SANTA ANITA STABLE NOTES

By Ed Golden —-

• BOLT D’ORO ‘ON POINT’ FOR RICH SANTA ANITA DERBY
• KTLA MORNING NEWS AT SANTA ANITA ON THRUSDAY
• RACING MOURNS THE PASSING OF HACEK AND KOOBA
• APRIL 8 TELETHON WILL BENEFIT DISABLED JOCKEYS

BOLT D’ORO BREEZES FOR $1 MILLION SANTA ANITA DERBY

Leading Triple Crown contender Bolt d’Oro had his final major drill Sunday for next Saturday’s Santa Anita Derby, going five furlongs at 7:45 on an overcast Easter morning in 1:01.20 with former jockey Agapito Delgadillo in the saddle.

The $630,000 son of Medaglia d’Oro worked in company with MidnightHarbor, who was clocked in 1:01.60.
Owner/trainer Mick Ruis said the work was “good’ for the $1 million, Grade I Santa Anita Derby, the West Coast’s major steppingstone to the Kentucky Derby on May 5.

“He did everything he needed to do,” said private clocker Toby Turrell of Bolt d’Oro’s work. “He finished up real well and was under no real pressure at all. He was right on point.”

With the announcement Saturday that McKinzie will miss the Santa Anita Derby due to an issue on one of his hind legs, Bob Baffert could call an audible and enter undefeated budding superstar Justify in the race. A decision from the Hall of Fame trainer is expected after the son of Scat Daddy works Monday at Santa Anita

Ruis worked another Santa Anita Derby nominee Sunday in Orbit Rain, a son of 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb, who went five furlongs in 1:01.80 under Brice Blanc who will ride him in the race.

Also working Sunday for a possible start in the Santa Anita Derby was Pepe Tono for Victor Garcia who trains the son of Bodemeister for his father, owner “King” Juan Garcia. Pepe Tono went five furlongs in 1:01.20.

Entries for the Santa Anita Derby and six other stakes on the blockbuster 12-race card, including the Grade I Santa Anita Oaks, will be taken this Wednesday, April 4.

The Santa Anita Derby awards 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner, 40 to the runner-up, 20 for third and 10 for fourth. The winner’s share is $600,000. Second is worth $200,000, third $120,000 and fourth $50,000.

Ruis will participate in an NTRA national media teleconference this Tuesday at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. Other trainers of leading Triple Crown candidates listed to join in are Kiaran McLaughlin, trainer of Enticed (Wood Memorial April 7), and Mark Casse, trainer of Flameaway and Determinant (Blue Grass Stakes, also on April 7).

The toll-free dial in number is 1-866 215-0058. The confirmation code is 8151092.

Video link to view workout – https://www.xbtv.com/video/workout/bolt-doro-outside-and-midnight-harbor-worked-5-furlongs-at-santa-anita-park-on-april-1st-2018/. To view more workout videos, visit www.xbtv.com/.

KTLA MORNING NEWS AT SANTA ANITA NEXT THURSDAY

With the Santa Anita Derby less than a week away, the popular KTLA Morning News will be at Santa Anita next Thursday for a full morning of Derby Doings, including mingling with top jockeys and trainers to cutting edge Derby fare.

Beginning in the 5 a.m. hour and through up until 10 a.m., KTLA will be doing live, remote broadcast segments from Clockers’ Corner and Santa Anita’s Paddock Gardens area.

Among those scheduled to appear on Channel 5 are the Voice of Santa Anita, Michael Wrona, legendary Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay Jr., winner of the Santa Anita Derby seven times, and Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, also winner of a record seven Santa Anita Derbies.

TIME LINE OF EVENTS ON SANTA ANITA DERBY DAY

The Santa Anita Derby which has produced 17 Kentucky Derby winners, will be accompanied by on-track events, including the annual Santa Anita Derby 5k Run and Walk.

