Santa Anita Stable Notes Friday, May 10, 2024

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN
FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2024

IMAGINATION & MUTH (Rail)
*ERNIE BELMONTE
MUTH, IMAGINATION HAVE FINAL PREAKNESS WORKS FOR BAFFERT
SANTA BARBARA: D’AMATO TALKS TRIO OF CONTENDERS
SATURDAY’S $1 COAST-TO-COAST PICK 5 STARTS AT 1:49 P.M. PT
PICK 6 CARRYOVER OF $104K AWAITS FRIDAY

MUTH, IMAGINATION HAVE FINAL PREAKNESS WORKS FOR BAFFERT
Muth and Imagination, each ticketed for next weekend’s 149th running of the Preakness Stakes, worked in company Friday at Santa Anita for trainer Bob Baffert.
Both colts were officially clocked going six furlongs in 1:11.80.
“They looked good,” Baffert said. “They stayed together like last week. It was a nice workmanlike work. I was happy with it.”
Muth and Imagination are scheduled to ship to Pimlico on Tuesday. Entries for the 149th Preakness and undercard races will be taken on Monday, May 13. Baffert said it remained to be determined if any other horses would be joining his two Preakness starters on the trip to Baltimore.
“I may. I’m going to wait until entry day to decide,” he said.
Muth is exiting a sharp two-length win under Juan Hernandez in the GI Arkansas Derby March 10 at Oaklawn Park. In last weekend’s Preakness Stakes Future Wager, Zedan Racing’s Good Magic colt closed as the 7-2 favorite.
Muth will provide Hernandez with his first-ever ride in a Triple Crown race. Prior to the Arkansas Derby, Muth and Hernandez teamed to win the GII San Vicente going seven furlongs Jan. 6 at Santa Anita.
Imagination most recently was beaten a neck by Stronghold in the GI Santa Anita Derby. Frankie Dettori was aboard that day and the international superstar retains the mount for the 1 3/16-mile Preakness. Imagination closed at 17-1 in last weekend’s Preakness future wager.
Prior to the Santa Anita Derby, Imagination won the GII San Felipe March 3 at Santa Anita. The Into Mischief colt is owned by an extensive ownership group that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables and Stonestreet Stables.
The post position draw for the Preakness will be Monday at 2:30 p.m. PT. Post time for the second jewel of the Triple Crown on March 18 is set for 3:50 p.m. PT.

SANTA BARBARA: D’AMATO TALKS TRIO OF CONTENDERS
Trainer Phil D’Amato is set to saddle three of the seven starters in Saturday’s $100,000 Santa Barbara Stakes for older fillies and mares at 1 ½ miles on turf. On Thursday, D’Amato provided insight on his triumvirate.
Musical Rhapsody is the 8-5 morning line favorite. The 5-year-old mare by Holy Roman Emperor returns to the stakes ranks following an allowance win going 1 ¼ miles on turf April 4 at Santa Anita.
In three previous stakes tries, Musical Rhapsody was second to Linda’s Gift in both the 1 3/8-mile GIII Red Carpet at Del Mar in November and the 1 ½-mile Astra Jan. 21 at Santa Anita. Prior to her allowance win for owner Michael House, Musical Rhapsody finished fifth in the 1 ¼-mile GIII Santa Ana here Feb. 24.
“She’s a proven commodity,” D’Amato said. “I think she got a nice confidence-booster last time and the mile-and-a-half should be right up her alley.”
Hall of Famer Mike Smith will ride Musical Rhapsody for the fifth-straight race.
Comanche Country, the 4-1 third choice, was a supplemental entry after not being originally nominated. Following an 8 ½-month layoff, Comanche Country returned April 6 in the GIII Monrovia and was never a factor sprinting on the hillside turf course. This will be her first time racing beyond 1 1/8 miles.
“We’re trying something different,” D’Amato said. “Every jockey that rides her says she’s just very steady. Horses with that kind of style, that just kind of grind, usually like the marathon distance. She’s training well enough.”
Comanche Country will be ridden for the first time by Kyle Frey, the leading jockey at the Santa Anita Hollywood Meet.
D’Amato’s third entrant is Milagre Do Sol, who at 12-1 is the co-longest shot on the morning line. Last year, she won once in five starts at Woodbine while trained by Kevin Attard. In three starts for D’Amato this year at Santa Anita, all against allowance company, Milagre Do Sol has finished no better than third.
“She trains like she wants to run two miles,” D’Amato said. “We’re going to test the waters.”
Milagre Do Sol will be ridden by Antonio Fresu, who was previously aboard when third in her local bow Jan. 7.
The Santa Barbara goes as the ninth and final race Saturday. Post time is set for 5:18 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Illhaveanotherkiss, Edwin Maldonado (6-1); Vincero Grande, Diego Herrera (6-1); Comanche Country, Kyle Frey (4-1); Milagre Do Sol, Antonio Fresu (12-1); Customer List, Drayden Van Dyke (12-1); Duvet Day, Juan Hernandez (5-2); Musical Rhapsody, Mike Smith (8-5).

SATURDAY’S $1 COAST-TO-COAST PICK 5 STARTS 1:49 P.M. PT
The $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 on Saturday includes three races from Gulfstream Park and a pair from Santa Anita. The sequence starts with the eighth race from Gulfstream at 1:49 PT.
This past Sunday, the Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 returned $110,643.40 for a single winning ticket.
The first leg Saturday is the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies at five furlongs on turf. A field of 12 is signed up led by 9-5 favorite Perfect Shances for trainer Wesley Ward. Jockey Walter Rodriguez will be in the irons.
The ninth from Gulfstream is an allowance/optional claimer for 3-year-olds and up going seven furlongs on dirt. In a field of seven, Cape Trafalgar is the 2-1 favorite for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. with Edgard Zayas up.
Also from Gulfstream is its 10th race, the Royal Palm Juvenile at five furlongs on turf. Another field of 12 is entered led by 9-5 favorite Riase the Bar, who is also trained by Ward and will have Rodriguez aboard.
Santa Anita joins the action with its third and seventh races. The third is an allowance/optional claimer at six furlongs on turf. Soho, with Umberto Rispoli up, is the 2-1 favorite for trainer John Sadler. the seventh is a $25,000 claimer for non-winners of two races at 1 1/8 miles on turf. In a field of seven, What a Dude with Antonio Fresu is the 5-2 favorite for trainer Doug O’Neill.
The Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 features a player-friendly 15 percent takeout rate. It is offered every Saturday and Sunday through the end of the Santa Anita Hollywood Meet on June 16.

FINISH LINES: There is a $1 Pick Six carryover of $104,580 for Friday’s card. The sequence starts with the third race at 2:03 p.m. PT…Coffee in Bed returned to the work tab Saturday following her first stakes win in the GII Santa Maria April 21. Trained by Richard Mandella, the 4-year-old Curlin filly went four furlongs in 47.80 seconds. Coffee In Bed is targeting the GII Santa Margarita at 1 1/8 miles on May 26 at Santa Anita…The first open 2-year-old race for males of the season is Sunday. The 4 ½-furlong dash, which goes as the second, has a field of six. Trainer Jorge Periban , who last Friday won the first juvenile race of the year with promising Bodacious, entered El Ondeado, a gelding by Om. Top 2-year-old trainer Luis Mendez entered Timty, a Stanford gelding, and trainer Doug O’Neill has Ivan the Great, a $150,000 colt by Kantharos…Horseplayer Ciaran Thornton will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Saturday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m. PT.