Santa Anita Stable Notes Friday, April 23, 2021

By Ed Golden —-

STABLE NOTES BY ED GOLDEN
FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021

ROCK YOUR WORLD IN DERBY DRILL SATURDAY
BAFFERT EYES SEVENTH WIN IN RUN FOR ROSES
WONG HOPES SANTA MARGARITA TIMING IS OK
ACCLIMATE VS. CAL-BREDS IN CRYSTAL WATER

EARLY BREEZE SATURDAY FOR ROCK YOUR WORLD

Undefeated Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World is scheduled to have his final workout Saturday at Santa Anita for the 147th Kentucky Derby on May 1.

Trainer John Sadler plans to breeze the $650,000 Candy Ride colt at 6:30 and ship Sunday to Kentucky.

“It will probably be five-eighths or three-quarters,” Sadler said of the work distance. “It will be determined in the morning.”

Cerapio Figueroa will be aboard Rock Your World, who won his first two races on turf before leading throughout the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 3, winning by 4 1/4 lengths.

Rock Your World is owned by the brothers Kosta and Peter Hronis and Talia Racing, and was bred by Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally and his wife, Debbie.

Rock Your World will attempt to become the 20th horse to run in the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby and go on to capture the Kentucky Derby.

Sadler also plans to leave for Kentucky on Sunday, although not on the same plane with Rock Your World.

MEDINA SPIRIT EN ROUTE TO KENTUCKY

Medina Spirit, runner-up to Rock Your World in the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, had his final workout this past Saturday at Santa Anita for the Kentucky Derby on May 1, going six furlongs in 1:12.20 for Bob Baffert, who is seeking his seventh win in the world’s most famous race.

“He went nice, came out of his work well, and he’s on the plane to Kentucky right now,” Baffert said at 8:30 Friday morning.

Baffert trainee Hozier, runner-up in the Rebel Stakes, worked six furlongs Friday at Churchill Downs in 1:16 flat for a possible start in the Kentucky Derby.

Meanwhile Grade I Malibu Stakes winner Charlatan, who had been ticketed for the Grade I Churchill Downs at seven furlongs on May 1, will pass the race.

“He’s not quite ready,” Baffert said of the rapid son of Speightstown. “I went ahead and shipped him . . . but he’s not quite ready for that.”

Baffert, a two-time Triple Crown winner who could have been a three-time winner had not Real Quiet lost the 1998 Belmont Stakes by an excruciating nose to Victory Gallop, plans to leave Sunday for the Blue Grass State.

Also Friday at Santa Anita, Baffert worked Eight Rings five furlongs in 1:01.20. The four-year-old Empire Maker colt, winner of the Grade I American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita as a two-year-old in 2019, last raced on Aug. 1, 2020, finishing seventh in the Grade I Allen Jerkens Stakes at Saratoga.

“He’s coming back, he’s filled out, and the time off helped him a lot,” Baffert said. “It was just R and R. He needed to get away and fill out. He’s changed. He’s a different horse.”

CAN WONG STRIKE IT RICH IN SANTA MARGARITA?

Clockstrikestwelve, who put together a five-race winning streak before moving up in company against champion Swiss Skydiver in the Grade I Beholder Mile last out on March 13, steps down a grade in Saturday’s Grade II Santa Margarita Stakes.

Bred in Kentucky by Gary and Mary West, the five-year-old New Year’s Day mare owned by Michael Rosenmayer would be making only her second stakes start in the mile-and-one-eighth Santa Margarita for fillies and mares, four and up.

Favored in four races during her winning skein, Clockstrikestwelve understandably was a longshot at 45-1 against Swiss Skydiver, finishing sixth of seven in a wide trip.

“She got sharp and got happy since we brought her to Santa Anita from Golden Gate,” said trainer Jonathan Wong, a successful mainstay in the Bay Area who has also transitioned his winning ways to Southern California.

“She’s been training really well and running really well.”

Clockstrikestwelve also is entered in Saturday’s $75,000 Golden Poppy Stakes at Golden Gate Fields where she is 10-1 on the morning line against six rivals.

The Santa Margarita, race eight of 11 with a 1 p.m. first post time: Pharoah’s Heart, Umberto Rispoli, 4-1; As Time Goes By, Mike Smith, 3-5; This Tea, Kent Desormeaux, 20-1; Harvest Moon, Flavien Prat, 2-1; and Clockstrikestwelve, Abel Cedillo, 15-1.

CRYSTAL WATER NOT AS DEEP FOR ACCLIMATE

Acclimate, a hard-hitting and durable seven-year-old gelding, faces fellow California-breds in the $100,000 Crystal Water Stakes Saturday after taking on open graded stakes company in seven of his last nine races, winning two.

