• Knapp, Pereira Climb The Rankings With 3-Win Saturday
• Dance To The Music Doing Well After GIII Desert Stormer Win
• Free Admission, Parking, Programs & Pp’s For Monday Card
• First Post Time At 1 P.M. On Monday
Stable Notes By Victor Ryan
ARCADIA, Calif.—Trainer Tim Yakteen clocked Practical Move working five furlongs in 59 seconds with a gallop-out completed in 1:12. Practical Move was officially credited with a five-furlong work in 59.20 seconds.
“Straightforward drill, looked good,” Yakteen said. “He was just cruising like he always does. It makes my job easier.”
Geaux Rocket Ride, who made his stakes and two-turn debut in the San Felipe, also worked six furlongs for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella. He completed the move in 1:12.20.
“The rockets are ready to fire,” Mandella said.
Skinner drilled six furlongs in 1:14.0 for trainer John Shirreffs.
Also working was National Treasure, who was scratched as the morning-line favorite in the San Felipe due to a bruised foot. He worked six furlongs in 1:12.20. Last week, Yakteen said National Treasure would run in either the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby or Grade I Blue Grass at Keeneland also on April 8.
Yakteen also worked Reincarnate and Fort Bragg on Sunday. Reincarnate went five furlongs in 59.80 seconds. He is ticketed for the Grade I Arkansas Derby this Saturday at Oaklawn Park. Winner of the Grade III Sham here on April 8, Reincarnate, went to Oaklawn last month and was a troubled third in the Grade II Rebel on Feb. 25.
Fort Bragg was entered for today’s Grade III Sunland Park Derby but was scratched in favor of the Grade I Florida Derby this Saturday at Gulfstream Park, a race in which he drew post 10 in a field of 12. Fort Bragg is the second choice at 5-1, with Todd Pletcher’s Juvenile Champion Forte installed at the 4-5 favorite from post 11. Fort Bragg worked five furlongs in 59.40 seconds.
In all, there were 282 workers at Santa Anita Sunday.
Knapp, Pereira Climb The Rankings As Each Win Three On Saturday
Steve Knapp moved into the top four in the trainer’s standings at the Classic Meet and Tiago Pereira did likewise in the jockey’s category after each had three wins on Saturday.
Knapp and Pereira teamed to win the third race with Crimson Rose ($17.20) and the sixth race with Tizzy Twister ($5.20). Knapp also won the fifth race with Thunder Run ($9.80) under Luis Contreras while Pereira, prior to his two wins for Knapp, also won the second race with Strut On Louise ($4.40) for Doug O’Neill.
In addition to his three wins, Knapp also had two seconds Saturday with Violent Runner in the Grade III Desert Stormer and Midnight Lightning in the second race. He now has 21 wins at the Classic Meet, which trails only Phil D’Amato (25), Bob Baffert (23) and Doug O’Neill (23).
“Everybody ran well yesterday, it was just a great day,” Knapp said.
The 66-year-old Knapp has 583 career wins entering Sunday’s card. His best season came in 2005 when he saddled 62 winners and had purse earnings of $2.1 million. At last year’s Santa Anita winter-spring meet, which ran from December to June, Knapp finished with 18 wins to rank 13th in the trainer’s standings.
“It’s not easy to get there,” Knapp said of his current lofty position in the trainer’s standings.
Pereira now has 20 wins at the meet from just 76 mounts, which is a robust 26 percent strike rate. In the jockey’s standings, he trails only Juan Hernandez, who had three wins of his own to close Saturday’s card to give him 49 for the meet; Flavien Prat (25 wins) and Frankie Dettori (21).
“It was an amazing day,” Pereira said. “Hopefully I can keep it going and finish in the top two or three.”
Dance To The Music Doing Well After GIII Desert Stormer Win
Trainer Mark Glatt is hoping for bigger and better from Dance to the Music after she earned her first stakes win in Saturday’s GIII Desert Stormer going six furlongs on dirt.
“It was good to get her a confidence boost and see her run a sharp race,” Glatt said. “We’ll see if she can build off of that effort.”
Dance to the Music pressed the pace in the Desert Stormer under Santa Anita leading rider Juan Hernandez before edging clear of pacesetter Violent Runner in the stretch to win by a length.
The winning time was 1:10.45.
Owned by Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal, Dance to the Music came to Glatt with high expectations after selling for $575,000 at auction as a 2-year-old in 2021. Later that year, the Maclean’s Music filly was second in the Grade I Del Mar Debutante and was off the board in the Grade II Chandelier when trying two turns.
In 2022, Dance to the Music was second in the Desert Stormer. Her record now stands at 3-2-0 in nine starts with $229,000 in earnings.
Free Admission, Parking, Programs, Pps For Special Monday Card
With Friday’s card canceled due to 3.2 inches of rain this week, Santa Anita Park will offer fans and horsemen a special eight-race card on Monday. First post is set for 1 p.m.
Fans will be treated to free parking, free admission and a free racing program, as well $2 hot dogs, $3 beers and $5 margaritas. In addition, fans will receive free access to Daily Racing Form’s digital past performances.
Admission gates open at 11 a.m.
FINISH LINES
Jockey Kent Desormeaux was working horses at Santa Anita Sunday morning after his flight to ride at Turfway Park on Saturday was a late scratch. Desormeaux’s agent Susan McBrayer said the Delta Airlines red-eye flight Friday from LAX to Cincinnati was canceled at post time with Desormeaux waiting at his gate to board…
Scatchmejamin returns in a first-level allowance in Sunday’s eighth raceafter providing top Quarter Horse trainer Paul Jones with his first-ever win at Santa Anita on March 3…First post time on Monday is at 1 p.m…
There is a $225,689.75 Rainbow 6 carryover for Sunday’s card.The sequence starts with the fourth race at approximately 2:31 p.m .…
The win rate for favorites has ticked up to 35.60 percententering Sunday’s card.
