ARCADIA, Calif.—Soothsay came up empty in the Grade I Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar, beaten 19 lengths in a wide trip.
It was the first race for daughter of Distorted Humor in 13 months after having won two Oaks last year, the Santa Anita and the Indiana.
Richard Mandella expects a much-improved showing in Sunday’s Grade II Zenyatta Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, a Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen race giving the nominated winner a credit of $30,000 toward entry fees into the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland Nov. 4.
XBTV Soothsay (Mandella) 9-28-22
“She wasn’t as ready as I thought she was, so I’m hoping I’ve got her right now,” the Hall of Fame trainer said.”
Mandella also sends out Tizamagician and Extra Hope in Sunday’s Grade III Tokyo City Cup Stakes for three-year-olds and up at a mile and a half. The speedy Tizamagician won the race last year by nine lengths.
XBTV Tizamagician (Mandella) 9-29-22
“He and Extra Hope ran well in the mile and a half (Cougar II, second and third, respectively) at Del Mar, and I reckon they should run as well again,” Mandella said.
Sunday has a 10-race card with a 1 p.m. first post time.
| The Zenyatta race 4 5:38 PM PT |
| 1. Empire House Drayden Van Dyke 15-1 |
| 2. Midnight Memories Ramon Vazquez 8-5 |
| 3. Soothsay Mike Smith 2-1 |
| 4. Awake At Midnyte Mario Gutierrez 5-1 |
| 5. Samurai Charm Juan Hernandez 2-1 |
| The Tokyo City race 8 4:38 PM PT |
| 1. Tizamagician Mike Smith 5-2 |
| 2. Newgrange Ricardo Gonzalez 8-1 |
| 3. Heywoods Beach Ramon Vazquez 3-1 |
| 4. Extra Hope Tyler Baze 5-1 |
| 5. Win the Day Umberto Rispoli 10-1 |
| 6. Avenue Juan Hernandez 4-1 |
| 7. Storm the Court Edwin Maldonado 6-1 |
| 8. Govenor’s Party Kyle Frey 20-1 |
Baffert Trio Works For American Pharoah
Bob Baffert has seven of the 19 two-year-olds nominated to next Saturday’s Grade I American Pharoah Stakes: Carmel Road, Cave Rock, Havnameltdown, Hejazi, National Treasure, Newgate and Speed Boat Beach.
The two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer will enter three, Cave Rock, Hejazi and Newgate. All three worked Saturday.
Cave Rock, a $550,000 son of Arrogate, is unbeaten in two starts, winning the Grade I Del Mar Futurity by 5 ¼ lengths. Both he and Newgate, fourth by 10 ½ lengths in the Futurity, worked five furlongs in a minute flat, while Hejazi went in 59.40.
“Everything went smooth,” Baffert said of the drills.
Baffert’s seven nominees were purchased for a total of $6,500,000, while cost for the other 12 nominees were relatively inexpensive, dropping precipitously to a total of $1,733,000.
XBTV Preview of The Awesome Again Stakes
FINISH LINES: Santa Anita is proud to have the great Laffit Pincay, Jr. present the trophy for today’s 8th race, the Grade I Awesome Again Stakes…It didn’t take long. With first post time for Santa Anita’s nine-race Autumn Meet opening day card at 1 p.m., the track’s popular 20 cent Single Ticket Rainbow Pick Jackpot started with race four and ended with race nine. With the last race at one mile on turf and Australian-bred Kazuhikopositioned as a “live” horse in the track’s popular 20 cent Single Ticket Rainbow Pick Six Jackpot, a pari-mutuel dream came true for the single ticket holder, as Kazuhiko, ridden by Edwin Maldonado and trained by Peter Eurton, rallied for a 1 ¼ length win and paid $6.60. With a Jackpot pool of $94,571, the winning ticket, purchased for $230.40 via FanDuel/TVG, paid $72,175.40 . . . Justique, impressive debut winner for John Shirreffs who trains the daughter of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify for C R K Stable LLC, worked five furlongs this morning for Saturday’s Chandelier Stakes in 1:01.80 . . . Agent Patty Sterling and her new apprentice rider Armando Ayuko are off to a fast start. The 22-year-old native of Guatemala won with his very first mount, Sippin and Kissin, for trainer Walther Solis at Los Alamitos on closing day last Sunday. Sterling, whose late father Larry Sterling conditioned 1978 Santa Anita Handicap winner Vigors, also represents journeyman Emily Ellingwood.
Santa Anita Stable Notes
Soothsay in a work at Del Mar. Photo by Ernie Belmonte
