SANTA ANITA STABLE NOTES FRIDAY, MAY 18, 2018

By Ed Golden —-

• ONLY ONE HORSE CAN BEAT JUSTIFY– JUSTIFY
• MOONLESS SKY IS SET FOR FRAN’S VALENTINE
• ASA ESPINOZA ENJOYS HIS FIRST-EVER TRIPLE

TRIPLE CROWN AWAITS JUSTIFY, CLOCKER SAYS

Paraphrasing FDR, the only thing Justify has to fear is Justify himself.

Saturday’s Preakness Stakes and beyond that the Belmont Stakes on June 9 is Justify’s for the taking, in the mind and eyes of private Santa Anita-based clocker Andy Harrington.

“I can’t see him losing, honestly,” Harrington said of the undefeated Santa Anita Derby winner, who captured the Kentucky Derby by 2 ½ lengths on May 5.

“There are no new shooters in the Preakness, he drew perfect, he likes the track and one more noteworthy thing, among others, is that he runs really well through turns.

“That’s where he makes almost all his moves and that’s where he puts his competition away. Pimlico has notoriously tight turns and that will really suit his style. There’s not that much speed in the race, so that should also be in his favor, although he can sit off of it if need be.

“I just don’t see him losing. The only that’s going to beat Justify is Justify.”

Fair enough, but should the expected occur, can he go on and win the Belmont Stakes and become history’s 13th Triple Crown winner, and the second in four years for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, joining American Pharoah in 2015?

“He’ll win the Belmont if he gets there,” Harrington said. “Every time they throw another hurdle at him, he overcomes it, from seven furlongs to a mile to a mile and an eighth to a mile and a quarter, he handles it with consummate ease and confidence.

“It’s amazing. It’s like he doesn’t even know what he’s doing, he’s so good. Right now he’s a big kid who’s getting better, and he’ll get better in the Belmont. He’ll develop more. He carries an immense amount of weight and he’s held it well.

“It doesn’t seem like he’s done anything but move forward during his campaign, including in his gallops . . . I think he’ll win the Triple Crown.”

The 143rd Preakness at one and 3/16 miles at Pimlico with a 3:20 p.m. Pacific post time: Quip, Florent Geroux, 12-1; Lone Sailor, Irad Ortiz Jr., 15-1; Sporting Chance, Luis Contreras, 30-1; Diamond King, Javier Castellano, 30-1; Good Magic, Jose Ortiz Jr., 3-1; Tenfold, Ricardo Santana, 20-1; Justify, Mike Smith, 1-2; and Bravazo, Luis Saez, 20-1.

Fans can enjoy Preakness Day at Santa Anita, which offers live music, Michelada flavors, a Michelada Rumble in the Infield, a trackside beer festival, brunch in the FrontRunner, a two-day Preakness betting challenge, the Bud Light Lounge and the Family Fun Zone. Tickets can be purchased at www.santaanita.com/events. Must be 21 or older.

IT’S ALL IN THE PAPPAS FAMILY FOR MOONLESS SKY

Moonless Sky, second in last year’s Fran’s Valentine Stakes despite a troubled trip, hopes to land in the winner’s circle in Saturday’s edition of the $100,000 race at a mile on turf for California-bred or sired fillies and mares, three and older.

“She hasn’t run since January,” said Eddie Truman, who trains the five-year-old Bold Chieftain mare for Pappas Racing. “She just was tired, so we backed off on her a little bit.

Ideally, we wanted to have a race about a month ago, but the timing didn’t work out with the weather and all, so we decided to go into this race cold and see what happens.”

Truman has had horses for Pappas Racing “off and on for several years. They’re friends of mine, and their whole family, about 40 people, will come out for Saturday’s race, the kids, the grandkids, everybody. They just love it.

“They’re from Oregon, and Nick (Pappas) actually lives out here in Upland. He has his factories out here near Victorville and in Roseburg, Oregon. They did the concrete sculpture work all around the edge of Sirona’s (Sports Bar at Santa Anita)”

The field for the Fran’s Valentine, race nine of 12 with a 12 noon first post time: Speakers, Drayden Van Dyke, 12-1; Halo Darlin, Stewart Elliott, 12-1; Cheekaboo, Rafael Bejarano, 6-1; Coco Kisses, Gary Stevens, 30-1; Lynn’s Legacy, Kyle Frey, 15-1; Moonless Sky, Kent Desormeaux, 7-2; Desert Steel, Brice Blanc, 12-1; supplemental nominee Cordiality, Tyler Baze, 6-1; Shy Carmelita, Joe Talamo, 6-1; supplemental nominee How About Zero, Mario Gutierrez, 4-1; and Barbara Beatrice, Tiago Pereira, 5-1.

