Santa Anita Stable Notes Saturday, January 7, 2023

BY VICTOR RYAN —-

SPUN INTENDED, PACKS A WAHLOP TAKE ON THE SHAM
JUSTIQUE WILL BE SCRATCHED FROM SANTA YNEZ
TOP APPRENTICE JOINING SANTA ANITA JOCKEY COLONY
WORKERS OUT IN FORCE FOLLOWING WET WEATHER

SPUN INTENDED, PACKS A WAHLOP TAKE ON BAFFERT IN THE SHAM
The only horses not trained by Bob Baffert in Sunday’s Grade III, $100,000 Sham Stakes are Spun Intended, a highly regarded maiden for trainer Mark Glatt, and Packs a Wahlop, a two-time stakes winner on turf for trainer Jeff Mullins.
Spun Intended is the 5-2 second choice on the morning line behind Baffert’s National Treasure (2-1) in a field of six set for the one-mile Sham. Last month at Del Mar when making his second start, Spun Intended ran off to break his maiden by 6 ½ lengths when sprinting 6 ½ furlongs. In his debut at Santa Anita a month earlier, the Hard Spun colt was narrowly edged a half-length by Baffert’s Fort Warren.
“He might have won first time but had a pretty wide trip,” Glatt noted Saturday morning.
Spun Intended was bought at last year’s OBS March sale for $125,000 by the partnership of Edge Racing and Muir Hut Stables. Glatt said the colt displayed ample ability immediately upon his arrival at Santa Anita last year.
“We bought him and then turned him out for a couple months after the rigors of going through the 2-year-old sale,” Glatt said. “But when he came back in, you could just tell he was a good-minded horse. I don’t think he ever missed a beat once he got in my barn.”
Glatt added Spun Intended is a “big horse” and “one of the most impressive things we saw at the sale was that for a big horse, he was very efficient and good-moving horse. He kind of touted himself right from the start.”
The Sham will mark the two-turn debut of Spun Intended, who drew the outside stall and will again have Hall of Famer Mike Smith in the irons. Pedigree suggests the added distance of the Sham should not be a problem. Spun Intended is out of the First Dude mare Flora Dora, who placed in multiple graded stakes going a route of ground including the Grade I Coaching Club American Oaks at nine furlongs in 2016.
“First time around two turns, you never know about that, but all indications are it should be fine for him,” Glatt said. “We’ll see what happens.”
Spun Intended enters the Sham off of consecutive bullet works. He drilled six furlongs in 1:11 on Dec. 26 followed by a five-furlong move in 58.8 seconds with Smith up on Monday.
“It was a little quicker than I wanted, but he does things so easily,” Glatt said of Spun Intended’s final drill. “A work in 58 and change for him is not like 58 and change for most horses. I worked him with a little company and he pulled past that horse. Mike never moved on him. It was about as easy a 58 and change as you are going to get.”
As for Packs a Wahlop (6-1), he’ll be trying dirt for the first time since he caught a sloppy track in his debut at Gulfstream Park in June. He was subsequently sent to Southern California and moved to turf where he would win three straight including the Grade III Del Mar Juvenile Turf and Grade III Zuma Beach in October at Santa Anita.
Most recently, Packs a Wahlop was sent to Keeneland for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf where he finished eighth at 5-1.
Mullins said switching to dirt for a race like the Sham, which is an official prep for the Kentucky Derby, was part of the long-range strategy for Packs a Wahlop.
“We had planned on running him on dirt after the Breeders’ Cup. Obviously if it doesn’t work out we’ll go back to the grass,” Mullins said.
Owned by Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal, Packs a Wahlop is by Creative Cause out of the City Zip mare City by the Day. He was purchased at last year’s OBS April sale for $270,000.
In the Sham, Packs a Wahlop will wear blinkers for the first time.
“He likes to be up near the front and we’re hoping that helps him get there,” Mullins noted.
Packs a Wahlop will have a new rider in the Sham. With Smith opting for Spun Intended, Ramon Vazquez will be aboard for the first time.
“Ramon has worked him a couple times and really likes him,” Mullins said.
The Sham goes as the featured eighth race on Sunday with an approximate post time of 3:30 p.m. Pacific. The field in post position order: Newgate, Frankie Dettori (6-1); National Treasure, John Velazquez (2-1); Speed Boat Beach, Flavien Prat (5-2); Reincarnate, Juan Hernadez (8-1); Packs a Wahlop, Ramon Vazquez (6-1); Spun Intended (5-2).

