Santa Anita Stable Notes Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025

By Jasmine Torrez —-

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN
SUNDAY, FEB. 2, 2025

CITIZEN BULL DOING WELL; SAN FELIPE OR REBEL FOR BARNES
Trainer Bob Baffert reported all was well with Citizen Bull the morning after his 3 ¾-length win in Saturday’s GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes. He added it remains to be determined if last year’s 2-year-old champion makes one or two more starts before this year’s 151st Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs.
Citizen Bull earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure for his front-running win in the one-mile Lewis under Martin Garcia, which was his first start since winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Nov. 1. With the win, Citizen Bull earned 20 additional qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby to give him 60 in all. That should be more than enough points to make the 20-horse cutline for the Derby.
Prior to the Lewis, Baffert noted Citizen Bull is a “big, heavy colt” that should improve with racing. On Sunday, he said “we’ll just wait and see” whether Citizen Bull makes another start, potentially the GII San Felipe at Santa Anita on March 1, prior to the final round of Kentucky Derby preps in early April, which includes the GI Santa Anita Derby on April 5.
“I need to talk it over with his racing manager (SF Racing’s Tom Ryan) and we’ll make a plan,” Baffert said.
Citizen Bull is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables and partners. He improved to 5: 4-0-1 with $1,421,000 in earnings.
In addition to Citizen Bull, Baffert has another top Kentucky Derby prospect in Barnes, who moved to 2-for-2 when winning the GII San Vicente going seven furlongs Jan. 4 at Santa Anita. Barnes will make his next start in either the GII Rebel Stakes Feb. 22 at Oaklawn Park or the San Felipe a week later, Baffert said. Both races are contested at 1 1/16 miles. It would be the first time going two turns for Barnes, a son of Into Mischief owned by Zedan Racing.

EAGLES FLIGHT SCRATCHED WITH ‘SMALL FOOT ISSUE’
Royally bred Eagles Flight, the 6-5 program favorite in Sunday’s seventh race, was scratched Sunday morning due to a “small foot issue,” trainer John Sadler said via text message.
Eagles Flight is a 4-year-old colt by Curlin, a member of the Racing Hall of Fame, out of graded stakes winner Feathered, making him a half-brother to undefeated 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline. He was entered in a first-level allowance going 1 1/16 miles in what would have been his third start.
Eagles Flight won his debut going six furlongs in May at Santa Anita then was sidelined the remainder of the year. He resurfaced in a first-level allowance going a mile on Jan. 4 at Santa Anita and finished second behind Mirahmadi, who with the victory stamped himself a contender for the GI Santa Anita Handicap on March 1.
Eagles Flight is owned in partnership by Hronis Racing, breeder Summer Wind Equine and William S. Farish.

WORKS: KY. DERBY STARTER ENDLESSLY, OFF SINCE JULY, BACK ON TAB
Endlessly, who finished off the board in last year’s Kentucky Derby and hasn’t started since July, had his first work of the year Sunday at Santa Anita for trainer Michael McCarthy. Other notable workers included GI Santa Anita Handicap prospects J B Strikes Back and Mirahmadi; GI Malibu winner Raging Torrent; and graded stakes winners Cavalieri and Will Then.
Endlessly was clocked going three furlongs on the main track in 38.20 seconds. It was his first work since Aug. 10 at Del Mar.
A 4-year-old Oscar Performance colt, Endlessly has been sidelined since a fifth-place finish in the GI Belmont Derby Invitational on turf July 6. Prior to that effort, Endlessly won the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate and GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park, both on synthetic, prior to finishing ninth in the Kentucky Derby. He is owned by Amerman Racing.
Mirahmadi, trained by Bob Baffert, worked five furlongs in 59.20 seconds. It was the second fastest of 57 works at the distance. A 4-year-old Into Mischief colt, Mirahmadi exits a front-running, 4 ½-length victory over well-regarded Eagles Flight in a first-level allowance going a mile Jan. 4 at Santa Anita.
Also working for Baffert was Cavalieri, winner of the GIII La Canada Stakes in her stakes debut Jan. 19 at Santa Anita. In her first work since the 1 1/16-mile La Canada, the 4-year-old Nyquist filly went four furlongs in 48.20 seconds. She is a candidate for the GI B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile on March 8.
J B Strikes Back, upset winner of the GII Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes Dec. 26, earned the bullet for five furlongs when covering the distance in 59.0 seconds. Trained by Doug O’Neill, the 4-year-old Goldencents gelding earned his first stakes win when scoring in the Pincay Jr. by 1 ¼ lengths for owner Purple Reign Racing.
Raging Torrent four furlongs in 48.60 seconds for O’Neill. The 4-year-old Maximus Mischief colt won the seven-furlong Malibu by 1 ¼ under Frankie Dettori on opening day of the Classic Meet. He is ticketed for a trip to the Middle East to run in the GII Godolphin Mile on the Dubai World Cup undercard April 5.
Will Then, off since winning the GIII Jimmy Durante Nov. 30 at Del Mar, earned a bullet when working four furlongs on the synthetic training track in 47.0 seconds. A 3-year-old War of Will filly, Will Then won the one-mile Jimmy Durante on turf by 2 ¼ lengths in her stakes debut.

GIII SAN MARCOS, SWEET LIFE ON TAP NEXT WEEKEND AT SANTA ANITA
Santa Anita will host two stakes next weekend, the GIII San Marcos on Saturday and the Sweet Life on Sunday. Nominations for both were released on Saturday.
The San Marcos is for older horses going 1 ¼ miles on turf. Nominees include GII Hollywood Turf Cup winner Truly Quality for trainer Jonathan Thomas; multiple graded stakes winner Easter for trainer Phil D’Amato; Grade I winner There Goes Harvard, most recently 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Turf for trainer Michael McCarthy; and Grade II winner Atitlan, who was third in the GII Mathis Mile Dec. 26 for trainer John Shirreffs.
The Sweet Life is for 3-year-old fillies sprinting about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course. Casalu winner of the Blue Norther Stakes going a mile on turf Dec. 28 at Santa Anita for trainer Bob Baffert and GIII Jimmy Durante winner Will Then for trainer Jonathan Thomas headline 21 nominees.
The San Marcos, along with the rest of Saturday’s card, will be drawn on Monday. The Sweet Life and the remainder of Sunday’s card will be drawn on Tuesday.

FINISH LINES: Saturday’s GII Santa Monica winner Kopion, trained by Richard Mandella, earned a lofty 110 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form’s Brad Free. GIII Thunder Road winner El Potente got a 104 Beyer for trainer Dan Blacker and Rashmi earned a 90 Beyer winning the GIII Megahertz for trainer Jonathan Thomas…Jockeys Umberto Rispoli and Hector Berrios each won two races Saturday. Rispoli, who is now third in the jockey’s standings, won the fifth race on Venganza ($10.60) for trainer Richard Mandella and the 10th aboard Call Sign Seven ($10.60) for trainer Michael McCarthy. Berrios, fourth in the jockey’s standings, won the second race on Stan From Malibu ($2.80) for trainer Carla Gaines and the eighth on El Potente ($5) for Blacker…Sunday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 12:19 PT with the seventh race from Gulfstream Park. The Coast to Coast is offered to retail players only…After Sunday’s 10-race card, live racing will resume Friday at Santa Anita. The card will be drawn later Sunday.