SANTA ANITA STABLE NOTES SUNDAY, OCT. 13, 2019

By Ed Golden —-

• SADDLE OR MIC, STEVENS TAKES IT IN STRIDE
• HOT SIRE CLUBHOUSE RIDE TO LEGACY RANCH
• MANDELLA PONDERS RACE FOR OMAHA BEACH
• TRIPLE VAULTS APPRENTICE VELEZ INTO FIRST

STEVENS HAS FOND MEMORIES PAST AND PRESENT

Gary Stevens didn’t call it a career on his own terms, but blessed with a good head on his shoulders with an affinity for common sense, he knew when told to retire or else, he did.
The advice he received was unquestionably sound.
He didn’t quibble.
“It’s long gone,” Stevens said with genuine resolve of his four decades-long Hall of Fame riding career in which he reached plateaus few riders conjure up in their wildest dreams.
“It would have been different if I had to make the decision, but when the doctor makes it for you and tells you what the circumstances will be if you hit the deck again, it makes it pretty simple and I’ve accepted it.”
Stevens retired on Nov. 20 of last year after suffering a spinal injury at Del Mar three days earlier. Doctors said it could lead to a serious issue if he were to fall, and that was that, although Gary’s success has been intertwined with significant injuries in the past that caused several retirements.
On Feb. 7 of this year, he joined NYRA and Fox Sports as racing analyst, making his debut on Fox Sports Saturday at the Races this spring.
As for his life behind the mic, Gary said he is “pretty much done for the year now. I did my last show last weekend and will start back up probably in February. The NYRA gig went really well, and my summer at Saratoga was one I’ll never forget.
“Being on the other side of the grandstand there was exciting. I saw some great racing, it was great to cover it, and I was very happy there.”
Regarding the upcoming Breeders’ Cup which will be hosted by Santa Anita for a record 10th time on Nov. 1 and 2, Stevens sees the event in the main as wholly competitive.
“The picture is wide open in some divisions,” Stevens said, “specifically the Sprint and the Classic, and it will be interesting to see how Billy Mott’s mare Equate fares against males if she runs in the Classic.
“We’ll see if Midnight Bisou can remain unbeaten this year when she runs in the Distaff, and everyone is wondering where (Richard) Mandella will run Omaha Beach. The Breeders’ Cup is something people point for. That’s why it’s super-competitive.
“It’s a great time of the year.”
Stevens was never one to put all his eggs in one basket. He received rave reviews for his acting debut portraying George Woolf in the 2003 hit film “Seabiscuit,” earned plaudits for his contribution on the HBO series “Luck,” was named one of the world’s 50 sexiest men by People Magazine, and even had a brief stint as a trainer.
He won nine Triple Crown races, three in each leg, and was elected to racing’s Hall of Fame in 1997. On any path, it’s been a wild ride.
“I’m 56 years old and it was a great career,” Stevens said. “I’m proud of it and glad that I had the experience, but now it’s just a new chapter in my life.
“I bought a yearling at the Saratoga sales and started the Gary Stevens Racing Club, sent the colt to Wesley Ward in Florida and I’m looking forward to seeing if we can make it to Ascot next year”

HOT STALLION CLUBHOUSE RIDE MOVING TO LEGACY RANCH

Trainer Craig Lewis, who conditioned multiple stakes winner Clubhouse Ride, currently one the hottest sires in California, reports he will stand at Legacy Ranch in Clements, California for the upcoming breeding season with a fee of $3,500.
Previously, the son of Candy Ride stood at Harris Farms for $2,500.
“I think it’s more than reasonable with the success he’s had to only raise it a thousand dollars,” Lewis said.
Clubhouse Ride also is the leading California two-year-old sire by far, with nine wins from 14 starts and earnings of $369,000. One of those two-year-olds is Warren’s Showtime, who captured the Surfer Girl Stakes on Oct. 6 against open company, returning $72.
Clubhouse Ride also is the leading California second crop sire.
Latest figures had progeny of Clubhouse Ride winning 17 of their last 25 starts, a remarkable 64 percent. “We are in for one hell of ride,” enthused Rick Seidner, part owner of Clubhouse Ride.

