Santa Anita Stable Notes Friday, June 10, 2022

By Ed Golden —-

TRAINER LOOKS TO FUTURE IN GRADE III AFFIRMED
FLIGHTLINE & BELMONT STAKES ON CENTER STAGE
STAKES SATURATE SANTA ANITA’S AUTUMN MEET
D’AMATO, O’NEILL HAVE SIMILAR NUMBERS AGAIN

PROMISING SOPHS FOR SEAN McCARTHY IN AFFIRMED

Trainer Sean McCarthy sends out two promising three-year-olds in Saturday’s Grade III Affirmed Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, High Connection and Hopper.

High Connection, a chestnut son of Connect, has the benefit of a route race under his belt, having finished second despite stumbling in a 1 1/16-mile overnight event May 8.

Hopper, a son of Declaration of War, made his first start in 10 weeks a winning one on May 7, posting a 2 ¼-length victory at seven furlongs, and registered a bullet six-furlong breeze in 1:12.40 on May 29 in preparation for the Affirmed.

High Connection also recorded a bullet workout on May 29, going six furlongs in the identical time of 1:12.40.

“High Connection is ready, and Hopper is coming off a nice maiden win, and he’s kind of the rookie in there, so it’s yet to be determined how he’ll fare, but he’s training well,” McCarthy said.

“Obviously, High Connection is a little more advanced with a little more seasoning, so of the two, he’s probably got more of an advantage right now. But that said, Hopper’s doing well and his future looks good.”

The Affirmed is named for the 1978 Triple Crown winner trained by Hall of Fame member Laz Barrera. Affirmed was ridden by Steve Cauthen, who at 19 became the youngest jockey to win the Triple Crown.

Owned by Harbor View Farm, Affirmed won 22 of 29 starts and among his most accomplished progeny as a sire were female turf champion of 1992 and 1993 Flawlessly and multiple graded turf stakes winner The Tin Man, who won 13 of 30 starts including the Grade I Shoemaker Mile in 2007, earning more than $3.6 million under Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella.

The field for the 44th running of the Affirmed, race seven of 10 with a 1 p.m. first post time: Hopper, Abel Cedillo, 4-1; Doppelganger, Drayden Van Dyke, 5-2; High Connection, Juan Hernandez, 2-1; Fast Draw Munnnings, Tyler Baze, 8-1; Newgrange, Edwin Maldonado, 5-2; and Pioneering Papa, Umberto Rispoli, 12-1.

ALL EYES ON FLIGHTLINE, BELMONT STAKES

The 154th edition of the Belmont Stakes will be in the spotlight Saturday at Belmont Park even though some luster has diminished as the Triple Crown is not on the line.

In fact, Rich Strike, who shocked the world with an 80-1 upset capturing the Kentucky Derby on May 7, is not even the morning line favorite in the mile and a half Belmont. He did not run in the Preakness Stakes on May 21, as his connections opted to give the colt more time and wait for the longer Belmont Stakes.

Perhaps of more interest to California-based racegoers is the Met Mile, in which undefeated Santa Anita-based Flightline makes his first start since winning the Grade I Runhappy Malibu Stakes last Dec. 26.

Flightline was scheduled to start in Santa Anita’s Grade II San Carlos Stakes on March 5 but was sidelined due to a strained right hock. The $1 million son of Tapit trained by John Sadler drew the rail in a five-horse Met Mile field as follows: Flightline, Flavien Prat, 3-5; Speaker’s Corner, Junior Alvarado, 8-5; Aloha West, Jose Ortiz, 6-1; Happy Saver, Irad Ortiz Jr., 8-1; and Informative, Dexter Haddock, 50-1.

The $1.25 million, one-turn Met Mile goes as race nine with a scheduled post time of 1:43 p.m. Pacific Time on a spectacular stakes-laden program. Saturday’s first race at Belmont Park has a post time of 8:20 a.m. Pacific Time.

NBC will televise the Belmont from 2 to 4 p.m. Pacific Time with a 3:44 p.m. scheduled post time, lining up as follows: We The People, Flavien Prat, 2-1; Skippylongstocking, Manuel Franco, 20-1; Nest, Jose Ortiz, 8-1; Rich Strike, Sonny Leon, 7-2; Creative Minister, Brian Hernandez, 6-1; Mo Donegal, Irad Ortiz Jr., 5-2; Golden Glider, Dylan Davis, 20-1; and Barber Road, Joel Rosario, 10-1.