MORNING-LINE FAVORITE JUSTIQUE WILL SCRATCH FROM SANTA YNEZ
Justique, the 4-5 morning-line favorite in Sunday’s Grade III, $200,000 Santa Ynez, will not run after spiking a fever this week.
“I’m going to scratch,” trainer John Shirreffs said Saturday morning. “She had a little temperature.”
Justique will now await the Grade III, $200,000 Las Virgenes going a mile on Jan. 28, Shirreffs added.
“She only had a temperature for a day (on Thursday) and she seems pretty good, but I don’t know how she’ll run under those circumstances,” Shirreffs said.
The seven-furlong Santa Ynez was originally scheduled for this past Sunday, but it was postponed when wet conditions forced the cancellation of that day’s program. The expected scratch of Justique leaves a five-horse field in the Santa Ynez.
Justique earned the favorite’s role for the Santa Ynez following an impressive last-to-first rally in last month’s Desi Arnaz going seven furlongs at Del Mar. The daughter of Triple Crown winner Justify, who was a $725,000 auction purchase for owner C R K Stable, previously won her debut sprinting at Del Mar this summer and was third in the Grade II Chandelier at Santa Anita when stretched to 1 1/16 miles on Oct. 8.
The Santa Ynez goes as the sixth race on Sunday with an approximate post time of 2:30 p.m. Pacific. The field in post position order: Satin Doll, Edwin Maldonado (15-1); Fast and Shiny, Ramon Vazquez (10-1); Parody, Juan Hernandez (5-1); Huntingcoco, John Velazquez (6-1); Ice Dancing, Flavien Prat (5-2).

TOP APPRENTICE MAURO CEDILLO JOINING SANTA ANITA JOCKEY COLONY
Agent Derek Lawson reported apprentice Mauro Cedillo, the leading rider at the Mahoning Valley meet in Ohio that ended Dec. 30, is moving his tack to Santa Anita starting with the second condition book next Friday.
Cedillo had a meet-high 33 wins from 196 mounts (17%) at Mahoning Valley and was second in earnings. He will continue to receive a five-pound weight allowance until his apprenticeship ends in June, Lawson said.
“I think the ‘bug’ is very live here and will be in high demand,” said Lawson, who also represents Tiago Perreira.
A native of Guatemala, Cedillo began riding in the U.S. at the end of 2021. Last year, he won 70 races from 509 mounts and banked $1,349,329. Lawson said Cedillo is a cousin of Santa Anita jockey Abel Cedillo.

Finish Lines: There were 163 workers at Santa Anita on Saturday, the second day the main track was open for full training following a rainstorm. Baffert breezed several of his top 3-year-old colts including highly regarded prospects Arabian Knight and Faustin. Arabian Knight drilled five furlongs in 1:01.6, while Faustin completed a half mile in 47.4 seconds in his first work since a debut win on opening day at Santa Anita…There was no shortage of drama during the stretch run of Friday’s 8th and final race, as there was one Rainbow Six Jackpot ticket alive to numbers 1, 2 & 6 for a Jackpot payoff of $361,093. The ticket was purchased on-track by longtime owner/breeder Rick Seidner, of Six-S Racing Stable. With Bob Baffert’s Nullabar, #4, winning, Seidner came up four lengths short, as #2 Motorcade, checked in third…On Saturday, Santa Anita will offer fans a mandatory payout in the 20 cent Single Ticket Rainbow Pick Six Jackpot. It is expected the total Rainbow Six pool will exceed $3 million…Dr. Gregory Ferraro, chairman of the California Horse Racing Board, was reappointed to the board through Jan. 1, 2027 by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Ferraro, 76, has served on the board since 2019.