A bay son of Eclipse Award champion older male of 2011 and California Horse of the Year Acclamation in 2011 and 2012, Acclimate won Santa Anita’s Grade III San Juan Capistrano at about a mile and three-quarters and the Grade II Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles, both on turf, in the summer of 2019.

In his last 10 races, none has been shorter than a mile and one-sixteenth. The Crystal Water is at a flat mile on grass.

“We wanted to try him against Cal-breds again,” said Phil D’Amato, Santa Anita’s second-leading trainer with 31 wins, one behind Bob Baffert.

“He’s been running tough races against open company so hopefully facing state-breds will put him back in the winner’s circle, although it’s a small but select field.”

Tyler Baze, who has ridden Acclimate in his last four races, has stakes engagements at Golden Gate Fields Saturday, so D’Amato has obtained the services of Santa Anita’s leading rider Flavien Prat in the Crystal Water.

“It worked out well,” D’Amato said.

Acclimate is a grandson of the late Unusual Heat who was California’s all-time leading sire in progeny earnings until two years before his passing at age 27 on May 17, 2017.

He covered 30 mares during his 19th and final season in 2016 and holds the all-time record for wins by a sire at a Santa Anita Winter Meet with 28 in 2009.

Acclimate has a 6-3-3 record from 22 starts with earnings of $445,872.

The field for the Crystal Water, which goes as the first race: North County Guy, Mario Gutierrez, 6-5; Acclimate, Flavin Prat, 8-5; Desmond Doss, Emily Ellingwood, 6-1, Irish Heatwave, Juan Hernandez, 15-1; Ellinwood, Umberto Rispoli, 7-2; and Prodigal Son, Kent Desormeaux, 30-1.

FINISH LINES: Trivia question: Unusual Heat served the bulk of his career as a stallion at Old English Rancho in Sanger, then moved to Harris Farms near Coalinga for his last six seasons. Where did he first stand at stud? . . . A total of $2,320,000 was spent on four first-time starters in Saturday’s seventh race for maidens at six furlongs, led by a $1 million son of Tapit named Flightline trained by John Sadler. Next are Secret Weapon, a $650,000 son of Candy Ride trained by Simon Callaghan, Money Mike, a $600,000 son of Into Mischief trained by Bob Baffert and the short price of the lot, $70,000 Brutto, a son of Nyquist also conditioned by Baffert. They have been firing bullets for their debuts, a combined total of eight fastest workouts of the day . . . Business is bustling for agent Tony Matos, still hustling in his late 70s. Not only has he reconnected with and resurrected the career of Hall of Fame rider Kent Desormeaux after first representing him two decades ago, he also handles business for renowned speed specialist Edwin Maldonado, who has stakes engagements at Golden Gate Fields Saturday, while the 51-year-old Desormeaux is named to ride in eight of 11 races Saturday at Santa Anita, including both stakes. “We’re doing well,” Matos said. “Kent’s back to his old self.” . . . Tyler Baze will be at Golden Gate Saturday to ride Restrainedvengence for Val Brinkerhoff in the Grade III, $250,000 San Francisco Mile on turf, while Michael McCarthy has 10-year-old Ohio entered in the same race under Ricardo Gonzalez. There are eight stakes on the 11-race program at Golden Gate Saturday, first day of the second annual Gold Rush weekend, with guaranteed Late Pick 4 pools of $200,000 both days . . . Santa Anita’s race for leading trainer remains keen with Baffert leading Phil D’Amato and Peter Miller, the trio standing at 32, 31 and 29, respectively. Miller and Doug O’Neill are neck and neck for most starters, O’Neill ahead, 172-168. Eight horses share honors for most wins this meet with three, including Constantia, Mastering and Hockey Dad, while five have perfect three-for-three marks: Charmaine’s Mia, Going Global, Becca Taylor, Disko Fever and Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World, who also leads in purse money won with $546,600 . . . Smooth Like Strait, runner-up to Hit the Road in the Grade I Frank E. Kilroe Mile March 6 and a candidate for the Shoemaker Mile, a Grade I, Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Race on May 31, worked five furlongs Friday in 1:02.20 for McCarthy. It was one of 98 recorded workouts at Santa Anita, 13 on the training track . . . United, continuing his steady work pattern for the Grade II Charles Whittingham Stakes at 1 ¼ miles on turf May 29, went four furlongs Monday in 49 seconds flat for Richard Mandella . . . Answer: The late trainer Walter Greenman’s farm near Hemet.

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