Santa Anita Stable Notes Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025

By STABLE NOTES BY SANTA ANITA PRESS BOX —-

SUNDAY, JAN. 05, 2025

HALL OF FAME TRAINER BOB BAFFERT MAPS OUT HIS STARS
Trainer Bob Baffert holds the Santa Anita Park record with five winners on a single card, but he only had starters in four races on Saturday. On Sunday, he began mapping out plans for the four winners, which included two highly regarded 3-year-olds in Barnes and Rodriguez, along with older horse Mirahmadi and the Chilean filly Richi.
“I thought I had a great shot to win four races, but we had to get lucky,” reflected Baffert. “I’ve thought that before and I’ve been lucky to get one or instead I got a donut. We got great rides yesterday and good racing luck. It was great to win for these clients who continue to support us and it really raises the morale of all the people who work so hard in the barn.
“I was happy with Barnes. Amr (owner Amr Zedan) had to stretch to buy him, and I really made him stretch, but he’s a very good horse. We’re going to nominate everywhere and take a look. Citizen Bull (the favorite for the 2-year-old Male Eclipse Award) and a couple of the others will point for the Robert B. Lewis here on February 1st.”
Barnes, who was named after Baffert’s longtime assistant Jimmy Barnes, was purchased by Zedan for $3.2 million at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale. Baffert suggested to Zedan that they name the horse in Barnes’ honor after the assistant trainer told Baffert they better find a good name for the horse because he was training so well. He didn’t tell Barnes about the name until one day he handed him a halter with the name plate already engraved and gave it to the assistant to put on the colt.
“Rodriguez was very impressive going two turns and he showed us what we expected. Mirahmadi has always been a good horse, but he’s had some tough luck. He’ll point to the Big ‘Cap (on March 1).”
Baffert won the 2024 Santa Anita Handicap with Newgate for the same ownership group as Citizen Bull, Rodriguez and Mirahmadi. The partnership is known as the Avengers and consists primarily of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Tom Royan, Robert Masterson, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan. Determined Stables appears on the ownership line of Rodriguez as well.
Richi, a Chilean-bred daughter of Practical Joke now owned by John Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale and Stud Vendaval, was making her second start in the United States. The win came over the Baffert-trained Pleasant, who was sent off as the 1-5 favorite.
“Richi will be pointed for the Beholder Mile. She should stretch out fine. Pleasant was just a little rusty, but she’ll stick around here,” said Baffert.

2024 ECLIPSE AWARD FINALISTS ANNOUNCED SUNDAY
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, National Turf Writers And Broadcasters (NTWAB), and Daily Racing Form announced today via FanDuel TV the finalists for the 2024 Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards.
Out of 48 Eclipse Award finalists there are 10 that call Santa Anita Park home. Citizen Bull and Gaming for 2-Year-Old Male. In the Older Dirt Male division, Full Serrano (ARG), National Treasure and Straight No Chaser. For Older Dirt Female, Adare Manor. Male Sprinter Straight No Chaser and The Chosen Vron. Male Turf Horse in the running is Johannes. For outstanding jockey, Flavien Prat who surpassed Jerry Bailey’s stakes record with 56 wins in a calendar year.
The award winners, including Horse of the Year will be announced at the 54th annual Eclispse Award ceremony taking place at The Breakers Palm Beach, a luxury resort in Palm Beach, Fl. on Jan. 23.
The Eclipse Awards which honor excellence in Thoroughbred racing, are voted upon by the NTRA, represented by member racetrack racing officials and Equibase field personnel, NTWAB, and Daily Racing Form, and are produced by the NTRA.

SANTA ANITA’S MYSTERY MUTUEL VOUCHER PROMOTION REVEALS $10,000
It was a winning day at Santa Anita Park Saturday for Manuel Baldera of Garden Grove, CA, who participated in Santa Anita’s Mystery Mutuel Voucher promotion and won the grand prize of $10,000.
Baldera, who has regularly attended Santa Anita for more than 15 years, said he has participated in every previous Mystery Mutuel Voucher promotion and had only cashed $2 or $5 tickets. He said he loves Santa Anita and playing the horses. Baldera added plans to use the $10,000 toward the purchase of a new car.
All Santa Anita 1/ST REWARDS members receive direct mailers throughout Santa Anita’s live race meets, which include Mystery Mutuel Vouchers. Participants win rewards of either $5, $10, $20, $100, $1,000 or in some lucky cases, $10,000. It’s FREE to sign up for Santa Anita’s 1/ST REWARDS customer loyalty program. You can sign up on track at the 1/ST REWARDS Center.
Mystery Mutuel vouchers are mailed to 1/ST REWARDS members periodically throughout the Classic, Hollywood and Autumn Meets.
For more information on Santa Anita’s 1/ST REWARDS program, please visit santaanita.com.

FINISH LINES: Juan Hernandez rode five winners on Saturday’s 10-race card beginning in the opener with Baldoro for Leonard Powell ($6.40), then scored three times for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert aboard Rodriguez ($3) in the second race, Barnes ($4) in the fifth and Mirahmadi ($6.80) in the seventh race. Hernandez piloted Carla Gaines’s Afternoon Nap ($15) home in the eighth race and was just 1 ½ length shy aboard 1-5 favorite Pleasant in the co-feature Las Flores stakes. The current record of seven wins in a day is held by the great Laffit Pincay,Jr. accomplished on March 14, 1987. There are 15 jockeys who have come close to tying the feat with six winners … Santa Anita Park’s 76th Woolf Award finalists will be announced Monday morning…There will be a Celebration of Life at Clockers’ Corner Sunday Jan. 12 for late trainer Mel Stute and his wife Annabelle starting at 9 a.m….The Stute’s memorial service on Jan. 11 at Hope Lutheran Church in Glendora has been moved to 2 p.m. It was originally set to begin at 11 a.m. Live racing resumes on Friday with a 10 race card with first post at noon.

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SANTA ANITA STATISTICS
(Current Through Friday, January 3, 2025 Inclusive)
Jockey Mts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won

Flavien Prat 39 10 12 7 26% 74% $635,380
Juan Hernandez 36 6 5 7 17% 50% $390,518
Umberto Rispoli 30 6 4 4 20% 47% $356,820
Tiago Pereira 21 4 4 2 19% 48% $132,400
Lanfranco Dettori 23 3 3 1 13% 30% $391,300
Kazushi Kimura 26 3 2 3 12% 31% $360,020
Antonio Fresu 11 3 1 2 27% 55% $375,200
Hector Berrios 14 2 3 2 14% 50% $123,880
Edwin Maldonado 18 2 2 2 11% 33% $118,806
Armando Ayuso 21 2 2 1 10% 24% $103,500

Trainer Sts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won
Philip D’Amato 17 5 3 0 29% 47% $434,560
Mark Glatt 16 4 5 3 25% 75% $208,040
Michael McCarthy 19 4 0 3 21% 37% $157,260
Steve Knapp 16 3 4 3 19% 63% $108,060
Doug O’Neill 23 3 2 3 13% 35% $391,860
Bob Baffert 13 3 2 2 23% 54% $296,900
Jeff Mullins 15 3 2 1 20% 40% $183,518
Mike Puype 10 3 2 0 30% 50% $117,440
Dean Pederson 3 3 0 0 100% 100% $61,920
Robert Hess, Jr. 11 2 2 4 18% 73% $91,886

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.