Santa Anita Stable Notes Friday, March 14, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

GIII SANTA ANA: STARRY HEAVENS MAKES U.S. BOW FOR D’AMATO

Among a field of eight fillies and mares signed on for Saturday’s Grade III Santa Ana Stakes going 1 ¼ miles on turf is Starry Heavens, a 5-year-old mare bred in Ireland who will be making her U.S. debut for trainer Phil D’Amato and owner R Unicorn Stable.

By Mastercraftsmen, Starry Heavens was a stakes winner at Longchamp in 2023 and she also contested multiple Group III events while in Europe. She has not started since last July when finishing off the board in the GIII Darley Irish E.B.F. Stanerra Stakes going 1 ¾ miles at Fairyhouse in Ireland.

Starry Heavens has been training forwardly over Santa Anita’s synthetic training track since her stateside arrival. Beginning in mid-January, Starry Heavens has worked eight times for her U.S. unveiling. Last Saturday, she drilled five furlongs over the Tapeta in a sharp 59.80 seconds. D’Amato’s come away encouraged by what he’s seen in the mornings.

“She’s been training very well,” D’Amato said Friday morning. “Antonio Fresu has been working her and he’s been really impressed with what he’s felt underneath him. This is why they sent her to me, to run in these marathon-type races.”

Fresu will also be aboard Starry Heavens in the Santa Ana, where she is installed as the 5-1 third choice on the morning line. Her chief rivals include even-money favorite Kathynmarissa, most recently second in the GI American Oaks in December at Santa Anita; and Mrs. Astor (5-2), winner of GIII Megahertz in February and GIII Robert J. Frankel in December in her two most recent starts. Kathynmarissa is trained by Richard Dutrow Jr. and Jonathan Thomas trains Mrs. Astor.

“It’s a nice, salty field with a mare coming off a Grade I-placing and another mare that’s won two graded stakes in a row,” D’Amato said. “This is a good starting point. I think she’s going to be a nice marathon mare for me down the road.”

The Santa Ana is part of a 10-race card Saturday starting at 1 p.m. PT. It goes as the eighth race at approximately 4:40 p.m. The field in post position order: Lady Claypoole, Tiago Pereira (20-1); Mahina, Hector Berrios (8-1); Mrs. Astor, Umberto Rispoli (5-2); Omaha Girl, Geovanni Franco (30-1); Starry Heavens, Antonio Fresu (5-1); Sakura Blossom, Juan Hernandez (10-1); Big Hug, Armando Ayuso (30-1); Kathynmarissa, Frankie Dettori (1-1).

FRIDAY’S 3 TURF RACES MOVED TO MAIN TRACK DUE TO RAIN

With rain continuing at Santa Anita Friday morning, the three turf races scheduled for Friday’s nine-race card have been moved to the main track. All three races—the fifth, seventh and ninth—will be run at their originally scheduled distances.

The fifth race is a restricted $30,000 claimer going 6 ½ furlongs. A field of nine was entered including one also eligible, Baldoro, who will run. Scratched are #1 Agency, #2 Nero Tulip and #6 Belmont Bill.

The seventh race is a $50,000 maiden claimer going one mile. Scratched are #2 Ghost Coast and #6 Broadway Change. There is also a jockey change as #4 Sinful King will be ridden by Antonio Fresu.

The ninth race is an allowance/optional claimer for 3-year-old fillies going six furlongs. The only early scratch is #4 Press Your Luck.

The fifth and seventh races are also part of Friday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5. The sequence starts at 1:38 p.m. PT with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park.

With the ongoing rain, training on the main track was limited to joggers only Friday morning. The training track remained open for workers. A total of 29 horses put in timed workouts on the training track including graded stakes winner Artislas, who drilled five furlongs in 1:01.40 for trainer Jeff Mullins.

BAFFERT, GLATT ACQUIRE HIGH-PRICED COLTS AT OBS SALE

A Gun Runner colt purchased for $3 million and a colt by freshman sire Independence Hall bought for $1 million at this week’s OBS March 2-year-olds in training sale will soon be headed to Santa Anita.

Agent Donato Lanni signed the ticket for the Gun Runner colt on behalf of Zedan Racing. He will be sent to trainer Bob Baffert to launch his racing career. The gray or roan colt’s purchase price was an all-time high at the OBS March sale. He is the first foal out of the Liam’s Map mare Tynan, who is a half-sister to graded stakes winners Pappacap and Boppy O. The colt breezed the co-fastest eighth of a mile at the under-tack show when blazing a furlong in 9 3/5 seconds.

“Gun Runner’s a tremendous stallion,” Lanni told Blood-Horse. “He worked really good, galloped out good, and he did everything you want one to do. We’re excited about him. He’s a nice horse and we’re here to find nice horses.”

The Independence Hall colt was purchased on behalf of Muir Hut Stable and will be sent to trainer Mark Glatt. Out of Orecchiette, a stakes-placed daughter of Harlan’s Holiday, the dark bay or brown colt breezed a furlong in 9 4/5 seconds during the under-tack show.

“He had an excellent breeze,” Glatt told Blood-Horse. “The horse really presented himself back at the barn. He’s just a very athletic horse.”

FINISH LINES: This week’s pre-race handicapping seminars on the Santa Anita simulcast feed will have guest hosts filling in for Tom Quigley. On Friday, host Peter Lurie will be joined by former jockey Iggy Puglisi to go over the day’s card. On Saturday, host Zoe Cadman will be joined by Fernando Navarro, agent for jockeys Frank Alvarado and William Antongeorgi. On Sunday, host Mille Ball will be joined by Matt Nakatani son of Hall of Fame rider Corey Nakatani and current agent for jockey Umberto Rispoli…Jockey Manuel Americano broke his Santa Anita maiden Sunday when winning the sixth race aboard Fast Service ($8.40) for trainer Tim McCanna… Santa Anita will host a St. Patrick’s Day card Monday with nine races starting at 1 p.m. PT. On-track patrons will receive free parking and admission plus drink specials to help celebrate the holiday.

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