Santa Anita Stable Notes Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN
SUNDAY, OCT. 27, 2024

Straight No Chaser; Ernie Belmonte

WORKS: NEWGATE AMONG 4 BREEDERS’ CUP CONTENDERS ON TAB
Four horses pre-entered in next week’s Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar worked Sunday at Santa Anita including Newgate, a leading contender for the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Trained by Bob Baffert, Newgate fired a bullet when going five furlongs in a swift 58.80 seconds. Sharing the bullet with Newgrange for the fastest work at five furlongs was Full Serrano, a contender for the $1 million Dirt Mile, who also went in 58.80 seconds for trainer John Sadler.
Newgate, a 4-year-old Into Mischief colt, will be making his second start following a six-month layoff in the 1 ¼-mile Classic. After winning the GI Santa Anita Handicap in March, Newgate shipped to the Middle East and finished last in the GI Dubai World Cup on March 30. He didn’t resurface until the GI California Crown on Sept. 28 at Santa Anita.
In the 1 1/8-mile California Crown, Newgate with John Velazquez up had just one horse beat after six furlongs. He then mounted a bold four-wide move into the stretch that propelled him into a three-way photo finish with winner Subsanador and runner-up National Treasure. Newgate was officially beaten a head and another nose for it all.
Full Serrano most recently was second by a half-length to Classic contender Mixto in the GI Pacific Classic going 1 ¼ miles Aug. 31 at Del Mar. Imported from Argentina this year, the Pacific Classic was just the second U.S. start for Full Serrano, a 5-year-old Full Mast horse owned by Hronis Racing.
Working for trainer Dan Blacker was Straight No Chaser, a top contender for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint at six furlongs. Straight No Chaser worked four furlongs in 47.20 seconds.
A 5-year-old horse by Speightster, Straight No Chaser is exiting a scintillating 6 ½-length win in the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship going six furlongs Sept. 29. It was his first start following a 4 ½-month layoff. Owned by My Racehorse, Straight No Chaser is 9: 5-0-1 with $376,300 in earnings.
Rounding out the Breeders’ Cup workers was Cabo Spirit, who is on the also-eligible list for the $5 million Turf but is expected to get in. Upset winner of the GII John Henry Sept. 28, Cabo Spirit worked five furlongs in 59.80 seconds for trainer George Papaprodromou.
The post position draw for the 41st Breeders’ Cup is Monday starting at 4 p.m. PT. It will be broadcast live on FanDuel TV.

CLOSING DAY: BAFFERT, D’AMATO ALL SQUARE IN TRAINER’S RACE
The race for the trainer’s title has come down to the final day of the Santa Anita Autumn meet. Entering Sunday’s 10-race card, Phil D’Amato and Hall of Famer Bob Baffert are all square with 13 wins each at the stand. Hot on their heels with 12 wins is George Papaprodromou.
D’Amato is seeking his seventh Santa Anita trainer’s title, while Baffert goes for his first since the 2020 Autumn Meet. Papaprodromou has never won a trainer’s title.
Things could get interesting Sunday. D’Amato’s boasts the numbers as he has 10 horses entered in six races before scratches. The group includes one program favorite, Unconquerable Keen (7-5) in the third race.
But Baffert, who has six starters in three races, boasts the more likelier winners as three of his horses are odds-on favorites on the morning line. Toughness is installed at 2-5 in the third race, which is for 2-year-old maidens going six furlongs; Cipriani is also 2-5 in the sixth race, a 6 ½-furlong maiden race for 2-year-old fillies; and Pilot Commander is 4-5 in the eighth race, an allowance/optional claimer going 6 ½ furlongs on dirt. In the eighth race, Baffert is double-barreled as he also has 2-1 second choice Fort Bragg, a graded stakes winner who was pre-entered in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile but did not make the main body of the field.
Papaprodromou has six horses entered in five races and all of them are longshots. The shortest morning-line odds among Papaprodromou’s runners are Noble Reflection (8-1) in the third race and Sneaker (8-1) in the seventh, which is the featured Grade III, $100,000 Autumn Miss Stakes.
First post Sunday is 1 p.m. PT.

