SANTA ANITA STABLE NOTES
By Ed Golden —-
• CLOCKER SEES BRIGHT MIDNIGHT IN BC WORKERS
• ARIZONA INVADER IN SALTY AUTUMN MISS STAKES
• RESTRAINEDVENGENCE WORKS FOR LURE STAKES
MIDNIGHT BISOU SPARKLES AMONG BC BREEZERS
Gary Young has observed Breeders’ Cup horses up close and personal on a professional level since the inception of the championship events at Hollywood Park in 1984.
The respected private clocker and bloodstock agent is back on the beat in his Club House perch at Santa Anita these days, scrutinizing daily workouts by the best of the best readying for the Breeders’ Cup that will be held Nov. 1 and 2 at The Great Race Place for a record 10th time.
Of the Breeders’ Cup workers he’s seen thus far at Santa Anita, Midnight Bisou has made the most indelible impression.
“Considering what a strenuous campaign she’s had, she looks terrific,” Young said of the five-year-old daughter of Midnight Lute, undefeated in her seven races this year, all graded stakes, three of them Grade I’s.
“Steve Asmussen (her trainer) has had success bringing horses in here early, sometimes three weeks in advance, rather than right on top of their races. It worked with him for Gun Runner (2017 Classic winner at Del Mar) and others.
“I liked the way Mitole (Sprint) has worked (five furlongs Tuesday in a bullet 58.80, handily from the gate for Asmussen). If you didn’t like that, you don’t like ice cream.
“Catalina Cruiser has trained terrific for the Sprint, and with (Jorge) Navarro’s horse (Shancelot), Imperial Hint and Mitole, off of his last workout, there might not be a meltdown, but a very serious pace that might help a closer and the logical one would be Catalina Cruiser.
“I couldn’t knock McKinzie’s work for the Classic (seven furlongs Tuesday in a bullet 58.80 from the gate), but I would like him better going a mile and an eighth rather than a mile and a quarter (Classic distance).
“This is nothing against Mongolian Groom (who defeated McKinzie by 2 ¼ lengths in the Awesome Again Stakes on Sept. 28), but McKinzie was beaten by a horse that was not going to be one of the favorites in the Classic (25-1 when he won the Awesome Again).
“Where I go in the Classic, I don’t know. There are still a lot of horses that probably will ship in right on top of the race and I won’t have a lot of time to observe.
“The two-year-old races (on Nov. 1) look like an interesting battle of east versus west. Usually the west has more than held its own when the races are run here, but I don’t know if this year’s crop is going to be that strong.
“Omaha Beach (Dirt Mile) worked well (five furlongs Wednesday in a bullet 59.60), but he had a hard race off a layoff (winning the Santa Anita Sprint Championship by a head over Shancelot on Oct. 5), and he’s running back in three weeks.
“He’s a very, very good horse and a mile might be good for him, but the post will be very important in that race as it always is, because the race starts close to the Club House turn.”
“That said, I’m happy the Breeders’ Cup is here, I don’t have to travel, and I hope everything goes well. I remember the first one at Hollywood Park, and it was really big and it’s continued to grow.
“I’m glad it’s back at Santa Anita, even though it’s been a tumultuous year.”
IN OTHER BREEDERS’ CUP NEWS:
Mike Smith is understandably high on Midnight Bisou, since he has ridden her in 14 of her 18 career starts, winning 10. He’ll be back aboard in the $2 million Longines Distaff Nov. 2 and anticipates continued success.
“She’s been working well,” the 54-year-old Hall of Fame member said. “She’s just
getting prettier every day. It’s crazy, man. She’s just starting to blossom and she’s only four.”
Among Breeders’ Cup candidates expected to breeze Friday morning are American Theorem and Storm the Court (Juvenile); Lazy Daisy, Comical, Donna Veloce and Two Sixty (Juvenile Fillies); Legends of War (Turf Sprint); War of Will (Classic); and Encoder (Juvenile Turf Sprint).
The Arcadia weather forecast on Nov. 1 and 2 calls for sunny skies, a high temperature of 81 degrees and zero percent chance of precipitation, in other words, perfect.
METZ BRINGS IN ‘BIG’ LONGSHOT FROM ARIZONA FOR AUTUMN MISS
After two straight wins against restricted competition in Arizona, Free My Soul tackles Grade III company Saturday in the $100,000 Autumn Miss Stakes, a salty event at a mile on grass that drew a full field of 12 plus one also eligible.
It will be the first start in eight months for the Kentucky-bred daughter of Hard Spun, who last raced on Feb. 16.
“She’s a real big filly, almost 17 hands,” said trainer Jeff Metz of the bay, winner of three races at Turf Paradise, including the Arizona Oaks on the main track and the JJ Coady Sr. Stakes at 5 ½ furlongs on turf.
“We wanted to run at a mile to give her plenty of distance, although it is a tough spot for a comeback race. But with a three-year-old filly that’s kind of out of conditions, this is a last chance to run against three-year-olds.