AUTUMN MEET OFFERS 26 STAKES IN 18 DAYS

Santa Anita’s 18-day Autumn meet which begins Friday, Sept. 30, will be highlighted by 26 stakes, 15 of them graded. Overnight purses remain the same as last year.

Most all stakes purses are the same as in 2021, with the following exceptions: both the Golden State Juvenile and the Golden State Juvenile Fillies have had purses increased from $150,000 to $175,000, while the Unzip Me and the Anoakia have purses of $85,000, up from $75,000 last year. Additionally, two restricted stakes, the Swingtime and the Lure, now offer purse money of $80,000, an increase of $10,000 each.

The 2022 Autumn Meet stakes schedule will include five Breeders’ Cup “Win & You’re In” stakes over the first two weekends, Oct. 1 & 2 and Oct. 8 & 9, all significant preps to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Racecourse Nov. 4 & 5. These include three Grade I events, the $300,000 Awesome Again on Oct. 1 and the $300,000 American Pharoah and the $300,000 Rodeo Drive, both on Oct. 8.

Thanks to the Breeders’ Cup, the Autumn Meet will get off to a fast start, with 11 stakes, seven of them graded, offered opening weekend, Oct. 1 & 2. The second weekend, Oct. 8 & 9, features six stakes, five of them graded.

The Grade I Awesome Again Stakes is a prep to the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic; the Grade I American Pharoah is a prep to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile; and the Grade I Rodeo Drive Stakes is a prep to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

The Grade I Awesome Again headlines a tremendous day of stakes on Oct, 1, supported by five additional added money events: the Grade II, $200,000 Eddie D Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course; the Grade II, $200,000 John Henry Stakes for 3-year-olds and older at 1 ¼ miles on turf; the Grade II, $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship at six furlongs; the Grade II, $200,000 City of Hope Mile on turf for 3-year-olds and up and the $85,000 Unzip Me for 3-year-old fillies at about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf.

On Sunday, Oct. 2, five stakes will be offered, the Grade II, $200,000 Zenyatta Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles; the Grade III, $100,000 Chillingworth Stakes for fillies & mares three and up at 6 ½ furlongs; the $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes for 2-year-olds at five furlongs on turf, the 100,000 Tokyo City Cup for 3-year-olds and up at 1 ½ miles (which has been permanently moved to the Autumn Meet as a prep to Breeders’ Cup Marathon races) and the $100,000 Senator Ken Maddy, for fillies and mares three and up at about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course.

Four California-bred Stakes, the California Distaff ($125,000) on Oct. 15; the California Flag ($125,000) on Oct. 16; the Golden State Juvenile ($175,000) on Oct. 29 and the Golden State Juvenile Fillies ($175,000) on Oct. 29, will again provide local owners and breeders’ ample added money opportunities through closing day, Nov. 6.

Santa Anita’s complete 2022 Autumn Stakes schedule will be available soon at santaanita.com/horsemen. For additional information, call the Santa Anita Racing Office at (626) 574-6352.

FINISH LINES: Trainers Phil D’Amato and Doug O’Neill, rank first and second with 52-37 wins respectively with six racing days remaining in the Winter/Spring Meet . . .Trainer Jonathan Wong, who has two horses entered today, in races two and six , is two wins shy of career win number 1,000…Millionaire gelding Restrainedvengence worked four furlongs Friday in a bullet 47.80, fastest of 27 drills at the distance. Trainer Val Brinkerhoff called the breeze “awesome.” Miracle horse Catemaco went four furlongs in 49.80 for trainer/breeder Kristin Mulhall. There were 75 recorded works this morning, 11 on the training track . . . Horseplayer Jason Avila, professional horseplayer Duke Matties and Horseplayer Jay Friedlander will be host Tom Quigley’s seminar guests, today, Saturday and Sunday, respectively, at 11:50 a.m. from the XBTV Studio . . . Princess Mo, a five-year-old Uncle Mo mare trained by Ruben Gomez listed at 5-1 on the morning line, drew the rail for the fourth straight time in today’s eighth race.