Santa Anita Stable Notes Friday, January 5, 2024

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN
FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 2024

GII SAN VICENTE: MUTH, PILOT COMMANDER LOOM FOR BAFFERT
With 4-5 morning line favorite Muth and second-choice Pilot Commander (5-2), Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert holds a formidable one-two punch in Saturday’s GII San Vicente for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs.

The GII San Vicente, which goes as the eighth race at approximately 3:40 p.m. PT, is the first stop on the road to the GI Santa Anita Derby here on April 6. Baffert is seeking his record 13th win in the San Vicente, which was first run in 1935.

Muth shortens up to a sprint for the first time since finishing second in the GIII Best Pal going six furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 13. Following that effort, the $2 million son of Good Magic was stretched out to two turns and dominated the GI American Pharoah here Nov. 3. Muth closed-out his 2-year-old campaign with a second-place effort in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile here Nov. 4.

After such a highly productive juvenile campaign, Muth is getting a relatively early start to his sophomore season by modern training standards. Baffert said the decision to enter Muth here was partially due to tweaks made to Santa Anita’s 3-year-old stakes schedule. In previous years, the San Vicente was run in February.

“They changed the format. While I liked it better when this race was in February, I think this should be a good starting point to his season,” said Baffert, who won last year’s San Vicente with Havnameltdown.

Muth is owned by Zedan Racing. In the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, he was beaten 6 ¼ lengths by emphatic winner Fierceness for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Baffert said he was not disappointed with the effort.

“I think the winner just ran a crazy fast race,” he added. “Muth ran well he just got beat.”

Fierceness won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in a swift 1:41.90 for 1 1/16 miles. The effort earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form, which was the highest by a Juvenile winner since 2010 when Uncle Mo earned a 108.

Pilot Commander exits a front-running debut win going six furlongs at Del Mar on Nov. 1. He will have a new rider on Saturday. Juan Hernandez, who was aboard for the maiden-breaker, is also the regular on Muth. Hernandez will stay aboard Muth Saturday with Flavien Prat taking over on Pilot Commander.

By 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, Pilot Commander was purchased for $700,000 at last year’s OBS March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. He is campaigned by CSLR Racing Partners, which Baffert said is a new client out of Texas.

“Second time out is always important for these young horses,” Baffert noted. “He looked great winning and has been training well.”

Pilot Commander has worked five times for his debut including a bullet five-furlong move in 1:00.00 on Monday.

The San Vicente is part of a nine-race card Saturday. First post is 12 p.m. The field in post position order: Moonlit Sonata, Geovanni Franco (6-1); Slider, Joel Rosario (4-1); Muth, Juan Hernandez (4-5); Formidable Man, Kazushi Kimura (20-1); Boltage, Mike Smith (12-1).

TOP JOCKEY JOEL ROSARIO BEGINS WINTER STAY AT SANTA ANITA
Eclipse Award-winning jockey Joel Rosario, who first rose to national prominence while riding at Santa Anita more than a decade ago, is back at The Great Race Place. He begins his first winter stay here since 2020-21 with three rides on Friday.
“Here is like my home. I love it here,” Rosario said Thursday. “I have a lot of great memories of this place. Hopefully we do well.”
Rosario is a three-time leading rider at Santa Anita with the most recent coming at the 2018-19 winter-spring season. He also won Santa Anita winter-spring meet riding crowns in 2010-11 and 2011-12.
In recent years, Rosario has plied his considerable riding skills at major tracks in the east. He spent last winter at Gulfstream Park in south Florida. Rosario said the decision to return to Santa Anita this year was made in consultation with agent Ron Anderson.
“Ron and I thought about it and felt like it was the right decision,” Rosario said. “I’ll be based here but will still occasionally go ride in stakes at Oaklawn and Fair Grounds. I do what Ron says.”
Rosario, a native of the Dominican Republic, has been riding in the U.S. since 2007. He won the 2013 Kentucky Derby with Orb and has two Belmont Stakes victories coming with Tonalist in 2014 and Sir Watson in 2019. Rosario’s 15 Breeders’ Cup wins are tied with Jerry Bailey for fourth-most all time.
In 2021, Rosario took home the Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding jockey. Entering Friday, he has 3,563 career wins and more than $314 million in purse earnings.
“Hopefully this is the year we can win another Eclipse Award,” said Rosario, who turns 39 on Jan. 14.
All three of Rosario’s rides on Friday are for trainer John Sadler. He’ll be aboard morning-line favorite Paco’s Pico (6-5) in the fourth race, Scarlet Avenue (5-1) in the sixth race and Elector (8-1) in the eighth race.
On Saturday, Rosario has six mounts booked including Slider (4-1) for Sadler in the featured GII San Vicente for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs.

NEWGATE SET FOR 1ST START SINCE WINNING LAST YEAR’S GIII ROBERT B. LEWIS
This year’s older horse division at Santa Anita figures to receive a boost with the return of Newgate from an 11-month layoff in Saturday’s sixth race for trainer Bob Baffert. Newgate has not started since winning the 2022 GIII Robert B. Lewis here last Feb. 4.
By Into Mischief, Newgate is entered in a 6 ½-furlong allowance race Saturday that attracted a field of six. He is the 4-1 fourth choice on the morning line and will have Frankie Dettori in the irons.
“He’s come back well, but he’ll probably need the race,” Baffert said Friday. “This is probably too short for him. It should set him up for two-turn races down the road.”
Newgate will be ridden by Frankie Dettori. The 2-1 morning line favorite is Big City Lights, who will be be ridden by Flavien Prat for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella.
Newgate is owned by an extensive partnership that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables. Prior winning last year’s Robert B. Lewis he was second in both the GIII Bob Hope at Del Mar to close out his 2-year-old year and the GIII Sham in his 3-year-old bow.

FINISH LINES: In Friday’s sixth race, Gate to Paradise is back in with maidens for trainer John Shirreffs following a fifth-place effort at 5-2 in the GII Chandelier here Oct. 7. Gate to Paradise is the 9-5 program favorite in a field of six set to go a mile on dirt… Sunday’s feature is the GIII Santa Ynez for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs. The race kicks off the road to the GII Santa Anita Oaks here April 6…The $1 Coast to Coast Pick 5 from Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park returns Saturday. The sequence, which has a player-friendly 15 percent takeout, kicks off at 1:06 p.m. PT… Jockey agent Tom Knust will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Saturday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 10:50 a.m. PT…Every Friday during the Classic Meet on-track fans will enjoy free admission and parking plus $3 beers and $5 margaritas.

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