Santa Anita Stable Notes Thursday, May 30, 2024

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN
THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2024


Johannes; Benoit Photo
JOHANNES, ANISETTE EYE DEL MAR STAKES AFTER GI WINS
O’NEILL STARTS 3 IN 1st JUVENILE TURF RACE OF SEASON FRIDAY
ENDLESSLY HAS 1sT WORK SINCE KY. DERBY; NEW YORK G1 NEXT
FRESU WINS 3 ON MEMORIAL DAY LEADS JOCKEY’S STANDINGS

JOHANNES, ANISETTE EYE DEL MAR STAKES AFTER GI WINS

Both Johannes and Anisette are targeting stakes engagements at Del Mar following their Grade I triumphs Monday at Santa Anita.

Johannes, trained by Tim Yakteen, earned his first top-level victory when taking the Shoemaker Mile by a half-length under Umberto Rispoli. Yakteen said the 4-year-old Nyquist colt will target the GII Eddie Read at 1 1/8 miles on turf July 28 and/or the GII Del Mar Mile Aug. 31.

Johannes is a homebred for Joe and Debby McCloskey’s Cuyathy LLC.

“You’ll see him down at Del Mar,” Yakteen said Thursday morning. “The owners live down there and they love supporting the local track.”

Johannes’s only start beyond a mile came last May at Churchill Downs when fifth in the 1 1/16-mile GII American Turf on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Sent to the sidelines following that effort, he returned after nearly 11 months April 4 at Santa Anita and promptly won the GIII American at a mile on turf.

“We’ll kind of play it by ear where we go,” Yakteen said. “He’s never gone a mile-and-an-eighth. You never really know if they can be effective as they are at a mile until you try it.”

Johannes is now 9: 5-0-1 with $423,859 in earnings.

Anisette, also ridden by Rispoli for trainer Leonard Powell, collected her third GI win when taking the 1 1/8-mile Gamely Stakes by a half-length. It was her first start since a win the GI American Oaks at 1 ¼ miles on turf Dec. Dec. 26 at Santa Anita.

“I was very pleased, especially because there were a few things going against her,” Powell said. “It was her first start of the year and against some horses that had really good recent form. She also carried more weight than everyone else. She was able to overcome all those things. It takes a special horse to do that.”

Anisette’s other Grade I win came in last summer’s Del Mar Oaks at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

The plan now for Powell is to find the best path to the Breeders’ Cup, which this year will be held at Del Mar Nov. 1-2. He said Anisette could start next in the GII Yellow Ribbon Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on Aug. 10 or wait for the GII John C. Mabee at 1 1/8 miles Sept. 7.

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Anisette is a 4-year-old filly by Awtaad. She made her first three starts in her native England before coming to the U.S. at the start of 2023. Her overall record is 10: 6-3-0 with $786,871 in earnings.

O’NEILL STARTS 3 IN 1st JUVENILE TURF RACE OF SEASON FRIDAY
The first 2-year-old race on turf goes as Friday’s opener on an eight-race card. The five-furlong event for fillies drew a field of seven led by 5-2 morning line favorite Lee’s Baby Girl, who is one of three entered for trainer Doug O’Neill.
Lee’s Baby Girl is by Malibu Moon. Owned by The Del Mar Group, O’Neill plucked Lee’s Baby Girl out of the 2023 Keeneland September yearling sale for $55,000. She has worked four times since May 5, including a half-mile move from the gate in 47.80 seconds on Sunday. It was the fourth-fastest of 72 moves at the distance.
“She’s probably the most advanced of the three,” O’Neill said. “Pretty good gate speed and a lot of class.”
Lee’s Baby Girl will start from post two under Antonio Fresu.
Also set to go for The Del Mar Group is What About Q (3-1), who is from the first crop of 2020 Belmont and Travers winner Tiz the Law. O’Neill purchased What About Q for $50,000 at the same sale as Lee’s Baby Girl.
What About Q has worked five times, including a four-furlong gate move Sunday in 48.20 seconds.
“She’s another nice filly, but my gut tells me she’ll need a race or two to see her best,” O’Neill said.
What About Q, who drew post six, will have Edwin Maldonado aboard.
O’Neill third starter is Press Your Luck, a California-bred by I’ll Have Another for owners Here We Go Brother. Reddam Racing bred the filly. Press Your Luck, who is 15-1 on the morning line, has worked four times for her debut. Last Saturday, she went four furlongs from the gate in 48.80 seconds. Press Your Luck will be ridden by Abdul Alsagoor.
“All three are nice fillies,” O’Neill said.
Post time for Friday’s first race is 1 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Running Rio, Ricardo Gonzalez (3-1); Lee’s Baby Girl, Antonio Fresu (5-2); Lucky Nea, Tyler Baze (30-1); Running On Promises, Kyle Frey (3-1); What About Q, Edwin Maldonado (5-1); Press Your Luck, Abdul Alsagoor (15-1); She’s My Flame, Tiago Pereira (3-1).