FINISH LINES: Congratulations to Asa Espinoza on posting his first-ever triple yesterday, winning with Princess Leia ($6.40) for Rafael Becerra in the fourth race, Mojgan ($29) for Richard Baltas in the sixth and Time and Chance ($15.60) for Bill Morey in the seventh. “It feels pretty good,” the 18-year-old nephew of Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza said Friday morning at Clockers’ Corner. “My hard work is paying off That was the first time I’ve won three in one day.” Asa, who has been riding since February, is fourth in Santa Anita’s Spring Meet standings with 12 wins through 19 racing days and the meet’s leading apprentice rider . . . Leading trainer Phil D’Amato has Bowies Hero (Corey Nakatani) and Hunt (Flavien Prat) set for the Grade I, Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Shoemaker Mile on Memorial Day, May 28, while Kenjisstorm is a possibility Other likely starters include Colonist (Drayden Van Dyke) and Om (Joe Talamo). Om worked five furlongs this morning for Dan Hendricks in 1:01.20 with Talamo up . . . Trainer Michael McCarthy says “everything is in play” for Gold Cup at Santa Anita nominee City of Light, who is scheduled to breeze this weekend in advance of his next race. City of Light is a winner of four of seven starts, the last three in a row, including the Malibu and Triple Bend, both Grade I’s at seven furlongs, and the Grade II Oaklawn Handicap at a mile and an eighth . . . Team Hollendorfer is weighing its options with Instilled Regard, who is enjoying 30 days on a Kentucky farm after outrunning his odds as the longest shot at 85-1 in the Kentucky Derby, where he finished a troubled fourth behind Justify. Jerry Hollendorfer assistant Dan Ward said Laz Barrera winner Kanthaka, meanwhile, is ticketed for Belmont Park and the June 9 Woody Stephens at seven furlongs, a distance at which the son of Jimmy Creed is unbeaten in three starts . . . There is a massive Single Ticket Pick Six Jackpot carryover today of $495,962 . . . Pro player Duke Matties and TVG host/analyst Mike Joyce will be Tom Quigley’s guests, 10:50 a.m. Saturday and 11:20 a.m. Sunday, respectively, in the East Paddock Gardens.

SANTA ANITA STATISTICS

(Current Through Thursday, May 17)
Jockey Mts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won

Flavien Prat 69 19 11 9 28% 57% $803,006
Geovanni Franco 89 16 11 10 18% 42% $584,932
Joseph Talamo 71 14 11 9 20% 48% $612,190
Asa Espinoza 69 12 9 10 17% 45% $336,886
Tiago Pereira 67 11 4 11 16% 39% $328,829
Mario Gutierrez 45 10 7 9 22% 58% $486,080
Tyler Baze 89 9 18 8 10% 39% $525,155
Franklin Ceballos 75 9 6 7 12% 29% $242,218
Drayden Van Dyke 57 8 10 7 14% 44% $436,298
Stewart Elliott 74 8 9 6 11% 31% $413,660
Martin Pedroza 47 7 8 7 15% 47% $219,150
Edwin Maldonado 54 5 12 10 9% 50% $222,625
Tyler Conner 68 4 10 13 6% 40% $265,275
Brayan Pena 34 4 6 5 12% 44% $130,670
Martin Garcia 26 4 0 4 15% 31% $188,025

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

Philip D’Amato 48 13 7 14 27% 71% $607,568
Doug O’Neill 47 12 8 9 26% 62% $544,420
Peter Miller 52 10 5 8 19% 44% $477,336
Mike Puype 19 8 2 1 42% 58% $224,735
Richard Baltas 43 7 9 4 16% 47% $346,237
David Jacobson 26 7 3 4 27% 54% $158,735
Peter Eurton 24 7 2 2 29% 46% $228,515
Vladimir Cerin 21 7 1 3 33% 52% $200,550
John Sadler 48 5 12 7 10% 50% $307,006
Steven Miyadi 28 5 6 4 18% 54% $139,285
Jerry Hollendorfer 38 5 5 4 13% 37% $257,185
Bob Baffert 21 5 5 1 24% 52% $359,865
Genaro Vallejo 13 5 3 0 38% 62% $109,690
Simon Callaghan 16 5 2 0 31% 44% $191,840
Neil Drysdale 19 5 2 0 26% 37% $166,570

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.