SANTA ANITA STABLE NOTES

By Ed Golden —-

Law Abidin Citizen; Zoe Metz Photography

• EXPERIENCE ON ‘LAW’S’ SIDE IN SAN VICENTE
• STEVENS RESUMES RIDING CAREER IN MARCH
• ANNUAL SANTA ANITA JOCKEYS’ GAME FEB. 23
• CELEBRATE VALENTINE’S DAY AT SANTA ANITA

SAN VICENTE DISTANCE SUITS LAW ABIDIN CITIZEN

With five career starts, Law Abidin Citizen has had more races than any of the other four three-year-olds entered in Sunday’s Grade II, $200,000 San Vicente Stakes at seven furlongs.

Trainer Mark Glatt feels that stands him in good stead.

“There are a couple horses in there that broke their maidens pretty impressively, but he does have an experience edge on most in the race and I think seven eighths is a good distance for him,” said Glatt, whose victory with Sharp Samurai in Friday’s eighth race gave him nine for the meet, placing him in the top five among trainers.

“Maybe because he’s run more races and gone seven furlongs he’s got a little advantage,” Glatt said of Law Abidin Citizen, a gelded son of Twirling Candy. “The rail isn’t the best place to be but we’ll take a shot.”

The San Vicente: Law Abidin Citizen, Jamie Theriot, 6-1; Aquamarine, Stewart Elliott, 3-1; Blabimir, Mario Gutierrez, 8-1; Battle of Midway, Mike Smith, 7-5; and Iliad, Rafael Bejarano, 9-5.

STEVENS GETS GREEN LIGHT TO RIDE NEXT MONTH

Hiyo Stevens, awaaaay!

Gary Stevens has been cleared to resume his riding career next month after undergoing surgery for replacement of his right hip on Dec. 21

“The doctor is very happy; I don’t have to see him again for a year,” the 53-year-old Hall of Fame jockey said Saturday morning at Clockers’ Corner. “He released me to start getting on horses the first of March and I’ll start riding races early March.”

Understandably, Stevens was happy Santa Anita renamed the Vanity Mile the Beholder Mile in honor of the four-time champion he rode to a memorable nose victory over Songbird in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff Nov. 4, the final race in the storied career of the great mare.

“She deserves it,” he said.

The Grade I, $400,000 Beholder Mile will be run on June 3.

SANTA ANITA VS. HOLY ANGELS CHARITY GAME FEB. 23

The 50th annual Santa Anita Jockeys vs. Holy Angels Elementary School Charity Basketball Game will be played Thursday, Feb. 23 at La SalleHigh School in Pasadena, with proceeds to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF), Holy Angels athletic program and the Eye on Jacob Foundation.
Given the historic nature of the game, individual jockey sponsors, representing a wide array of racing industry stakeholders, will lend financial support to this worthy cause. Tip off is scheduled for 7:15 pm., with admission doors opening at 6:15 p.m.
Hall of Fame jockeys Kent Desormeaux, Laffit Pincay, Jr., Mike Smith, Alex Solis and Gary Stevens will all be available at center court for an autograph session at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $5 per person, and for every two tickets purchased, individuals receive one free admission ticket to Santa Anita.

FINISH LINES: Celebrate Valentine’s Day Sunday at Santa Anita and enjoy a dining experience in the Turf Terrace Restaurant. For tickets visit santaanita.com/events . . . Hall of Fame jockey Alex Solis rides 7-5 morning line favorite Tapped for Jerry Hollendorfer in today’s $50,000 California Oaks at Golden Gate Fields . . . On Saturday, March 11, when Santa Anita presents the Grade I, $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap, the Late Pick Four will have a guaranteed pool of $1 million, and the Pick Six pool will be guaranteed at $100,000 . . . According to Santa Anita statistician Jason Hom, winning favorites at Santa Anita this meet are right at the national average, 33.49 percent, 72 out of 215. Winning favorites on dirt fare a tad higher at 35.84 percent (62 of 173), but on turf considerably lower at 23.81 (10 of 42). Winning odds-on favorites are scoring at 65.79 percent (25 of 38); in the money favorites at 68.84 (148 of 215) and in the money odds-on favorites at 92.11 (35 of 38).

SANTA ANITA STATISTICS

(Current Through Friday, Feb. 10)
Jockey Mts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won

Flavien Prat 119 29 16 21 24% 55% $1,884,573
Tyler Baze 127 22 27 11 17% 47% $1,078,902
Kent Desormeaux 85 18 11 9 21% 45% $1,161,463
Rafael Bejarano 95 17 15 17 18% 52% $938,403
Stewart Elliott 81 11 9 14 14% 42% $463,128
Joseph Talamo 80 9 5 14 11% 35% $316,933
Norberto Arroyo, Jr. 64 9 5 4 14% 28% $458,830
Mike Smith 29 9 3 6 31% 62% $874,165
Martin Pedroza 65 8 11 12 12% 48% $361,813
Luis Contreras 68 8 9 18 12% 51% $399,439
Tiago Pereira 56 8 5 6 14% 34% $213,930
Santiago Gonzalez 70 7 9 6 10% 31% $345,896
Mario Gutierrez 63 6 12 9 10% 43% $588,861
Victor Espinoza 32 6 7 6 19% 59% $465,422
Corey Nakatani 40 6 3 3 15% 30% $332,996

Trainer Mts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won

Richard Baltas 71 14 13 10 20% 52% $713,180
Peter Miller 56 14 13 6 25% 59% $859,842
Jerry Hollendorfer 71 13 9 15 18% 52% $1,125,475
Philip D’Amato 44 11 5 7 25% 52% $674,345
Mark Glatt 42 9 6 5 21% 48% $316,550
Doug O’Neill 82 8 19 15 10% 51% $780,588
William Spawr 19 8 1 2 42% 58% $215,831
Bob Baffert 32 7 4 5 22% 50% $683,716
Peter Eurton 31 7 3 3 23% 42% $366,814
J. Keith Desormeaux 29 7 2 5 24% 48% $434,225
John Sadler 32 6 7 8 19% 66% $406,574
Vladimir Cerin 26 6 5 5 23% 62% $192,654

About Us
Santa Anita Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is North America’s premier supplier of virtual online horseracing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.