Santa Anita: California Gold Rush Stakes Day

By Victor Ryan —-

SHADY TIGER TRIES TO ADD TURF STAKES WIN TO RESUME IN $125,000 SNOW CHIEF STAKES FOR 3-YEAR-OLDS GOING 1 1/8 MILES ON THE LAWN SATURDAY AT SANTA ANITA

1 of 5 stakes on California Gold Rush Day for horses bred or sired in California
ARCADIA, CA (May 22, 2024)—Shady Tiger, a smashing winner of last month’s Echo Eddie Stakes for California-breds in his stakes debut going 6 ½ furlongs on dirt, returns to turf for Saturday’s $125,000 Snow Chief Stakes for 3-year-old California-breds going 1 1/8 miles on turf.

Trained by Phil D’Amato, Shady Tiger has won three straight since finishing second in his debut going five furlongs on turf last November in Del Mar. The Smiling Tiger gelding broke his maiden against statebreds going six furlongs on turf here Jan. 7, then returned in a statebred allowance at six furlongs on turf and scored by a nose.

In the Echo Eddie on the main track April 6 at Santa Anita, the Smiling Tiger gelding rallied from off the pace and won going away. Juan Hernandez has been aboard for all four previous starts and again has the call.

Shady Tiger is a homebred for Edward Rusty J. Brown. He is 4: 3-1-0 with $166,400 in earnings.

Curlin’s Kaos tested the Triple Crown trail this winter when fourth in both the Sunland Derby and GI Santa Anita Derby on dirt. Most recently, he switched to turf in a one mile statebred allowance April 28 at Santa Anita and scored by one length over Two by Four, who is also entered in the Snow Chief.

Trained by Antonio Garcia, Curlin’s Kaos is 7: 2-1-2 with $160,520 in earnings for owners Zephyr Racing LLC and Alfred Pais. Diego Herrera, who has been aboard for all previous seven starts, has the call.

Joining Shady Tiger for D’Amato is stablemate Final Storm. By Kentucky-based stallion Blame, Final Storm was claimed out of a win in a $50,000 maiden claimer going 5 ½ furlongs on dirt March 10 at Santa Anita. He was then switched to turf for a six-furlong statebred allowance try April 28 and scored again.

Final Storm, who will have Kyle Frey in the irons, is owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Hopeless Stables, Veranda Stables et. al. He is 4: 2-0-1 with $61,900 in earnings.

Two by Four was third in the Echo Eddie before finishing runner-up in Curlin’s Kaos’ allowance win last month. Trained by Craig Lewis, the Clubhouse Ride gelding is 6: 1-3-1 for owner-breeder Legacy Ranch. He will be ridden by Hector Berrios for the second-straight time.

THE SNOW CHIEF WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Shady Tiger – Juan Hernandez – 120
Size Does Matter – Umberto Rispoli – 120
Takes Three – Armando Ayuso – 120
Two by Four – Hector Berrios – 120
Curlin’s Kaos – Diego Herrera – 122
Stay On the Fence – Ricardo Gonzalez – 120
Tamarando Star – Geovanni Franco – 122
Final Storm – Kyle Frey – 120
Stolen Treasure – Mario Gutierrez – 120
Keep Movin’ On – Antonio Fresu – 120

First post for Gold Rush Day Saturday is 1 p.m. PT. Admission gates open at 11 a.

HE CHOSEN VRON LOOKS TO DEFEND TITLE IN $100,000 THOR’S ECHO STAKES GOING 6 FURLONGS SATURDAY AT SANTA ANITA

I of 5 stakes for statebreds on California Gold Rush Day

ARCADIA, CA (May 22, 2024)—Star sprinter The Chosen Vron will try for his 17th stakes win Saturday when he defends his title in the $100,000 Thor’s Echo Stakes at six furlongs on California Gold Rush Day at Santa Anita.

Trained and co-owned by Eric Kruljac, The Chosen Vron made it four-straight wins April 27 when beating open company in the listed Kona Gold Stakes going 6 ½ furlongs here April 27. In 13 starts dating to September 2022, The Chosen Vron’s only loss came in last November’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint when fifth at Santa Anita.

The Chosen Vron will have regular rider Hector Berrios in the irons. A 6-year-old gelding by Vronsky, he is 22: 17-1-2 with $1,359,678 in earnings. Kruljac co-owns The Chosen Vron with Sondereker Racing LLC, Robert S. Fetkin and Richard Thornburgh.

While back in with statebreds, this won’t necessarily be a layup for The Chosen Vron.

Among his rivals is Big City Lights, who is coming off his first graded stakes win in the GIII Palos Verdes going six furlongs Feb. 10 at Santa Anita.

