Santa Anita Stable Notes Sunday, February 25, 2024

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2024

WELL-PEDIGREED JUDGE MILLER SERVES NOTICE WITH 105 BEYER
In a day of standout performances at Santa Anita, Judge Miller may have topped them all Saturday.

Judge Miller, a 4-year-old full brother to multiple Grade I winner Clairiere, uncorked a scintillating effort for trainer Mark Glatt when rolling to an 11-length victory in an entry level allowance at a mile. It was Judge Miller’s first-time facing winners and first time going two turns.

According to Daily Racing Form’s Brad Free, Judge Miller’s winning time of 1:35.20 earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure. It matches the highest Beyer posted by any horse this year, Free added.

“It was pretty darn impressive,” Glatt said Sunday morning at Clockers’ Corner. “I didn’t think he would take that big a step forward. I certainly thought he would win the race. But to win in hand like that, you had to be impressed.”

Judge Miller is by Curlin out of multiple Grade I winner Cavorting, by Bernadini. Owner Muir Hut Stables purchased the colt at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $550,000. At the time of the purchase, Clairiere was a multiple graded stakes winner and Grade I-placed. She would win her first Grade I two weeks later in the Cotillion at Parx.

Clairiere, who was retired after last year’s Breeders’ Cup, finished her career with three Grade I wins, an overall record of 8-6-3 in 22 starts and $3,266,392 in earnings.

As for Judge Miller, he didn’t make the races until last November in a six-furlong maiden race at Del Mar. He finished second. Returning in a seven-furlong maiden heat Dec. 26 at Santa Anita, Judge Miller dueled throughout and prevailed by a half-length.

Ahead of Saturday’s race, Glatt said he thought Judge Miller was “begging for more ground.” The assessment from Santa Anita’s leading trainer proved to be 100 percent correct.

With Frankie Dettori aboard for the first time, Judge Miller raced wide while dueling on the lead through fractions of 23.17, 46.39 and 1:09.82 for six furlongs. At the top of the stretch, Judge Miller quickly kicked clear of his rivals extended his lead to the wire.

“I don’t get overly excited about times,” Glatt said. “But to win like that in 1:35 and 1/5, that was quite a performance.”

Next up for Judge Miller will likely be another allowance race, the trainer added. Glatt also mentioned a trip to Keeneland is possible when its spring meet opens April 5.

“We’ll take the next step with him and see how it goes. But it sure feels like the future is bright for him,” Glatt said.

PROSPECTS FOR NEXT WEEK’S GII SAN FELIPE, GI BIG CAP WORK
A quartet of 3-year-olds nominated to next Saturday’s GII San Felipe and five older horses eyeing the GI Santa Anita Handicap on the same day all registered workouts Sunday at Santa Anita.
Of the combined nine nominees to work, five are trained by Bob Baffert. The 3-year-olds on the tab for Baffert were Nysos, Maymun and Cornell.
Unbeaten Nysos, most recently a 7 1/2-length winner of the GIII Robert B. Lewis here Feb. 3, drilled five furlongs in 1:00.20. Maymun, who improved to 2-for-2 with a neck victory over stablemate Imagination in a one-mile allowance here Feb. 11, worked six furlongs in 1:13.00. Cornell, a one-mile maiden winner here Jan. 28, worked four furlongs in 49.20 seconds.
Baffert also has nominated to the San Felipe Imagination, Wine Me Up, Wynstock, Coach Prime and Muth.
Also working towards a potential San Felipe start was Tapalo for trainer John Sadler. Most recently second in the 1 1/8-mile El Camino Real Derby on Feb. 10 at Golden Gate, the Tapiture ridgling went four furlongs in 48.0 seconds.
Working Sunday towards potential starts in the 1 ¼-mile Big Cap were Newgate and Mr Fisk for Baffert, Subsanador for Sadler, Newgrange for trainer Phil D’Amato and Mixto for Doug O’Neill.
Newgate, most recently second to Newgrange in last month’s GII San Pasqual at 1 1/8 miles, worked a bullet when completing six furlongs in 1:12.00. Newgrange, who won his second straight graded stakes and fourth overall in the San Pasqual, also fired a bullet when going five furlongs in 59.00 seconds.
Mixto was third in the San Pasqual behind Newgrange and Newgate. The 4-year-old Good Magic colt went five furlongs in 1:00.40.
Mr Fisk, who was fifth in the San Pasqual, worked five furlongs in 1:01.20. Subsanador, who was the beaten favorite in the Dec. 26 GII San Pasqual in his U.S. bow Dec. 26, had a stout seven-furlong work completed in 1:25.80.
In addition to the Big Cap and San Felipe, this Saturday’s blockbuster card also features the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile and GII Buena Vista for older fillies and mares. Both are at a mile on turf.
The fields for Saturday’s card will be drawn on Wednesday.

LINDA’S GIFT, KINGS RIVER KNIGHT EXTEND WIN STREAKS
Linda’s Gift won her third straight stakes in Saturday’s GIII Santa Ana and top California-bred Kings River Knight made it four straight victories when knocking off open company in a second-level allowance.
Trained by Richard Mandella, Linda’s Gift rolled to a 3 ¾-length win under Tiago Pereira in the 1 ¼-mile Santa Ana on turf. The 5-year-old Arrogate mare previously won the GIII Red Carpet at 1 3/8 miles at Del Mar Nov. 23 and the 1 ½-mile Astra Stakes here Jan. 21.
Linda’s Gift now has a record of 5-2-2 in 13 starts with $314,936 in earnings.
Kings River Knight, a five-time statebred stakes winner for trainer John Sadler, had no problem beating open allowance foes when going a mile on turf. With Juan Hernandez in the irons, Kings River Knight broke on top and led at every call for a dominant 2 ¼-length win.
A 6-year-old gelding by Acclamation, Kings River Knight now has $589,830 in earnings for owners Integrity Thoroughbred Racing LLC, The Ellwood Johnston Trust and Kenneth A. Tevelde. His record stands at 9-5-0 in 15 starts.

FINISH LINES: A bettor or bettors plunged into the show pools Saturday, laying massive wagers on four separate heavy favorites to finish in the top three. The mystery bettor or bettors connected on the first three races, but things went sideways in the sixth when Vegas Burner finished off the board at 6-5. The resulting show payouts were $6.20 for winner Yellow Brick (7-2 win odds), $22.60 for runner-up Aschcroft (30-1) and $9 for third-place finisher Appreciate Today (4-1)…Linda’s Gift’s win in the Santa Ana was Richard Mandella’s seventh stakes victory at the Classic Meet to lead all trainers… Veteran conditioner James Cassidy won his first race at the Classic Meet Saturday with Princess Snow ($9.40) in the third race…Live racing at Santa Anita resumes on Friday. Every Friday during the Classic Meet, on-track fans will receive free admission and parking plus $3 beers and $5 margaritas… The 54th annual Santa Anita Jockeys vs. Holy Angels Middle School Charity Basketball Game is this Monday at La Salle High School in nearby Pasadena. The La Salle High gymnasium will open to the public at 6 p.m. and tip-off is set for 7 p.m. Admission tickets will be available on-site and a $5 donation will generate proceeds to the Permanently Disabled Jockey Fund (PDJF) and Holy Angels athletics…

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