury did not require surgery.
Tamara returned to the work tab April 4. She has drilled four times for her comeback, including a three furlong move in 37.0 seconds on Monday.
“She’s doing very well,” Mandella said. “She was pretty good when she left. We’re hoping she come back bigger and better.”
Mandella added it would likely be “six weeks or so” before she returns to the races. While the GII Summertime Oaks on June 8 at Santa Anita would fit in that timeline, Mandella ruled the race out.
“It will be something just to get her back started,” he said.
Prior to the Breeders’ Cup, Tamara won her debut at Del Mar Aug. 19 and came right back to score in the GI Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 9.
GII Whittingham: Gold Phoenix, Planetario Among Nominees
There is an added incentive this for winning this year’s GII Charles Whittingham Stakes, which is set for next Saturday at Santa Anita. Through a partnership between 1/ST Racing and the British Jockey Club, the winner of the 1 ¼-mile turf test will gain an automatic berth plus travel incentives to run in the historic GI Coral-Eclipse Stakes on July 6 at Sandown Park in England.
Nominations for the Whittingham were released on Friday. Of the 11 nominees, 10 are stakes winners with nine of those having won at the graded level.
Among the notable nominees are Grade I winner Gold Phoenix for trainer Phil D’Amato, two-time graded winner Planetariofor Richard Mandella, last year’s Whittingham winner Offlee Naughty for trainer Michael McCarthy and New York-based Rockemperor for trainer Chad Brown.
Also, as part of the agreement between 1/ST and the British Jockey Club, the winner of the Coral-Eclipse Stakes earns an automatic berth and travel incentives for Santa Anita’s GII, $750,000 California Crown John Henry Turf Championship on Sept. 28.
Entries for the Whittingham will be taken on Wednesday.
Newgate, Adare Manor Return To Work Tab For Baffert
Newgate, winner of the GI Santa Anita Handicap March 3, had his first work since a disappointing ninth-place finish in the GI Dubai World Cup on March 30. Also returning to the work tab for trainer Bob Baffert was Adare Manor, who won the GI Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park two weeks ago.
Newgate and Adare Manor each worked four furlongs on the main track. Newgate completed his move in 49.0 seconds, while Adare Manor was timed in 48.0 seconds.
Also working for Baffert was Du Jour, who was entered to run in the GI Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland April 12 but was scratched. Winner of the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile March 3 at Santa Anita, Du Jour worked four furlongs in 48.20 seconds.
Continuing to work for her 4-year-old debut was Anisette, a two-time Grade I winner on turf for trainer Leonard Powell. The Awtaad filly went five furlongs on the main track in 1:03.20. It was her fourth work this month.
Anisette most recently won the GI American Oaks Dec. 26 at Santa Anita. Last summer she also won the GI Del Mar Oaks and GII San Clemente at Del Mar.
Johannes, who returned as good as ever when taking the GIII American Stakes off an 11-month layoff here April 4, worked five furlongs on the main track in 1:01.0 for trainer Tim Yakteen. Prior to the layoff, the 4-year-old Nyquist colt won both the Baffle Stakes in March and Pasadena Stakes in April at Santa Anita.
Working for trainer Michael McCarthy was Offlee Naughty, who is a candidate to defend his title in next Saturday’s GII Charles Whittingham Stakes at Santa Anita. The 6-year-old Flashback horse went five furlongs on the main track in 1:01.60. Most recently, Offlee Naughty returned from a nearly six-month layoff and finished third in the GIII San Luis Rey March 23 at Santa Anita.
Full Friday: Rispoli Works Endlessly In Ky., Returns Here Wins 2
It was a busy Friday for jockey Umberto Rispoli.
The 35-year-old native of Italy started the day in Kentucky where he worked his scheduled Kentucky Derby mount, Endlessly, under the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs. Soon after, Rispoli caught a flight and returned to Santa Anita where he promptly won with his first two mounts. He took the second race with favorite Vegas Burner ($2.80) for trainer George Papaprodromou and the third with favorite Grazed ($4.80) for trainer Mark Glatt.
At Churchill Downs, Rispoli and Endlessly went four furlongs in 47.80 seconds for trainer Michael McCarthy. On Saturday, Endlessly was entered in the 150th Kentucky Derby, which is set for next Saturday. The Derby will be Endlessly’s first-time racing on dirt.
For Rispoli, this will be his second Derby mount. In 2021, he finished 14th aboard Brooklyn Strong for New York-based trainer Danny Velazquez.
Rispoli has eight mounts booked Saturday at Santa Anita. His rides include Zeus’ War (12-1) in the Kona Gold Stakes and Fuente Overjuna (6-1) in the GIII Royal Heroine.
FINISH LINES _____________
Parenting ($8.80), a 3-year-old Justify colt, served notice Friday when winning his debut by 2 ¾ lengths for trainer Bob Baffert. He completed five furlongs in 1:03.69 to best well-regarded favorite Santarena for trainer Mark Glatt.…
Saturday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 2:30 p.m. PT with the fourth race from Santa Anita, the $100,000 Kona Gold Stakes…
Sunday’s Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:50 p.m. with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park…
Friday’s $1 Pick 6 returned $8,444.70 for six winning tickets…First post Sunday is 1 p.m. for a nine-race card …
Favorites are winning at a 28.95 percent clip through the first 38 races of the Hollywood Meet.
