SANTA ANITA STABLE NOTES SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2017

By Ed Golden —-

SANTA ANITA-BASED RUNNERS PREP FOR BREEDERS’ CUP
ARROGATE TO WORK FOR CLASSIC MONDAY AT 7:45 A.M.
RACE FOR TRAINING TITLE COULD GO DOWN TO THE WIRE
UNBEATEN JUVENILE FAVORITE BOLT D’ORO LOOKS ‘PERFECT’

Headed by undefeated Breeders’ Cup Juvenile favorite Bolt d’Oro, several Santa Anita-based stalwarts had their final major breezes for their Breeders’ Cup races Sunday morning at The Great Race Place.
Bolt d’Oro, 7 ¾-length winner of the Grade I FrontRunner Stakes on Sept. 30, worked five furlongs in company at 8:05 a.m. following the 7:45 renovation break, getting a time of 1:02.20 under regular rider Corey Nakatani.

WorkmateMidnightHarbor, on the rail with Juan Ochoa aboard, was clocked in 1:03.40.

“He looked perfect,” said owner/trainer Mick Ruis, who watched Bolt’s work along with his wife and co-owner, Wendy. “His stride looked good. I just wanted to give him a little air today and then bring him into the race just where he is right now.

“He worked in company with MidnightHarbor, who we used as gauge. Ochoa has a really good clock in his head and we were hoping to get about a minute flat for Bolt.

“Corey didn’t really move on him. He looked really, really good.”

Bob Baffert said Arrogate, one of four possible starters in the Classic for the Hall of Fame trainer who is seeking his fourth straight win in the race, is scheduled to work “probably a half mile” Monday morning at 7:45.

Baffert plans to ship all his Breeders’ Cup candidates from Santa Anita on Tuesday.

In other Breeders’ Cup news:

Streaking stakes winner Mor Spirit (Dirt Mile) worked six furlongs from the gate, the sixth straight time he has done so in a breeze for an upcoming race.

Mor Spirit went in company with Cat Burglar. They were timed in a bullet 1:13.40 and 1:13.60, respectively.

Baffert elaborated on why he has been working Mor Spirit from the gate.

“It has nothing to do with how he breaks in a race,” Baffert said. “He’s always been sort of a lazy work horse, and working from the gate, he gets a lot more out of it. I was really happy with his breeze and I feel really good about the way he’s training.”

Baffert also sent West Coast, winner of the Travers Stakes and Pennsylvania Derby in his last two starts, five furlongs in company with Red Kite. West Coast received a time of 1:00.40, while Red Kite got 1:01.40.

Along with Arrogate, who won the Classic last year, West Coast could be joined in the starting gate by Collected and Mubtaahij. Cupid (Dirt Mile), winner of the Grade I Gold Cup at Santa Anita last May, went five furlongs for Baffert in 1:00.40, while Juvenile candidate Solomini, a distant second to Bolt d’Oro in the FrontRunner, went five furlongs in 1:01.

Also working Sunday at Santa Anita were Midnight Storm (Dirt Mile) and Ransom the Moon (Sprint) for Phil D’Amato, each going four furlongs, the former timed in 48.40 and the latter in a bullet 47 flat, fastest of 47 drills at the distance.

Agent Tony Matos reports that Santa Anita’s leading rider Evin Roman has gained his first Breeders’ Cup mount in Golden Dragon, who runs in the Juvenile Turf for trainer/breeder Mikhail Yanakov. A Kentucky-bred son of Skipshot, the chestnut colt has won his last two starts, but the Juvenile Turf will be his first stakes start.

The 19-year-oldRoman is scheduled to work Golden Dragon Monday morning over Del Mar’s turf course.
On Friday, Nov. 3, Santa Anita will offer advance wagering on the Breeders’ Cup races next Saturday, Nov. 4. There will be no advance wagering at Santa Anita for Friday’s Breeders’ Cup races.

BALTAS LEADS MILLER BY ONE IN TRAINERS’ RACE

Going into the final day of Santa Anita’s 19-day Autumn Meet, Richard Baltas holds a 10-9 lead over Peter Miller in the race for leading trainer, with Mark Glatt and Vladimir Cerin next in line, knotted at eight wins each.

Baltas has seven horses entered on today’s 11-race program, three in the Autumn Miss Stakes, while Miller has eight entered, two in the first race.

Both Baltas and Miller have started 53 horses, Baltas winning at a 19 percent clip and Miller at 17 percent.

Apprentice Evin Roman has a commanding 18-15 lead over Kent Desormeaux among jockeys. Desormeaux is named on four horses today, Roman seven.

FINISH LINES: There will be mandatory payouts today on the Pick 6, Pick 5 and Super High 5 . . . Fans betting on the two-day Breeders’ Cup World Championships this Friday and Saturday at Santa Anita will receive FREE General Parking and General Admission on both days . . . BEST OF LUCK to the following Santa Anita handicapping contest winners who are eligible for a $1 million Santa Anita BCBC Bonus if they win the upcoming Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC): Eric Moomey, Florin Sima, Stephen Thompson, David Lanzman, Christian Hellmers and Robert Talstra . . . With the Dodgers tied at two games each with Houston and in quest of their first World Series championship since 1988, perhaps it’s a good omen that horses named for former Dodger greats worked at Santa Anita Sunday, Junior Gilliam going three furlongs in 37.20 and Peewee Reese four furlongs in 53 seconds flat, both on the training track for Steve Miyadi.

SANTA ANITA STATISTICS
(Current Through Saturday, Oct. 28)
Jockey
Mts
1st
2nd
3rd
Win%
ITM%
Money Won

Evin Roman
117
18
12
19
15%
42%
$504,666
Kent Desormeaux
57
15
7
4
26%
46%
$817,576
Tyler Baze
98
13
17
11
13%
42%
$700,421
Drayden Van Dyke
65
10
4
5
15%
29%
$590,330
Rafael Bejarano
60
9
10
7
15%
43%
$474,660
Stewart Elliott
55
9
5
5
16%
35%
$290,043
Corey Nakatani
41
9
3
4
22%
39%
$506,443
Flavien Prat
98
8
21
20
8%
50%
$1,152,837
Tiago Pereira
70
8
6
3
11%
24%
$293,040
Gary Stevens
33
8
4
4
24%
48%
$391,895
Santiago Gonzalez
42
6
5
6
14%
40%
$192,675
Mario Gutierrez
52
6
4
7
12%
33%
$325,536
Joe Talamo
61
5
9
10
8%
39%
$432,796

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

Richard Baltas
53
10
8
3
19%
40%
$399,041
Peter Miller
53
9
4
8
17%
40%
$508,039
Mark Glatt
38
8
7
3
21%
47%
$360,371
Vladimir Cerin
23
8
4
1
35%
57%
$211,825
Philip D’Amato
52
7
13
6
13%
50%
$451,255
Doug O’Neill
59
7
5
8
12%
34%
$375,945
Richard Mandella
25
6
5
4
24%
60%
$538,725
Bob Baffert
30
5
6
6
17%
57%
$681,404
Jerry Hollendorfer
42
5
4
10
12%
45%
$268,225
J. Keith Desormeaux
30
5
3
5
17%
43%
$267,575
Peter Eurton
28
5
3
3
18%
39%
$182,358

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.