SANTA ANITA STABLE NOTES FRIDAY, OCT. 04, 2019

By Ed Golden –=–

• SADLER BEGINS BUSY WEEKEND TODAY AT SANTA ANITA
• MIDNIGHT BISOU STIRS THE MIX FOR HORSE OF THE YEAR
• GINOBILI TRIES TURF IN ‘WIN AND YOU’RE IN’ SPEAKEASY

SADLER HAS THE NUMBERS, 19 ENTERED IN THREE DAYS

John Sadler, who has run eight horses the first four days of Santa Anita’s 23-day Autumn meet, continues his entry box binge today through this weekend with 19 more entered, seven of them in stakes.

“We have Flagstaff and Horse Greedy in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Saturday,” Sadler began. “Flagstaff is a very fast horse with good numbers, stepping up in class but we’ve got a good draw (four of six).

“Horse Greedy hasn’t started in three months–there wasn’t another race–so it looks tough for him, but he’s a nice horse, so we’ll give it a go.

“Catapult is in the City of Hope. He won the Grade I Shoemaker Mile last May and we ran him once at Del Mar (eighth in the Grade I Eddie Read on Aug. 18), but he was a little close to the pace in that race. We’ll back off on Saturday.

“Selcourt goes in the LA Woman, and all four of her wins have come at Santa Anita. She’s been freshened for four months, and we hope this will be a prep for the Breeders’ Cup ($1 million Filly & Mare Sprint at seven furlongs on Nov. 2).

“Yuvetsi makes her first start on the grass in a while (in the Springtime Stakes), and Lady Suebee (also in the Springtime) is coming off a sharp win in the Tranquility Lake.”

Overall, Sadler has six horses entered today, 11 on Saturday, and two on Sunday.

The Sprint Championship, race nine of 10 with a 12:30 p.m. first post time: $6,000 supplemental nominee One Flew South, Evin Roman, 30-1; Omaha Beach, Mike Smith, 8-5; Shancelot, Emisael Jaramillo, 4-5; Flagstaff, Victor Espinoza, 4-1; California Street, Drayden Van Dyke, 15-1; and Horse Greedy, Martin Pedroza, 15-1.

The City of Hope, race eight: Ohio, Norberto Arroyo Jr., 12-1; Synchrony, Joe Talamo, 5-1; True Valour, Drayden Van Dyke, 10-1; Restrainedvengence, Martin Garcia, 15-1; Big Score, Mike Smith, 10-1; Catapult, Rafael Bejarano, 5-1; River Boyne, Ruben Fuentes, 4-1; Kingly, Mario Gutierrez, 20-1; Prince Earl, Geovanni Franco, 7-2; Andesh, Abel Cedillo, 20-1; and Bolo, Tyler Baze, 6-1.

Ohio drew the rail for the sixth time in his last 12 races. “My owner told me the odds of that happening are 44,000 to one,” trainer Michael McCarthy said.

THREE STAKES FEATURED ON SATURDAY’S NBC SPORTS

Saturday’s NBC Sports Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series will present expanded coverage to include the Grade III LA Woman Stakes (scheduled post time 2:33 p.m. PT) incorporated into the regularly scheduled America’s Day at the Races Show.

America’s Day at the Races (4 to 5 p.m. PT) will cover the Santa Anita Sprint Championship with Laffit Pincay and Gary Stevens in studio and Michelle Yu reporting.

STREAKING MIDNIGHT BISOU HAS HORSE OF YEAR CREDENTIALS

With seven straight graded stakes win on her gaudy resume and a clouded picture in the handicap and three-year-old ranks, Midnight Bisou has emerged from the also-eligible list to the starting lineup among those vying for Horse of the Year honors.

“She’s very much in the conversation,” said part-owner Jeff Bloom, on hand at Santa Anita where the four-year-old filly trained by Steve Asmussen arrived Monday from Belmont Park to prepare for the $2 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 2.

“When you look at her body of work and the fact that she started in January of this year and has continued throughout, hopefully undefeated, it speaks for itself,” added Bloom, a San Diego native who rode for nine years, learning his trade at San Luis Rey Downs under the tutelage of former jockey Muzzy Francis.

“She’s had a stellar campaign and I think her performances put her right in there for Horse of the Year consideration. It’s a year where there isn’t an absolute clear-cut handicap horse, and the three-year-old division has been topsy-turvy all the way through.

“One horse has been consistent and it’s Midnight Bisou. She’s been solid from the get-go. It’s been the ride of a lifetime. Just as a fan, it’s been a remarkable experience to witness her greatness. She’s one of a kind.”

