SANTA ANITA STABLE NOTES

By Ed Golden —-

• CASTELLANO TO WORK BOLT D’ORO ON FEB. 26
• ALL OUT BLITZ IS DOING WELL FOR SAN VICENTE
• KATHY’S SONG TRIES DIRT AGAIN IN SANTA MARIA
• OM PREPS FOR GRADE I KILROE IN THUNDER ROAD
• FIRST POST TIME THIS SATURDAY WILL BE 12 NOON

BOLT D’ORO PREPS FOR SAN FELIPE; CASTELLANO HERE FEB. 26

Javier Castellano, named to ride Bolt d’Oro in the March 10 San Felipe Stakes when the Triple Crown contender makes his first start as a three-year-old, will be aboard the runner-up for an Eclipse Award as champion two-year-old male of 2017 when he works the colt on Feb. 26, owner/trainer Mick Ruis said after the $630,000 son of Medaglia d’Oro worked four furlongs Thursday at 7:45 a.m. under Agapito Delgadillo in 47.80.

“He went nice and easy,” Ruis said of the drill. “I wanted him to go a little bit quicker in the beginning this time because I want to try and teach him to use his natural cruising speed and then keep going.

“He doesn’t have to stop and go, stop and go . . . Agapito took him out a little bit wider because we didn’t want him to go in :45, and when he got to the wire, Bolt felt like that was it, but Agapito asked him again and he took off . . . everybody was very happy with it.

“Javier is coming in town Feb. 26 to work Bolt.”

Castellano is one of five finalists for Santa Anita’s prestigious George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 2018, to be presented this spring.

Bolt d’Oro already has 14 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for the May 5 classic. The San Felipe offers 50 to the winner, 20 to the runner-up, 10 for third and five for fourth.

CONSISTENT ALL OUT BLITZ SET FOR SAN VICENTE

All Out Blitz was second best when beaten by undefeated McKinzie in the Grade III Sham Stakes at one mile on Jan. 6, and Simon Callaghan is hoping for another consistent performance from the son of Concord Point in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 San Vicente Stakes for three-year-olds at seven furlongs.

“He’s doing well, he’s competitive and it’s a small field,” said Callaghan, who trains the bay colt for owner/breeder Kaleem Shah. “I like the post position for sure, being on the outside (of the two Bob Baffert entrants, including favored Ax Man, who drew the rail). Obviously, Ax Man was very impressive first time (winning his debut race by 9 ½ lengths on Jan. 1).

“But I think it will be a good race. All Out Blitz is training very good.”

The Sham was the first two-turn race for All Out Blitz, who also has a second and a third in four career starts.

The San Vicente, which goes as race six: Ax Man, Drayden Van Dyke, 6-5; Mr. Jagermeister, Geovanni Franco, 6-1; Nero, Victor Espinoza, 8-1; All Out Blitz, Tyler Baze, 7-2 Kanthaka, Flavien Prat, 5-1; and Kris’ Rocket Kat, Rafael Bejarano, 4-1.

KATHY’S SONG TAKES ON SMALL BUT TOUGH FIELD IN SANTA MARIA
Kathy’s Song makes only her second start on dirt when she tackles odds-on favorite Unique Bella and three other entrants in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes
“She’s by Candy Ride and was second on dirt at the Fair Grounds, but I’m not so sure how she’s going to handle it again,” said Richard Baltas, who trains the four-year-old filly for Abbondanza Racing and Premier Racing.
“It’s a five horse field, a very tough field, but we’re taking a good look at it.”
The Santa Maria, race four with a 12 noon first post: Shenandoah Queen, Drayden Van Dyke, 12-1; Mopotism, Mario Gutierrez, 5-2; Kathy’s Song, Brice Blanc, 10-1; Unique Bella, Mike Smith, 3-5; and Majestic Heat, Flavien Prat, 4-1.

HENDRICKS EYES KILROE FOR OM AFTER THUNDER ROAD

Trainer Dan Hendricks hopes that Om ends a 12-race losing streak with a victory in Saturday’s Grade III Thunder Road Stakes that would propel him to the Grade I, $400,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile on turf March 10.