ENDLESSLY HAS 1st WORK SINCE KY. DERBY; NEW YORK GRADE I NEXT
Endlessly worked for the first time since the Kentucky Derby Thursday at Santa Anita. Trained by Michael McCarthy, the multiple graded stakes winner on turf went four furlongs in 49.60 seconds.
Endlessly finished ninth in the Kentucky Derby when making his first start on dirt. McCarthy Thursday morning said the Oscar Performance colt would return to turf for his next start in the GI Belmont Derby going 1 3/16 miles July 6 at Aqueduct.
Prior to the Kentucky Derby, Endlessly won the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate in February and the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park March 23, both on synthetic. Last year, he bagged two graded wins on turf in the GIII Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes and GIII Zuma Beach on grass at Del Mar.
Endlessly is 7: 5-0-0 with $707,200 in earnings for owner-breeder Amerman Racing.

FRESU WINS 3 ON MEMORIAL DAY, BACK TO TOP OF JOCKEY’S STANDINGS
With three weeks left in the Santa Anita Hollywood Meet, it’s shaping up to be a tight race for leading jockey. On Monday, Antonio Fresu won three races –all on longshots—to vault back to the top of the standings with 21 wins at the stand. Hot on his heels are Juan Hernandez with 20 wins, Umberto Rispoli (18) and Kyle Frey (17).
Fresu’s wins on Memorial Day came in the third race with Virat ($16.00) for trainer Juan Landeros, the sixth with L’enfant Dit ($36.20) for trainer Gus Headley and the seventh on Promissio ( $41.40) for trainer Doug O’Neill.
Fresu, a 32-year-old native of Sardinia, Italy, started riding at Santa Anita in April 2023 after arriving from Dubai. This would be his first riding title in the U.S.
Fresu has two mounts on Friday, both maidens. He’ll ride 5-2 favorite Lee’s Baby Girl in the opener for O’Neill and Blondzilla (4-1) in the seventh, a $20,000 maiden claimer at one mile on dirt, for trainer Martin Valenzuela III.
On Saturday, Fresu rides all nine races. In the two stakes, he’ll be aboard comebacking Dr. Venkman (9-5) in the GII Triple Bend for trainer Mark Glatt and Circle of Trust (7-2) in the GIII Honeymoon for trainer Phil D’Amato.

FINISH LINES: With just two winning favorites on Monday’s 11-race card, the multi-race payouts were massive. The $1 Pick 6 returned $91,482.50 for two winning tickets. The early 50-cent Pick 5 returned a cool $118,873.55. The early 50-cent Pick 4 paid $5,771.60. The middle Pick 4 returned $51,487.50. The late Pick 5, which included winning favorites Eagles Flight ($4.20) and Mr Fisk ($7), paid $1,355.00…Trainer Joe Herrick got his first win of the meet Monday with huge longshot Princess Midnight, who returned $96.00 when winning the fifth race on turf under Jose Valdivia Jr… Mark Glatt and Phil D’Amato are tied atop the trainer’s standings with 11 wins each entering Friday’s action…Sunday’s feature is the Desert Stormer Stakes for older fillies and mares going six furlongs on dirt. The field will be drawn later Thursday…Every Friday at the Hollywood Meet, on-track patrons receive free parking and admission plus $3 beers and $5 margaritas. First post is 1 p.m. with admission gate opening at 11 a.m.

SANTA ANITA STATISTICS
(Current Through Monday, May 27, 2024 Inclusive)
Jockey Mts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won

Antonio Fresu 112 21 19 13 19% 47% $963,202
Juan Hernandez 108 20 17 19 19% 52% $1,207,678
Umberto Rispoli 84 18 11 14 21% 51% $1,041,380
Kyle Frey 111 17 23 15 15% 50% $848,670
Edwin Maldonado 96 15 10 16 16% 43% $626,500
Hector Berrios 55 12 8 7 22% 49% $691,100
Tiago Pereira 51 10 5 5 20% 39% $335,840
Tyler Baze 77 9 15 9 12% 43% $443,160
Mike Smith 42 9 9 6 21% 57% $620,000
Geovanni Franco 73 8 10 10 11% 38% $415,452

Trainer Sts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won
Mark Glatt 62 11 18 11 18% 65% $588,140
Philip D’Amato 71 11 9 15 15% 49% $892,292
Doug O’Neill 70 10 11 9 14% 43% $583,960
Steve Knapp 57 10 5 12 18% 47% $309,000
John Sadler 42 9 7 5 21% 50% $477,040
Peter Miller 42 7 5 7 17% 45% $293,506
Bob Baffert 31 7 4 7 23% 58% $594,860
Robert Hess, Jr. 29 7 4 3 24% 48% $198,320
Librado Barocio 27 7 3 4 26% 52% $319,882
Richard Baltas 26 7 0 2 27% 35% $204,060

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