BALTAS HOPES GRASS IS GREENER IN ‘WIN AND YOU’RE IN’ SPEAKEASY

Ginobili tries the turf for the first time in his abbreviated career of three races when he starts in Sunday’s $100,000, Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Speakeasy Stakes for two-year-olds on the grass.

After breaking his maiden at nearly 20-1 at Del Mar on Aug. 3, the bay son of Munnings was fourth of eight in the Grade I Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 2.

“The horse is very fast and he’s bred a little bit for the turf,” trainer Richard Baltas said. “It’s a Win and You’re In and we thought it’d be an easier spot than stretching him out in the American Pharoah, and it does seem like he’s got a lot of gas.

“So it was either this or we send him back east. It might be the right move. We’ll see.”

The Speakeasy is race six on an eight-race program with a 12:30 p.m. first post time: Greg’s Diva, Tyler Baze, 9-2; Alfie Solomons, Victor Espinoza, 5-1; Commander, Abel Cedillo, 12-1; Mr. Tip, Sophie Doyle, 12-1; Bulletproof One, Norberto Arroyo Jr., 12-1; Ginobili, Drayden Van Dyke, 4-1; Raging Whiskey, Rafael Bejarano, 5-1; Square Deal, Flavien Prat, 5-1; Absolute Weapon, Martin Garcia, 30-1; Biddy Duke, Aaron Gryder, 12-1; and El Tigre Terrible, Ruben Fuentes, 8-1.

FINISH LINES: Citing illness, Flavien Prat took of his scheduled three mounts today. The Kentucky Derby-winning jockey has stakes engagements at Keeneland tomorrow . . . Effective immediately, agent Mike Ciani has taken the book of Aaron Gryder . . .Eastern based jockey Sophie Doyle, who will be at Santa Anita Sunday to ride Mr. Tip in the $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes, is also set to pilot Larry Jones-conditioned Street Band in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff here on Nov. 2 . . . Jockey Norberto Arroyo Jr. is expected to miss about two weeks after suffering minor injuries in a training mishap at San Luis Rey Downs on Wednesday . . . A special edition of America’s Day at the Races airs Saturday from 4 to 5 p.m. PT on FS2 featuring coverage of the City of Hope Mile (race eight) and the Grade I Santa Anita Sprint Championship (race nine). Earlier in the day, on the 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. edition of ADR, the LA Woman (race five) will be shown from Santa Anita with Michelle Yu reporting . . . Private clocker and bloodstock agent Gary Young and XBTV analyst Jeff Siegel will be Tom Quigley’s guests, Saturday and Sunday respectively, 11:20 a.m. in the XBTV studios.

LATEST CONTENT FROM XBTV:

All-Star Stronach 5 Ticket for October 4th, 2019

XBTV Friday: What to Watch for at Santa Anita Park on October 4th, 2019

FEATURES:

A Day in the Life With Exercise Rider Taylor Cambra at Santa Anita Park

Quick Questions With Trainer Eoin Harty: Part 1 of 2

Quick Questions With Eoin Harty: Part 2 of 2

WORK OUTS:

Midnight Bisou (Asmussen) 10/03/19

Roadster (Baffert) 10/03/19

Bolo (City of Hope Mile) (Gaines) 10/02/19

Shancelot (SA Sprint) (Navarro) 9/29/19

Omaha Beach (Outside) and Magic Rate (Mandella) 9/27/19

ABOUT SANTA ANITA PARK
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.

ABOUT THE STRONACH GROUP
The Stronach Group (TSG) is a world-class entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred horse racing at the core. The company’s mission is executed through the distinct but interconnected pillars of Racing and Gaming, Entertainment, Technology and Real Estate Development. TSG is dedicated to delivering the best in class Thoroughbred horse racing content and operations. The company holds some of the greatest brands in the industry including, Southern California’s Santa Anita Park, “The Great Race Place”; South Florida’s Gulfstream Park, home to the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series and retail destination, The Village at Gulfstream Park; Pimlico Race Course, home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Laurel Park and Rosecroft Raceway in Maryland; Oregon’s Portland Meadows; and the San Francisco Bay Area’s, Golden Gate Fields. TSG is a leader in digital and mobile wagering technology through its subsidiaries AmTote and Xpressbet and is a major distributor of horse racing content to a global audience through Monarch Content Management. The award winning Adena Springs is the breeding and training facility of The Stronach Group with stables in Kentucky, Florida and Ontario.