FINISH LINES: No decision from Richard Mandella this morning on which Breeders’ Cup race Omaha Beach will enter: the Sprint, the Dirt Mile or the Classic. “No news,” the trainer said. “He’s doing great but I haven’t figured it out yet.” . . . With a consecutive triple in races two through four yesterday, 21-year-old apprentice Jorge Velez took a 9-8 lead over Abel Cedillo and Drayden Van Dyke in the race for Santa Anita’s Autumn Meet jockey title . . . The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) monthly meeting scheduled for Oct. 24 has been canceled due to commissioner unavailability. The next meeting is set for Nov. 21 in Del Mar . . . Craig O’Bryan, agent for Tyler Baze, will be Tom Quigley’s guest 11:20 a.m. Monday in the XBTV studios . . . Tomorrow, Columbus Day, is a stake-less day at Santa Anita, although meat will be offered in the form of $2 hot dogs in addition to beer and soda for just a buck on Dollar Day. First post time on the holiday program is 12:30 p.m. Admission gates open at 10:30 a.m.

LATEST CONTENT FROM XBTV:

XBTV Sunday: What to Watch for at Santa Anita Park on October 13th, 2019

FEATURES:

A Candid Conversation With Jockey Flavien Prat: Part 1 of 2

A Candid Conversation With Jockey Flavien Prat: Part 2 of 2
WORK OUTS:

Secret Spice (Outside) and My Journey (Baltas) 10/13/19

Catalina Cruiser (Sadler) 10/12/19

Higher Power (Sadler) 10/12/19

Ollie’s Candy (Sadler) 10/12/19

American Theorem (Outside) and Knifes Edge (Papaprodromou) 10/11/19

Bellafina (Callaghan) 10/11/19

Seeking the Soul (Stewart) 10/11/19

Draft Pick (Outside) and Storm the Court (Eurton) 10/11/19

Roadster (Outside) and Leading Score (Baffert) 10/10/19

McKinzie (Baffert) 10/10/19

SANTA ANITA STATISTICS
(Current Through Saturday, Oct. 12)
Jockey Mts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won

Jorge Velez 46 9 8 1 20% 39% $283,396
Abel Cedillo 58 8 9 7 14% 41% $720,369
Drayden Van Dyke 36 8 4 4 22% 44% $544,234
Evin Roman 24 6 2 0 25% 33% $178,902
Flavien Prat 37 5 7 13 14% 68% $553,673
Rafael Bejarano 34 4 8 6 12% 53% $277,459
Tiago Pereira 27 4 5 6 15% 56% $182,938
Geovanni Franco 31 4 5 5 13% 45% $220,011
Martin Garcia 24 4 3 0 17% 29% $125,843
Mike Smith 22 4 1 1 18% 27% $544,538
Mario Gutierrez 22 3 4 3 14% 45% $162,157
Edwin Maldonado 20 3 4 2 15% 45% $122,288
J.C. Diaz, Jr. 28 3 3 2 11% 29% $125,541
Ruben Fuentes 35 3 2 5 9% 29% $210,930
Tyler Baze 13 3 0 2 23% 38% $107,014

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

Doug O’Neill 41 12 7 4 29% 56% $516,819
Philip D’Amato 27 8 2 3 30% 48% $681,740
Bob Baffert 19 6 3 1 32% 53% $592,633
John Sadler 32 4 5 5 13% 44% $273,547
Peter Miller 20 4 3 3 20% 50% $229,188
Richard Baltas 34 3 7 8 9% 53% $340,499
Richard Mandella 18 3 2 5 17% 56% $343,362
Jeff Mullins 21 3 2 4 14% 43% $163,996
Craig Anthony Lewis 11 3 2 0 27% 45% $107,204
Simon Callaghan 12 3 1 3 25% 58% $221,853
Mark Glatt 20 2 7 2 10% 55% $137,798
John Shirreffs 9 2 2 1 22% 56% $197,262
Hector Palma 14 2 2 1 14% 36% $55,343
Vann Belvoir 9 2 0 3 22% 56% $33,832
Ryan Hanson 5 2 0 0 40% 40% $21,953

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.