Trained by Richard Mandella, Big City Lights has finished second to The Chosen Vron in four previous stakes efforts, twice in 2022 and twice more last year. However, in their last matchup at Santa Anita, which came in last year’s California Cup Sprint in January, Big City Lights was only beaten a neck.

A 5-year-old horse by Mr. Big, Big City Lights is 9: 5-4-0 with $392,420 in earnings for owner William R. Peeples. He will be ridden by Juan Hernandez.

California Tiger makes his stakes debut for trainer Hector Palma. The 4-year-old Smiling Tiger gelding exits a win in a first-level allowance for statebreds going 6 ½ furlongs May 11 at Santa Anita.

California Tiger is 11: 3-3-1 with $119,120 in earnings for Palma’s Royalty Stables and co-owner Dolores Riggio. He will be ridden by Antonio Fresu.

THE THOR’S ECHO WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

The Chosen Vron- Hector Berrios – 126
Sawasdee – Diego Herrera – 124
Big City Lights – Juan Hernandez – 126
Moose Mitchell – Umberto Rispoli – 124
California Tiger – Antonio Fresu – 122

First post time for a 10- race card on California Gold Rush Day is 1 p.m. PT. Admission gates open at 11 a.m.

STREAKING KINGS RIVER KNIGHT SEEKS REPEAT IN $100,000 CRYSTAL WATER STAKES AT ONE MILE ON TURF SATURDAY AT SANTA ANITA

The Crystal Water is 1 of 5 stakes on California Gold Rush Day for horses bred or sired in California

ARCADIA, CA (May 22, 2024)—Kings River Knight will look to continue his dominance in the California-bred ranks when he tries to make it repeat victories in the $100,000 Crystal Water Stakes at one mile on turf Saturday at Santa Anita.

Trained by John Sadler, Kings River Knight collected his first stakes win in last year’s Crystal Water. He has since added four more statebred stakes wins, which includes two on dirt. As a 6-year-old this year, the Acclamation gelding is 2-for-2. He won the 1 1/8-mile Unusual Heat Turf Classic here Jan. 13, then beat open company in a second-level allowance going a mile on turf Feb. 24.

Kings River Knight is 15: 9-5-0 with $589,830 in earnings for Integrity Thoroughbred Racing LLC, The Ellwood Johnston Family Trust and Kenneth A. Tevelde. He will have regular rider Juan Hernandez in the irons.

Also making a return trip to the Crystal Water are veteran statebred stakes winners Coalinga Road, Carmelita’s Man and None Above The Law. The three geldings are a combined 1-for-18 since last year’s Crystal Water.

Carmelita’s Man, trained by Dean Pederson, was third in last year’s Crystal Water. In his 7-year-old bow Jan. 13, Carmelita’s Man was beaten just a half-length by Kings River Knight when second in the Unusual Heat Turf Classic. He has since earned minor awards when facing open company in a pair of second-level allowance heats on turf.

A gelding by Mucho Macho Man, Carmelita’s Man is 32: 8-7-3 with $615,056 in earnings for owners Lawrence T. Jett and Ann Jett. He will be ridden by Tiago Pereira.

Coaling Road, second in last year’s Crystal Water, most recently was third against open company in a first-level allowance at a mile on turf here May 5. Trained by Carla Gaines, the 7-year-old by Quality Road will have hot-riding Antonio Fresu in the irons.

Coalinga Road, who won last year’s Unusual Heat Turf Classic prior to the Crystal Water, is a homebred for Harris Farms. He is 25: 4-8-6 with $438,814 in earnings.

The new face in the lineup is 4-year-old colt Old Pal for trainer Mark Glatt. The son of Grazen last May won the Snow Chief Stakes for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles on turf at Santa Anita. He did not race again in 2023.

Old Pal returned from an 11-plus month layoff May 5 and promptly scored versus open company in a first-level allowance at a mile on turf. Hall of Famer Mike Smith was aboard for the comeback win and again takes the call.

Old Pal is owned by Blinkers On Racing Stable, James Titus, Les Wagner, et. al. He is 5: 3-1-1 with $194,060 in earnings.

THE CRYSTAL WATER WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Barely Functional – Mario Gutierrez – 124
Coalinga Road – Antonio Fresu – 126
None Above the Law – Tyler Baze – 126
Kings River Knight – Juan Hernandez – 126
Old Pal – Mike Smith – 126
Carmelita’s Man – Tiago Pereira – 126
Passarando – Kyle Frey – 126
Clouseau – Edwin Maldonado – 122
Oubabe – Umberto Rispoli – 122

First post for a 10- race card on California Gold Rush Day is 1 p.m. PT. Admission gates open at 11 a.m.
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