“We took the summer off with her and brought her here to run in the spring, but races were canceled, so we turned her out and freshened her up . . . she came around quicker than we anticipated, she’s a big filly, drew the outside post and Martin Garcia’s been working her.”
The Autumn Miss, race seven of nine with a 12:30 p.m. first post time: Apache Princess, Kent Desormeaux, 12-1; Alittlelesstalk, Tyler Baze, 30-1; Hidden Message, Flavien Prat, 5-2; K P Slickem, Jorge Velez, 20-1; Keeper Ofthestars, Abel Cedillo, 5-1; Solent, Mike Smith, 8-1; Great Sister Diane, Jeffrey Sanchez, 6-1; Holly Hundy, Norberto Arroyo Jr., 15-1; Mucho Unusual, Victor Espinoza, 6-1; Giza Goddess, Brice Blanc, 8-1; Strike At Dawn, Drayden Van Dyke, 8-1; Free My Soul, Martin Garcia, 30-1; and alsoeligible Raymundos Secret, Geovanni Franco, 4-1.
FINISH LINES: Restrainedvengence, who missed registering a 43-1 upset victory by a head in the Grade II City of Hope Mile on Oct. 5 under Martin Garcia for trainer Val Brinkerhoff, worked five furlongs this morning with Garcia up in 1:00.20 for the $70,000 Lure Stakes next Thursday . . . Fans can support a worthwhile cause during Bash at the Breeders’ Cup, a fundraiser for Thoroughbred aftercare on Friday, Nov. 1. Join Breeders’ Cup at The Langham in Pasadena for one of a kind memorabilia. All proceeds benefit Thoroughbred Charities of America. For tickets, please visit breederscup.com.
LATEST CONTENT FROM XBTV:
XBTV Thursday: What to Watch for at Santa Anita Park on October 23rd, 2019
Stronach 5 All-Star Ticket for October 25th, 2019
FEATURES:
Candid Conversation With Hall of Famer Mike Smith: Part 1 – The Beginning
Candid Conversation With Hall of Famer Mike Smith: Part 2
Breeders’ Cup Memories: Beholder Leads All the Way in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies
Breeders’ Cup Memories: Goldikova Accelerates to Victory in the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Mile
Breeders’ Cup Memories: Zenyatta Blows Away Her Competition in the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Distaff
BREEDERS’ CUP WORK OUTS:
Blue Chipper (Young) 10-24-19
Croughavouke (Yellow Cap) (Mullins) 10-24-19
La Force (Gallagher) 10-24-19
Omaha Beach (Mandella) 10-23-19
Wrecking Crew (Miller) 10-23-19
Wicked Whisper (Black Cap) and Shoplifted (Blue Cap) (Asmussen) 10-23-19
Seeking the Soul (Stewart) 10-22-19
McKinzie (Baffert) 10-22-19
Yoshida (Mott) 10-22-19
Bast (Inside) and Hot Sean (Baffert) 10-22-19
Mitole (Asmussen) 10-22-19
SANTA ANITA STATISTICS
(Current Through Sunday, Oct. 20)
Jockey Mts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won
Abel Cedillo 89 15 12 11 17% 43% $974,623
Flavien Prat 56 14 9 15 25% 68% $805,516
Jorge Velez 69 12 11 8 17% 45% $414,142
Rafael Bejarano 50 9 9 11 18% 58% $452,342
Drayden Van Dyke 41 8 5 5 20% 44% $564,116
J.C. Diaz, Jr. 41 7 4 3 17% 34% $248,782
Evin Roman 37 7 2 3 19% 32% $224,026
Geovanni Franco 42 5 6 6 12% 40% $271,665
Martin Garcia 43 5 6 3 12% 33% $220,060
Mike Smith 24 5 2 1 21% 33% $584,738
Trainer Sts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won
Doug O’Neill 64 18 10 7 28% 55% $756,613
Philip D’Amato 41 10 4 5 24% 46% $792,204
Bob Baffert 26 7 3 3 27% 50% $649,313
Peter Miller 27 6 3 4 22% 48% $304,992
John Sadler 38 5 7 7 13% 50% $329,487
Richard Baltas 39 4 9 10 10% 59% $395,699
Richard Mandella 23 4 3 6 17% 57% $390,424
Jeff Mullins 25 4 2 6 16% 48% $185,286
Mark Glatt 30 3 8 2 10% 43% $210,242
Hector Palma 17 3 4 1 18% 47% $92,743
J. Keith Desormeaux 15 3 3 3 20% 60% $102,375
Jack Carava 17 3 2 5 18% 59% $76,503
Simon Callaghan 14 3 2 3 21% 57% $240,633
John Shirreffs 10 3 2 1 30% 60% $227,262
Craig Anthony Lewis 13 3 2 0 23% 38% $110,555
Vann Belvoir 12 3 0 3 25% 50% $47,882
Andrew Lerner 14 3 0 1 21% 29% $67,117
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.