Santa Anita Stable Notes Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025

CITIZEN BULL (RAIL) & PILOT COMMANDER
ERNIE BELMONTE

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN
SATURDAY, JAN. 25, 2025

WORKS: CHAMPION CITIZEN BULL FIRES BULLET FOR BAFFERT
DEAD-HEAT HELPS TRIGGER A $33K PAYOUT IN FRIDAY’S $2 PICK 6
CLOCKERS’ CORNER STAKES FEATURED ON 10-RACE CARD SUNDAY
TRAINERS URANGA, HARRIS, GARCIA GET 1st WINS AT CLASSIC MEET

WORKS: CHAMPION CITIZEN BULL FIRES BULLET FOR BAFFERT
With rain expected later in the day and continuing through the weekend, it was a busy training session at Santa Anita Saturday morning. Between the main track and training track, 229 horses recorded timed workouts as horsemen looked to get ahead of the weather.
Among several notable workers for trainer Bob Baffert were 3-year-old colts Citizen Bull, who this week was named the 2024 champion 2-year-old male, and Madaket Road. Citizen Bull worked in company with older horse Pilot Commander, who most recently was fourth in the GI Malibu on Dec. 26. Citizen Bull and Pilot Commander were each clocked going five furlongs in 59.0 seconds. They were the fastest of 106 works at the distance.
Citizen Bull, by Into Mischief, is a candidate to run in next Saturday’s Grade III Robert B. Lewis Stakes going a mile at Santa Anita, which is a points-paying prep for the Kentucky Derby. Citizen Bull hasn’t started since winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar Nov. 1.
Madaket Road drilled five furlongs in 59.60 seconds, which was the fourth-fastest work at the distance. By Quality Road, Madaket Road exits a maiden win going six furlongs at Santa Anita on Dec. 26. He is nominated to the Lewis as well.
Baffert also worked 3-year-old filly and Grade I winner Tenma, older horses Mirahmadi and Richi and a 3-year-old colt by Curlin out of Hall of Fame mare Beholder who is not named.
Tenma, who most recently won the GII Starlet in December at Los Alamitos, worked four furlongs in 48.0 seconds.
The 3-year-old colt by Curlin out of Beholder went four furlongs in a sharp 47.40 seconds. It was the fourth-fastest of 59 works at the distance. The $4 million auction purchase for owner Zedan Racing has worked eight times since Dec. 8.
Mirahmadi, who is targeting the GI Santa Anita Handicap on March 1, worked four furlongs in 48.60 seconds. It was his second work since an impressive front-running allowance win going a mile on Jan. 4.
Richi worked four furlongs in 47.40 seconds. A Group I winner in her native Chile, Richi served notice on Jan. 4 when winning the GIII Las Flores going six furlongs in her second U.S. start.
Trainer Michael McCarthy’s notable workers included Grade III winner Bullard, who is nominated to the Lewis; Fasig-Tipton Santa Ynez winner Look Forward and Accuracy.
Bullard, who most recently was third in the GII San Vicente Jan. 4, drilled four furlongs in 48.60. Look Forward worked four furlongs in 49.20. Accuracy, who was fifth in the GI La Brea, worked four furlongs in 48.0 seconds.
Trainer Doug O’Neill worked J B Strikes Back, who earned his first stakes win in the GII Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes on Dec. 26. J B Strikes Back went five furlongs in 1:02.80. He is targeting the Santa Anita Handicap for his next start.
Trainer Richard Mandella worked Kopion, who was an impressive winner of the La Brea when returning from an 8 ½-month layoff. The Omaha Beach filly drilled five furlongs in 1:00.60.
Many of Saturday’s workouts can be viewed at xbtv.com.

