Stronghold in a very early morning work. (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
+ Santa Anita 3-Year-Olds Among Top Kentucky Derby Hopefuls
+ GIII La Canada, GIII Las Cienegas Top 11-Race Card Sunday
+ Prat Dominates With 4 Wins On 8-Race Card Friday
Santa Anita Notes
Stronghold, last year’s GI Santa Anita Derby winner, continued his preparations for next Saturday’s Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park with a five-furlong work in 1:02.60 on Friday. He was among 192 horses to have timed workouts at Santa Anita.
Trained by Phil D’Amato, Stronghold most recently finished second in the GI Malibu on Dec. 26 following a three-plus month layoff. Also working towards a potential start in the Pegasus was Imagination, who finished third in the Malibu. Imagination worked six furlongs in company with Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Citizen Bull. Imagination was clocked in 1:12.40 and Citizen Bull went in 1:12.00, which was the fastest work at the distance.
Baffert also worked some of his other top 3-year-olds. Recent maiden winner Madaket Road drilled five furlongs in 1:00.80. Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner-up Gaming, most recently third in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity, worked five furlongs in 1:01.00. Maiden San Saba worked five furlongs from the gate in a sharp 59.40 seconds, which was the second-fastest of 68 moves at the distance.
Also working for Baffert was top 3-year-old filly Tenma. The Grade I winner, who most recently took down the GII Starlet at Los Alamitos, earned a bullet when working five furlongs in 59.20 seconds.
Work of the Day from @santaanitapark—Imagination (Outside), 1:12.40, and Citizen Bull, 1:12.00, worked 6 Furlongs on January 18th, 2025, for trainer Bob Baffert.@PegasusWorldCup pic.twitter.com/9JL573qsqS
— XBTV (@WatchXBTV) January 18, 2025
Returning to the work tab for trainer Michael McCarthy were graded-stakes winners Bullard and Look Forward. Bullard, most recently third in the GII San Vicente Jan. 4 at Santa Anita, drilled four furlongs in 47.40 seconds. It was the second-fastest of 60 works at the distance. Look Forward, winner of the Fasig-Tipton Santa Ynez on Jan. 5, drilled four furlongs in 48.80 seconds.
J B Strikes Back, winner of the GII Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes on Dec. 26, worked five furlongs in 59.80 seconds for trainer Doug O’Neill. The 4-year-old Goldencents colt is slated to run in the GI Santa Anita Handicap on March 1.
Kopion, a dynamite winner of the GI La Brea on Dec. 26, worked five furlongs in 1:00.00 for trainer Richard Mandella.
GIII La Canada, GIII Las Cienegas Highlight 11-Race Card Sunday
Santa Anita has an 11-race card set for Sunday led by the GIII La Canada Stakes and GIII Las Cienegas Stakes. First post is at 11:30 a.m. PT.
The La Canada for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles is carded as the eighth race with post time set for approximately 3 p.m. A field of six is signed on led by 8-5 morning line favorite Cavalieri. Trained by Bob Baffert, Cavalieri will be making her stakes debut after rolling to a pair of victories going a flat mile. The 4-year-old Nyquist filly will have Juan Hernandez aboard.
The Las Cienegas is for fillies and mares at about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course. It goes as the ninth race at approximately 3:30 p.m. The 8-5 morning line favorite is eastern invader Toupie for trainer Graham Motion. Toupie will have Flavien Prat in the irons.
FINISH LINES __________
Kazushi Kimura is off all mounts again Saturday. The 25-year-old native of Japan hasn’t ridden since being injured in the starting gate Thursday…
Flavien Prat won four races from five mounts on Friday’s eight-race card. Prat, a 2024 Eclipse Award finalist for outstanding jockey, won the first race with favorite Prime and Ready ($4.20) for trainer Richard Baltas, the third race on Clampett ($6.20) for trainer Doug O’Neill, the fifth on favorite Thirty Four Coupe ($5.20) for trainer Steve Miyadi and the eighth on Kid Azteca ($7.20) for trainer Peter Miller. Saturday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:49 p.m. PT with the tenth race from Gulfstream Park…
Equine scout Larry Zap will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Sunday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 10:20 a.m. PT…
Santa Anita will host a special Martin Luther King Jr. holiday card Monday. First post is 12 p.m. On-track fans will receive $1 beers and sodas and $2 hot dogs.