The time line and schedule of on-track events:

–4:30 a.m. Clockers’ Corner open for food service.
–6:30 a.m. Derby Day 5k Run & Walk race day registration begins in South parking lot.
–8 a.m. Derby Day 5k Run & Walk begins from Santa Anita starting gate in South lot.
–10 a.m. Admission gates open and all Thoroughbreds members will
receive a Santa Anita Derby Tee Shirt, free with paid admission. Attendees will receive “bounce backs,” good for free Club House admission April 8 or the following weekend.
–10 a.m. A number of events will be offered throughout the day, including Santa
Anita’s Trackside Derby Day Party, Woodford Reserve “View” Trackside VIP Party, exclusive 100-to-1 Club, Premium Turf Terrace package, Bud Light Lounge, Sky View package, Infield Family Fun Zone and the New Wave Matinee, featuring Totally 80’s Live Music, craft beer & food trucks in the Infield.
–12 noon first post time for a 12-race program that will include the Grade I Santa
Anita Derby, the Grade I Santa Anita Oaks, the Grade II Royal Heroine Stakes, the Grade III Providencia Stakes, the $200,000 Echo Eddie Stakes, the $200,000 Evening Jewel Stakes and the $100,000 Darley Award Arabian Stakes.
–12 noon. Undefeated middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin will
be on-hand throughout the day. The Santa Anita jockey colony will honor him with a birthday cake in a Winner’s Circle ceremony early in the day and he will present the winner’s trophy following the Santa Anita Derby.
–4:12 p.m. Santa Anita Derby approximate post time. The race will be shown live
on NBC Sports Net, with the telecast airing from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. PT. Hosted by Laffit Pincay, who will be assisted on set by Randy Moss and Jerry Bailey. Donna Brothers and Eddie Olczyk are also part of the broadcast team.
–5:05 p.m. Approximate post time for $100,000, Grade I Sheikh Mansoor
Festival/Arabian Race, which will be accompanied by a Best Dressed Competition and other prizes, including a trip giveaway to Madrid, Spain and Abu Dhabi.
For additional information, visit www.santaanita.com/events or call (626) 574-RACE.

LEGENDARY AGENT HARRY (THE HAT) HACEK DIES

The racing world Sunday mourned the passing of colorful and charismatic agent Harry (The Hat) Hacek, who died Saturday afternoon in a hospice facility near Hot Springs, Arkansas, not far from Oaklawn Park where he had lived in an apartment.

He was believed to be in his early 70s, according to fellow agent Vic Lipton, “my best friend for 30 years.”

Among riding greats Hacek represented through his career were Steve Cauthen, Eddie Delahoussaye, Kent Desormeaux, Garrett Gomez, Sandy Hawley, Darrel McHargue, Craig Perret, Larry Snyder and Alex Solis, “and he started most of them from scratch,” Lipton said.

Hacek had been in failing health for some time, suffering from diabetes.

Said agent Jim Pegram, currently representing Tyler Conner: “I learned a lot from Harry the Hat when I first started in 1990 at Golden Gate Fields. He took me under his wing, and he was a legend, no question, a total legend.

“He was the ultimate race tracker, for sure.”

SANTA ANITA REMEMBERS LATE TRAINER PAUL KOOBA

Saturday’s sixth race was named in honor of former trainer Paul Kooba, who passed away Feb. 17 in Temecula following a lengthy illness at the age of 82. A popular figure on this circuit for several decades, Kooba was most recently in charge of the Quarantine Barn at Hollywood Park.

A standout receiver at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, where he was a frequent battery-mate of eventual American Football League MVP and highly respected U.S. Congressman Jack Kemp, legend has it the team’s battle cry was “Kemp to Kooba!” A consummate gentleman, Kooba was quick with a smile and light-hearted by nature.

