Santa Anita Stable Notes Saturday, April 24, 2021

By Ed Golden —-

ROCK YOUR WORLD WORKS WELL FOR DERBY
PETRUCHIO IS BACK ON TURF IN SINGLETARY
‘MIRACLE HORSE’ CATEMACO DUE TO RETURN

SADLER ‘HAPPY’ WITH ROCK YOUR WORLD’S BREEZE

Undefeated Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World had his final workout at Santa Anita Saturday for the 147th Kentucky Derby a week from today on May 1.

The $650,000 colt worked five furlongs in 59.20, with stablemate Best Chance, who was clocked in one minute flat. Cerapio Figueroa rode Rock Your World, who departs for Kentucky tomorrow along with trainer John Sadler.

“He breezed very well,” said Sadler, who is seeking is first win in the Run for the Roses. “He looked good, nice and smooth. It was kind of a repeat of last week. We didn’t want to do too much because he’s right where he wants to be already.

“We’re happy.”

Owned by the brothers Kosta and Peter Hronis and Talia Racing, and bred by Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally and his wife, Debbie, Rock Your World led throughout the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby April 3, winning by 4 ¼ lengths.

Rock Your World, a son of Candy Ride out of the Empire Maker dam Charm the Maker, will attempt to become the 19th horse to run in the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby and go on to capture the Kentucky Derby.

Sadler plans to jog Rock Your World Monday at Churchill Downs and gallop Tuesday and Wednesday, “but the schedule could be tinkered with slightly depending on the weather,” he said.

The Derby Day forecast for Louisville calls for partly cloudy skies, a high of 70 degrees and a 24 percent chance of rain.

PETRUCHIO BACK ON GRASS IN SINGLETARY STAKES

Petruchio makes his third straight stakes start Sunday in the $100,000 Singletary Stakes at a mile on turf, a surface over which the son of Into Mischief won his only race last Oct. 31 at Del Mar.

He was a distant sixth after prompting the pace last out in the El Camino Real Derby on Golden Gate’s synthetic Tapeta course Feb. 13.

“He didn’t run well, period,” Richard Mandella said of Petruchio’s Bay Area performance, not fully blaming the synthetic surface. “I’m not sure why, but we’re back on the turf and he handles that.”

Before breaking his maiden on grass at Del Mar, Petruchio was second by a neck going a mile on Santa Anita’s turf course last Oct. 4.

Petruchio is an anglicization of the Italian name Petruccio, the male protagonist in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew written in the late 16th century.

Singletary, trained by Don Chatlos for Little Red Feather Racing and ridden by David Flores, won the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Lone Star Park. He was named for Mike Singletary, retired Hall of Fame linebacker for the Chicago Bears.

The field for the Singletary, race nine of 10 with a 1 p.m. first post time: Petruchio, Mike Smith, 2-1; Sensemaker, Kent Desormeaux, 8-1; Man Friday, Abel Cedillo, 4-1; Sword Zorro, Umberto Rispoli, 3-1; Gator Shining, Flavien Prat, 5-2; and Coastal Kid, Tyler Baze, 8-1.

‘MIRACLE HORSE’ CATEMACO EYES COMEBACK

“Miracle Horse” Catemaco, whose life was gallantly saved by his trainer and breeder Kristin Mulhall in July 2017 at the age of four months, has recovered from a lingering cough that has prevented him from training and racing recently.

Mulhall hopes to have the four-year-old California-bred son of Girolamo owned by Twilight Racing and Steve Taub ready run at Del Mar, which opens July 17.

“He’s such a big horse and I didn’t want to rush him,” said Mulhall, whose rapid and rudimentary emergency action after the colt was bitten by a Black Widow spider saved him from death going on four years ago.

Thanks to Mulhall, her veterinarian, Dr. Melinda Blue, Bob Baffert’s exercise rider Humberto (Beto) Gomez, and Dr. Andreas Klohnen at Chino Hills Equine Hospital, Catemaco’s life was saved after an extensive ordeal and he made a full recovery.

On Jan. 1 at Santa Anita, he won his first and only race by four lengths at 14-1, considerably shorter than his odds of survival, relatively speaking.

FINISH LINES: Trainer Doug O’Neill had Louisiana Derby winner and Kentucky Derby contender Hot Rod Charlie scheduled to work at 12 noon today on Santa Anita’s main track, then depart Sunday for Churchill Downs in pursuit of O’Neill’s third victory in the Run for the Roses . . . There were 167 recorded workouts at Santa Anita Saturday morning, including a six-furlong move by Eclipse Award champion female sprinter of 2020 Gamine, who went six furlongs in 1:13 for Bob Baffert in preparation for next Saturday’s Grade I Derby City Distaff at seven furlongs. There were 14 drills on the training track topped by multiple graded turf stakes winner Next Shares’ bullet five-furlong move in 1:01.60 for Richard Baltas . . . Richard Mandella has nominated Missy P. and Astute to Saturday’s $75,000 Angel Flight Stakes and the Hall of Fame trainer plans to enter both in the seven-furlong race for three-year-old fillies. Flavien Prat rode each last out but since he pilots Hot Rod Charlie in the Kentucky Derby that day, Mandella has engaged Juan Hernandez to ride Astute and Tyler Baze, who won three races yesterday, to guide impressive debut winner Missy P.

LATEST CONTENT FROM XBTV:

FEATURES:

Mike Smith Discusses Riding in the Kentucky Derby

Preview of the Santa Margarita Stakes

Preview of the Crystal Water Stakes

WORKOUTS:

Rock Your World (Outside) and Best Chance (Sadler) 4-24-21

Moraz (Outside) and Go Big Blue Nation (McCarthy) 4-23-21

Fantail (Outside) and Masteroffoxhounds (Baltas) 4-23-21

Medina Spirit (Outside) and Azul Coast (Baffert) 4-22-21

Waspirant (Outside) and Hollywood Girl (Shirreffs) 4-22-21

Eight Rings (Outside) and Freedom Fighter (Baffert) 4-22-21

Paynter’s Love (Hoffmans) 4-22-21

Lilac (Sadler) 4-22-21

Mulholland Highway (Drysdale) 4-21-21

Royal Insider (Knapp) 4-21-21

Still In The Game (Outside) and Pushing Sixty (Cecil) 4-21-21

United (Mandella) 4-19-21

Hot Rod Charlie (Outside) and Itsthattime (O’Neill) 4-17-21

Dream Shake (Eurton) 4-17-21

About The Stronach Group and 1/ST

The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred horseracing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The company’s consumer facing brand 1/ST (pronounced “First”) powers The Stronach Group’s forward-thinking 1/ST RACING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY, 1/ST LIVE and 1/ST PROPERTIES businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING drives the best-in-class horseracing operations at the company’s premier racetracks and training centers including: Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series, and Gulfstream Park West (Florida); the Maryland Jockey Club at Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course – home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the newly formed operating group for all of 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, GWS and XBTV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is horseracing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST LIVE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality by delivering uniquely curated events such as InfieldFest and Pegasus LIV Stretch Village. 1/ST PROPERTIES is responsible for the development of the company’s live, work and play communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred horseracing on and off the track. For more information please visit www.1st.com.
B