Raging Torrent scoring the Malibu. (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
• Kopion Doing Well After GI La Brea Win; Tamara On The Mend
• Opening Day Attracts Crowd Of 41,562; Handle Up 17.4%
• Mystik Dan Departs For Oaklawn Park Sunday Morning
Santa Anita Stable Notes By Victor Ryan
Entering this year’s Classic Meet, Doug O’Neill ranked third all-time in wins at Santa Anita with 1,198 and was tied for eighth in stakes wins with 118. He also has won the trainer’s title nine times at The Great Race Place.
Despite that abundance of success over three-plus decades, one of Santa Anita’s marquee races had managed to elude the 56-year-old conditioner: the Grade I Malibu. That all changed Thursday when Raging Torrent prevailed in the 77th edition of the Grade I sprint for 3-year-olds.
Raging Torrent won the Malibu on opening day two races after J B Strikes Back, also trained by O’Neill, took down the GII Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes. In the Malibu, Raging Torrent kicked clear and won by 1 ¼ lengths under Frankie Dettori, who also won his first Malibu.
“It was such a special day, and the Malibu is such a special race. When you see the Kentucky Derby winner come out for it,” O’Neill said Friday morning referring Malibu rival Mystik Dan, “It just shows you how important the race is. It’s really an honor.”
O’Neill reported both Raging Torrent, who earned a 104 Beyer Speed Figure, and J B Strikes Back were doing well Friday morning.
Raging Torrent earned his second graded win in the Malibu. This summer at Del Mar he won the GII Pat O’Brien, also going seven furlongs, before a seventh-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. The son of Maximus Mischief is now 12: 5-1-2 with $667,400 in earnings for owners Mark Davis and Great Friends Stables.
O’Neill said the major target for Raging Torrent the first half of 2025 is a try in the GII Godolphin Mile March 30 on the Dubai World Cup undercard in the Middle East. Whether he starts between now and then remains to be determined.
“I’ll talk with Mark Davis and we’ll put our heads together, but the goal is the Godolphin Mile,” O’Neill said. “If something comes up in early February around one turn we like, we could go there first.”
The next graded stakes for older horses sprinting on dirt at Santa Anita is the GIII Palos Verdes on Feb. 15.
As for J B Strikes Back, owned by Janie Buss’s Purple Rein Racing, he earned his first stakes win when upsetting the Pincay Jr. at 16-1 under Antonio Fresu. Earlier this year, the 3-year-old gelding by Goldencents was claimed on two different occasions. First, J B Strikes Back was claimed from O’Neill and Purple Rein out of a $20,000 maiden-claiming win on July 21. In his next start on Aug. 3 at Del Mar,O’Neill and Purple Rein reclaimed the gelding for $25,000.
The Pincay Jr. was J B Strikes Back third win in a row since rejoining the O’Neill barn.
“It’s amazing his improvement this year,” O’Neill said. “He’s just a gutty, hard-trying horse. He’s been a real pleasant surprise.”
O’Neill said his major goal now is the GI Santa Anita Handicap on March 1.
“He could run again before that, or we’ll train him up. We’re in no hurry,” O’Neill said.
Kopion Doing Well After GI La Brea Win; Tamara On The Mend
Following an 8 ½-month layoff, Kopion returned with a vengeance on Thursday when dominating the GI La Brea Stakes at odds of 37-1. Her 2 ¾-length win under Kazushi Kimura earned career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form’s Brad Free.
Trainer Richard Mandella reported all was well with the Omaha Beach filly Friday morning.
“She’s doing good. Not sure what we’ll do next with her, but we’ll look at the (condition) books and find something,” Mandella said.
Kopion, owned by Spendthrift Farm, was making her first start since April 6 when she finished fourth in the GII Santa Anita Oaks. Mandella said he was expecting a good effort, but her performance exceeded expectations.
“She had trained really good, so it didn’t surprise us she ran well. But with a group like that, you can’t really expect to beat them after being off that long,” Mandella.
Kopion is now 5: 3-1-1 with $314,600 in earnings. Her only previous graded stakes win came in the GIII Santa Ynez in January at Santa Anita.
Kopion’s win helped alleviate some of the frustration felt earlier in the day when Grade I winner Tamara, also owned by Spendthrift and trained by Mandella, had to be scratched from the Malibu due to a fever. Mandella noted Tamara was improving.
“She still has a little temperature, but we’ll get her through it,” he said.
Opening Day Attracts Crowd Of 41,563; Handle Up 17.4%
By all accounts, it was a blockbuster opening day at Santa Anita Thursday. Track officials reported on-track attendance of 41,562 and total all-sources mutuel handle of $21.4 million, a 17.4 percent increase from last year’s opening day.
The on-track crowd was the largest on opening day since 2016. In addition to world-class racing and entertainment, the throng was greeted by what is a beautified Santa Anita Park. Prior to the meet, Santa Anita underwent a $1 million project to repaint the entire outside of the facility.
“Our Racing Office offered an exceptional program, the owners and trainers supported it, and the horseplayers and fans strongly responded,” said Nate Newby, Santa Anita’s SVP & General Manager. “We are thankful to everyone who worked hard to make it a success, especially those who joined us to not only witness terrific racing but enjoy the events on track. The Southern California weather could not have been more cooperative, and this was a terrific way to start the celebration at The Great Race Place.”
Santa Anita Park’s first opened on Christmas Day, 1934. Since 1949, Santa Anita’s opening day has been held on Dec. 26 with few exceptions. Santa Anita’s 90th anniversary season will continue through mid-June.
FINISH LINES … … …. …..
All appeared well with Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan following a disappointing last-place finish in Thursday’s GI Malibu. The Goldencents colt, who was bright and alert taking in the sights during training hours Friday morning, is slated to depart for Oaklawn Park on Sunday, according to McPeek Racing director of operations Greg Morehead…
Jockeys Kazushi Kimura and Umberto Rispoli each rode a pair of winners on opening day’s 11-race card. Kimura won the GI La Brea aboard Kopion ($77.40) for trainer Richard Mandella and the fifth race on Moment’s Pleasure ($12.80) for trainer Craig Lewis. Rispoli scored with Johannes ($2.60) in the GII San Gabriel for trainer Tim Yakteen and Slick ($5.20) in the third race for trainer Phil D’Amato…The $2 Pick 6 on opening day paid $9,070.80 for 28 winning tickets…
After a massive opening day, four stakes races still remain for opening week at Santa Anita. On Friday is the GIII Robert J. Frankel for fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles on turf. First post Friday is 12:00 p.m. with the Frankel set to go as the seventh race at approximately 3:04 p.m. On Saturday first post is 11:30 a.m., Santa Anita will host the GII Joe Hernandez on the hillside turf course and Blue Norther Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at a mile on turf. Closing out the week on Sunday is the featured Eddie Logan Stakes for 2-year-olds at a mile on turf first post on Sunday is 12:00 p.m…Workout analyst Andy Harrington of National Turf will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Saturday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 10:20 a.m…
Santa Anita will host a special New Year’s Day program on Wednesday. The card will be set later Friday.