FINISH LINES: Thanks to box car payoffs permeating Saturday’s card, there are carryovers on Sunday of $71,591 in the Pick Six; $188,432 in the single ticket Jackpot Pick Six; and $22,960 in the Super High Five . . . Trainer David Bernstein has Santa Anita’s leading stakes rider this meet Tyler Baze back on promising Smiling Tigress for next Saturday’s $200,000 Evening Jewel Stakes, one of seven stakes offered on the blockbuster card that starts at 12 noon. Baze has 10 stakes wins this meet, one more than runners-up Mike Smith and Kent Desormeaux . . .There were 205 recorded workouts at Santa Anita Sunday, including ones by stakes winners Itsinthepost (four furlongs in 49 flat for Jeff Mullins), Paved (four furlongs in 50.40 for Michael McCarthy) and come-backing Enola Gray (six furlongs in 1:13.40 for Phil D’Amato) . . . Agent Matt Nakatani has father Corey booked to ride at Keeneland next Sunday, April 8, through Friday, April 13, with mounts for Richard Baltas on Gas Station Sushi in the Beaumont, Treasury for Simon Callaghan in the Appalachian and Next Shares for Baltas in the Maker’s 46 Mile . . . Leading rider Evin Roman worked Remington Park stakes winner Grayvitos seven furlongs Sunday in 1:27.80 at Del Mar. The Adam Kitchingman trainee is ticketed for the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland April 14. . . .Fans wishing to attend Clockers’ Corner on Santa Anita Derby Day are advised that Baldwin Ave. will be closed to vehicular traffic between the 210 Freeway and Huntington Drive from 7:45 a.m. until 9 a.m. in order to accommodate foot traffic related to Santa Anita’s annual Derby Day 5k Run and Walk. Those visiting Clockers’ Corner Derby Day morning can enter the track at Santa Anita’s northeastern perimeter via Gate 5, or on the track’s southern perimeter, via Gate 3 at Holly Avenue . . . Santa Anita will be closed for live racing Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but be open for simulcast racing Wednesday with free admission and free parking. Admission gates open at 10 a.m. Live racing resumes Thursday, April 5, with first post time at 12 noon.

SANTA ANITA STATISTICS

(Current Through Saturday, March 31)
Jockey Mts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won

Evin Roman 295 45 49 48 15% 48% $1,596,144
Flavien Prat 219 41 47 27 19% 53% $2,363,713
Drayden Van Dyke 159 35 19 18 22% 45% $2,114,857
Tyler Baze 270 34 43 35 13% 41% $2,110,069
Kent Desormeaux 152 31 17 18 20% 43% $1,591,876
Joseph Talamo 203 30 24 32 15% 42% $1,334,133
Rafael Bejarano 181 29 20 33 16% 45% $1,254,076
Geovanni Franco 167 25 22 22 15% 41% $1,212,552
Corey Nakatani 102 18 20 11 18% 48% $1,394,160
Mike Smith 79 18 14 9 23% 52% $1,734,878
Stewart Elliott 158 17 16 13 11% 29% $679,282
Tyler Conner 126 17 9 17 13% 34% $576,840
Tiago Pereira 165 16 22 21 10% 36% $779,149
Rajiv Maragh 153 15 19 18 10% 34% $774,132
Franklin Ceballos 75 13 10 12 17% 47% $299,055
Mario Gutierrez 109 11 14 16 10% 38% $831,512
Santiago Gonzalez 106 11 7 14 10% 30% $379,561
Victor Espinoza 76 9 10 10 12% 38% $1,128,388
Martin Pedroza 86 8 11 14 9% 38% $338,558
Alonso Quinonez 90 8 10 4 9% 24% $279,050

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

Bob Baffert 105 31 18 12 30% 58% $1,878,888
Peter Miller 138 28 32 18 20% 57% $1,513,504
Richard Baltas 164 27 26 18 16% 43% $1,512,480
Philip D’Amato 126 20 22 18 16% 48% $1,616,594
Jerry Hollendorfer 125 19 14 18 15% 41% $1,129,306
Doug O’Neill 136 17 21 18 13% 41% $1,046,879
John Sadler 127 17 13 20 13% 39% $1,510,958
Vladimir Cerin 70 17 13 7 24% 53% $478,355
Mark Glatt 82 12 12 12 15% 44% $542,540
William E. Morey 39 11 3 11 28% 64% $460,883
Robert Hess, Jr. 71 10 10 7 14% 38% $328,801
Hector Palma 50 9 8 6 18% 46% $330,895
J. Keith Desormeaux 45 9 6 8 20% 51% $321,339
Mike Puype 57 9 5 8 16% 39% $423,046
Steven Miyadi 69 8 14 9 12% 45% $413,495
Richard Mandella 67 8 13 11 12% 48% $607,145
Jeff Mullins 63 8 9 9 13% 41% $733,275
Michael McCarthy 43 8 6 6 19% 47% $697,680
Neil Drysdale 38 8 4 6 21% 47% $386,740

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.