FOLLOWING 4 WINS SATURDAY, HERNANDEZ NEARS ANOTHER RIDING TITLE
Jockey Juan Hernandez booted home four winners Saturday to all but seal his seventh riding title at Santa Anita.
Entering Sunday’s 10-race closing day card, Hernandez has 24 wins at the stand, nine more than runner-up Umberto Rispoli. Hernandez has eight mounts on Sunday, while Rispoli is slated to ride in nine races.
On Saturday, Hernandez won the opener on favorite You Decide ($4.40) for trainer Peter Eurton; the second race on favorite Devil Be Me ($3.80) for trainer Jeff Mullins; the fifth race on favorite Middleburg ($4.80) for trainer Bob Baffert; and the nightcap on second-choice Donner Lake ($6.60) for trainer Michael McCarthy.
Rispoli did not have a win Saturday.
Hernandez is also tied with Mike Smith for most stakes wins at the meet with three victories each. In Sunday’s feature, the Grade III, $100,000 Autumn Miss Stakes, Hernandez rides 4-1 second choice for trainer Phil D’Amato. Smith has the call on longshot Mixologist (12-1).
Hernandez, a 32-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico, won his first Santa Anita jockey’s title at the 2021-22 Winter-Spring meet. He has since been leading rider at the 2022-23 Classic Meet, 2023 Hollywood Meet, 2023 Autumn Meet, 2023-24 Classic Meet and 2024 Hollywood Meet.
Entering Sunday, Hernandez—who won his first-ever race at Golden Gate in 2010—has 2,728 career victories and $90.8 million in purse earnings. During a two-week span this winter, Hernandez won two million-dollar races, which were the first of his career. He scored on Muth in the GI Arkansas Derby on March 30 and then 14 days later guided Adare Manor to victory in the GI Apple Blossom, both at Oaklawn Park.

FINISH LINES: Horses scheduled to run on the Breeders’ Cup undercard at Del Mar next Friday and Saturday must be on the grounds by Wednesday at 8 a.m., according to a notice from the track…Forbidden Kingdom, who was pre-entered in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, will run in Sunday’s third race at Santa Anita, an allowance at six furlongs on turf. Trained by Richard Mandella, Forbidden Kingdom is the 2-1 second choice on the morning line…Jockey Hector Berrios won two races Saturday , moving him into fourth place in the jockey’s standings. He scored with Atitlan ($14.60) in the featured GII Twilight Derby for trainer John Shirreffs and favorite Ang N Ash ($6) by a nose in the ninth race for trainer Hector Palma…Live racing will return to Santa Anita Dec. 26 with the start of the Classic Meet.

LATEST CONTENT FROM XBTV:

FEATURES:

Preview of The Autumn Miss Stakes

WORKOUTS:

Cornell (Outside) and Citizen Bull (Baffert) 10-26-24

Anisette (Powell) 10-26-24

Motorious (Black Jacket) and Balnikhov (D’Amato) 10-26-24

Pleasant (Baffert) 10-25-24

Sabertooth (Outside) and Comininalittlehot (Yakteen) 10-25-24

Cailin Dana (Drysdale) 10-25-24

One Arrow (Drysdale) 10-24-24

Benster (Cecil) 10-24-24

Forbidden Kingdom (Mandella) 10-24-24

Just Before Dawn(Chestnut) and Nooni (Baffert) 10-24-24

SANTA ANITA STATISTICS
(Current Through Saturday, October 26, 2024 Inclusive)
Jockey Mts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won
Juan Hernandez 95 24 13 25 25% 65% $1,481,630
Umberto Rispoli 80 15 13 11 19% 49% $826,958
Antonio Fresu 78 13 14 9 17% 46% $789,656
Hector Berrios 63 9 12 8 14% 46% $703,176
Edwin Maldonado 52 8 7 5 15% 38% $314,720
Tiago Pereira 51 8 2 4 16% 27% $418,040
Tyler Baze 63 7 4 5 11% 25% $352,920
Kazushi Kimura 37 6 6 3 16% 41% $445,496
Ricardo Gonzalez 41 6 6 3 15% 37% $219,350
Kyle Frey 81 5 12 13 6% 37% $348,390

Trainer Sts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won
Bob Baffert 39 13 7 5 33% 64% $1,244,506
Philip D’Amato 67 13 4 10 19% 40% $837,172
George Papaprodromou 35 12 3 2 34% 49% $732,800
Doug O’Neill 47 10 7 6 21% 49% $526,988
Michael McCarthy 35 7 2 6 20% 43% $432,510
Mark Glatt 37 6 8 8 16% 59% $698,990
Peter Miller 42 6 6 8 14% 48% $240,460
Peter Eurton 25 5 6 3 20% 56% $223,260
Jeff Mullins 21 5 5 3 24% 62% $286,942
Tim Yakteen 23 5 5 3 22% 57% $323,208

About The Stronach Group
The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The Stronach Group’s 1/ST business (pronounced “First”) is North America’s preeminent Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering company and includes the 1/ST RACING & GAMING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY and 1/ST EXPERIENCE businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING & GAMING drives the best-in-class racing operations and gaming offerings at the company’s premier racetracks and training centers including: Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series, Gulfstream Park West and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); the Maryland Jockey Club at Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course – home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the operating group for 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, TSG Global Wagering Solutions (GWS) and XBTV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is racing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST EXPERIENCE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality through innovative content development, elevated national and local venue management and hospitality, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and procurement development. As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred racing on and off the track. The Stronach Group’s TSG Properties is responsible for the development of the company’s live, play and work communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). For more information, visit www.1st.com or follow @1ST_racing on Twitter or @1stracing on Instagram and Facebook.