“He’s been training great for the Thunder Road, but we’re pointing for the Kilroe,” Hendricks said of the six-year-old Munnings horse, who assuredly has paid his way with five wins, five seconds, six thirds and earnings of $941,645.

“He’s full of himself,” Hendricks said of the Kentucky-bred chestnut. “Hopefully we get a good clean trip and get it done.”

The Thunder Road, which will be run as the fifth race: Next Shares, Rafael Bejarano, 6-1; Bowies Hero, Corey Nakatani, 5-2; Blackjackcat, Kent Desormeaux, 6-5; Tequila Joe, Joe Talamo, 10-1; Ohio, Brice Blanc, 12-1; and Om, Flavien Prat, 3-1.

FIRST POST TIME SATURDAY IS 12 NOON; SAN VICENTE ON FS2 TV

Santa Anita will go with a special early first post time of 12 noon on Saturday. With a 10-race card on tap, highlighted by three graded stakes, the decision to move first post time up 30 minutes was made following the drawing of Saturday’s entries taken Wednesday morning.

With the Grade II, $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes carded as Saturday’s fourth race, the Grade III, $100,000 Thunder Road Stakes has been slotted as race five.

The Grade II, $200,000 San Vicente Stakes, which will showcase Derby hopefuls going seven furlongs, goes as Saturday’s sixth race, with approximate post time at 2:30 p.m.

The San Vicente will also be broadcast live nationally on Fox Sports 2 (FS2) as part of a series of races that serve as steppingstones to the 2018 Triple Crown. Fox Sports, the New York Racing Association and The Stronach Group are partners in “Fox Sports Saturday at the Races,” a new live program sponsored by Claiborne Farm.

FINISH LINES: Champion Abel Tasman and Faypien each worked four furlongs together in 47.80 for Bob Baffert at 7:45 Thursday morning, while multiple graded stakes-winning sprinter, Masochistic, who disappointed in the Cal Cup Sprint Stakes on Jan. 27 as the 7-10 favorite, also went four furlongs under Victor Espinoza for Baffert in a time of 47.20.

SANTA ANITA STATISTICS

(Current Through Sunday, Feb. 4)
Jockey Mts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won

Evin Roman 146 24 24 19 16% 46% $831,064
Flavien Prat 109 19 21 10 17% 46% $1,069,528
Rafael Bejarano 101 18 10 21 18% 49% $762,678
Kent Desormeaux 93 17 13 12 18% 45% $1,054,303
Tyler Baze 123 13 22 15 11% 41% $917,244
Joseph Talamo 99 13 10 11 13% 34% $620,188
Drayden Van Dyke 82 13 8 8 16% 35% $925,438
Tiago Pereira 88 9 11 6 10% 30% $414,700
Mario Gutierrez 59 9 5 9 15% 39% $556,767
Geovanni Franco 60 7 8 12 12% 45% $272,305
Stewart Elliott 80 6 12 5 8% 29% $312,773
Corey Nakatani 39 6 8 1 15% 38% $407,769
Mike Smith 39 6 6 5 15% 44% $766,078
Santiago Gonzalez 57 6 5 8 11% 33% $209,287
Rajiv Maragh 68 6 3 11 9% 29% $219,637
Tyler Conner 51 6 2 8 12% 31% $211,745

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

Peter Miller 64 14 16 8 22% 59% $764,144
Bob Baffert 48 12 7 4 25% 48% $766,499
Richard Baltas 73 10 11 10 14% 42% $594,436
Jerry Hollendorfer 60 9 5 10 15% 40% $492,556
William E. Morey 18 9 0 5 50% 78% $345,943
Vladimir Cerin 37 8 9 3 22% 54% $227,340
Doug O’Neill 64 8 8 10 13% 41% $571,657
Mark Glatt 42 7 7 4 17% 43% $321,165
John Sadler 53 7 6 7 13% 38% $595,940

Cover Photo: Bolt d’Oro; Zoe Metz/Clockers Corner

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.