DEAD-HEAT HELPS TRIGGER A $33K PAYOUT IN FRIDAY’S $2 PICK 6
For the second time in the past three race days at Santa Anita, there was a pool scoop in the $2 Pick Six.
On Friday, one horseplayer collected $33,004.60 for successfully selecting all six winners in the Pick Six. According to the Santa Anita pari-mutuel department, the winning ticket was purchased for $64 at nearby Viejas Casino. On Monday, a single winning ticket paid $76,369.80.
Friday’s five-figure score was secured in unusual fashion. In the ninth and final race, only 2-1 favorite Irish Rose and second-choice Blisterinthesun (2-1) were covered in the Pick Six. All others in the field would have led to a carryover into Saturday if they had won.
In the final 100 yards of the $50,000 maiden-claimer going six furlongs on turf, Rich Of Joy (6-1) and jockey Abel Lezcano surged to the front and looked poised to spring the upset. But rallying on the outside under Hector Berrios came Irish Rose. When they hit the wire, there was no separating the pair. The race was ruled a dead heat and the player at Viejas had scooped the pool.
The winning horses in Friday’s Pick Six starting with the fourth race were #7 Constant Conflict ($4.40), #4 Fowler Blue ($74.20), #8 Toulouse Detrac ($11), #4 Supa Speed ($5.60), #1 Maysam ($3) and both Irish Rose ($3.20) and Rich of Joy ($6.20).
Saturday’s Pick Six is a competitive sequence that starts with the fifth race at approximately 2 p.m. PT. The average field size is almost 10 starters per race before scratches.

CLOCKERS’ CORNER STAKES FEATURED ON 10-RACE PROGRAM SUNDAY
Santa Anita is set to host a 10-race card Sunday starting at 12 p.m. PT highlighted by the Clockers’ Corner Stakes, which is scheduled for six furlongs on turf.
The Clockers’ Corner is among four races scheduled for the turf course on Sunday. With rain expected this weekend, whether they remain on the lawn will be determined Sunday morning.
“There’s a lot of variance in the forecast, so we’re playing the wait and see game right now,” said Jason Egan, Santa Anita’s Director of Racing and Racing Secretary. “We’ll evaluate where things stand Sunday morning and make a decision from there.”
The Clockers’ Corner has a field of seven signed on led by 8-5 morning line favorite Air Force Red, who will be ridden by Juan Hernandez for trainer Leonard Powell. Should the race be moved to the main track, Air Force Red has never raced on dirt. The only horses in the field to have won on dirt are Vlahos for trainer Doug O’Neill and Mbagnick for trainer Marcelo Polanco.
Sunday’s card also has a pair of maiden special weights scheduled for the Camino Real turf course and a $32,000 claimer on the downhill turf course.

FINISH LINES: Trainers Jesus Uranga, Andrew Harris, and Victor Garcia all won their first races at the Classic Meet Friday. Uranga won the second race with Zimba Warrior ($11). Harris scored in the fourth race with Constant Conflict ($4.40). Garcia won the ninth race when Rich of Joy ($6.20) finished in a dead heat with Irish Rose ($3.40)…Jockey Edwin Maldonado won three races Friday. He won aboard Zimba Warrior, Constant Conflict and Maysam ($3) for trainer Bob Baffert…Post time is 2:40 p.m. PT for Saturday’s GI, $3 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. It will be shown live on NBC and also streamed on Peacock starting at 1:30 p.m… Saturday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:20 p.m. with the 11th race from Gulfstream Park…Horseplayer Ken Shaw will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Sunday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 10:50 a.m.

LATEST CONTENT FROM XBTV:

SANTA ANITA STATISTICS
(Current Through Friday, January 24, 2025 Inclusive)
Jockey Mts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won
Flavien Prat 79 22 18 12 28% 66% $1,161,540
Juan Hernandez 83 21 13 16 25% 60% $1,116,828
Umberto Rispoli 64 14 9 6 22% 45% $773,720
Hector Berrios 40 10 9 6 25% 63% $505,290
Edwin Maldonado 40 9 3 5 23% 43% $364,656
Antonio Fresu 52 8 5 10 15% 44% $774,936
Tiago Pereira 57 7 6 7 12% 35% $372,846
Kazushi Kimura 42 5 5 5 12% 36% $482,880
Lanfranco Dettori 34 5 3 2 15% 29% $449,280
Diego Herrera 30 4 4 2 13% 33% $157,360

Trainer Sts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won
Mark Glatt 40 11 13 5 28% 73% $598,970
Jeff Mullins 29 10 3 3 34% 55% $424,118
Bob Baffert 28 9 6 3 32% 64% $748,860
Doug O’Neill 55 8 5 7 15% 36% $678,450
Philip D’Amato 35 6 7 0 17% 37% $554,848
Robert Hess, Jr. 23 6 3 6 26% 65% $197,946
Richard Baltas 35 5 6 4 14% 43% $261,360
George Papaprodromou 34 5 3 4 15% 35% $163,074
Mike Puype 20 5 2 2 25% 45% $190,760
Michael McCarthy 34 5 0 5 15% 29% $260,520

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