Santa Anita Stable Notes Sunday, April 6, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 2025

2025 SANTA ANITA DERBY WINNER JOURNALISM

BENOIT PHOTO

JOURNALISM DOING WELL DAY AFTER GI SANTA ANITA DERBY WIN
SANTA ANITA DERBY DAY HANDLE, ATTENDANCE POSTS GAINS
MANDATORY PAYOUTS SUNDAY, CLOSING DAY OF CLASSIC MEET
WORKS: NYSOS FIRES A 6F BULLET FROM THE GATE
GLATT CLINCHES TRAINER’S TITLE, HERNANDEZ LEADING JOCKEY

JOURNALISM DOING WELL DAY AFTER GI SANTA ANITA DERBY WIN

Trainer Michael McCarthy reported everything was well with Journalism the day after earning his fourth straight win in the GI Santa Anita Derby and solidifying his position as this year’s Kentucky Derby favorite.

“All good,” McCarthy said Sunday morning from his stable office.

Journalism rallied to win the Santa Anita Derby by three-quarters of a length after encountering trouble near the eighth pole. While racing on the inside in a tightly bunched field, Journalism was forced to check near the three-eighths pole causing him to lose his momentum. He quickly regrouped, however, and gamely ran down a stubborn Baeza inside the final furlong to provide McCarthy with his first win in Santa Ania’s marquee race for 3-year-olds. The effort earned a 102 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form.

“I thought he showed a lot of poise being down inside,” McCarthy said. “He had to kind of bide his time and wait for a seam to get through. As I said yesterday, he is amenable to whatever Umberto asks of him.”

Journalism will now “have a couple of easy days and start back at the end of the week,” McCarthy added.

By Curlin out of Mopotism, a graded stakes winning daughter Uncle Mo, Journalism is co-owned by breeder Don Alberto Stable, Bridlewood Farm, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Robert V. LaPenta. He carried the colors of Don Alberto on Saturday.

It’s now less than four weeks until the 151st Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs. When Journalism ships to Louisville remains to be determined.

“We’ll see. We’re going to watch the weather and come up with a game plan,” McCarthy said. “We’ll get with everybody and see what we think is best for him.”

SANTA ANITA DERBY DAY HANDLE, ATTENDANCE POSTS GAINS

Picture perfect weather and exceptional racing helped push Santa Anita Derby Day business figures to large increases over the previous year. All sources handle totaled $22,388,003, while wagering on just the Santa Anita card was up nearly 24 percent from 2024. The on-track attendance, bolstered by a big turnout for the Derby Day 5K who stayed for the races, was 34,312, a 7 percent jump. It was the largest turnout for Santa Anita Derby Day since 2018. Both all sources handle and on track attendance are expected to finish the Classic Meet Sunday up substantially from last season.

MANDATORY PAYOUTS SUNDAY, CLOSING DAY OF THE CLASSIC MEET

With Sunday being closing day of the Classic Meet, there will be mandatory payouts in all pools except for the $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 and 3×3. First post Sunday is 12:30 p.m. PT for what’s a deep and competitive 12-race card.

Pools with mandatory payouts include the 50-cent Early Pick 5, which features a player-friendly 14 percent takeout rate, the 50-cent Late Pick 5, $2 Pick Six and $1 Super High 5 on the 12th and final race.

The early Pick 5 starts with the first race and the late Pick 5 kicks off with the eighth race at approximately 4:12 p.m. PT. The late Pick 5 averages 9.6 starters per race before scratches.

The Pick Six starts with the seventh race at approximately 3:42 p.m. It averages 9.3 starters per race before scratches.

The Super High 5 will be offered on the final race at approximately 6:13 p.m. PT. It has an overflow field of 11 signed on with one also eligible.

Following Sunday’s card, Santa Anita will go an 11-day break before live racing resumes with the start of the 29-day Hollywood Meet on Friday, April 18. The Hollywood Meet runs through June 15.

JUAN HERNANDEZ ABOARD QUEEN MAXIMA

BENOIT PHOTO

GLATT CLINCHES TRAINER’S TITLE, HERNANDEZ AGAIN LEADING JOCKEY

With one day remaining in the Classic Meet, Mark Glatt has clinched the title for leading trainer and jockey Juan Hernandez will once again finish as leading rider.

Glatt entering Sunday has 30 wins from 118 starters (25 percent) at the stand to give him a five-win lead over runner-up Bob Baffert. Baffert has horses entered in three races Sunday.

Hernandez has ridden 50 winners from 224 mounts (22 percent) at the meet. He has an eight-win lead over runner-up Flavien Prat, who is not riding at Santa Anita Sunday, and is 12 wins up on Umberto Rispoli. Hernandez has 10 mounts Saturday, while Rispoli has a call in six races.

On Saturday, Hernandez had his most lucrative day of the meet when winning three of the five stakes run on Santa Anita Derby Day. Hernandez won the GII Santa Anita Oaks aboard Tenma ($2.60) for trainer Bob Baffert, GIII Monrovia on Queen Maxima ($2.40) for trainer Jeff Mullins and the Echo Eddie Stakes with Style Cat ($9.80) for trainer Peter Miller.

This is Hernandez’s eighth jockey’s title at Santa Anita. For Glatt, this is his second trainer’s title at The Great Race Place. He also finished with the most wins at the 2023 Autumn Meet.

WORKS: NYSOS FIRES A 6F BULLET FROM THE GATE

It was a busy Sunday morning at Santa Anita as 231 horses recorded timed workouts either on the main track or training track. Notables on the tab included a pair of horses on the comeback trail for trainer Bob Baffert, Nysos and Speed Boat Beach.

Unbeaten Nysos fired a bullet when drilling six furlongs from the gate in 1:11.20. It was his eighth work since Feb. 9 at Santa Anita. A 4-year-old Nyquist colt, Nysos hasn’t started since winning the GIII Robert B. Lewis in February 2023 at Santa Anita.

Speed Boat Beach worked five furlongs in 1:00.60. The 5-year-old horse by Bayern hasn’t started since December 2023 when winning the GI Malibu at Santa Anita. This was the seventh work since Feb. 18 for Speed Boat Beach.

Among trainer Phil D’Amato’s workers were Grade I winner Gold Phoenix and graded winner Thought Process, who hasn’t started since last November’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar. Gold Phoenix worked four furlongs on the synthetic training track in 50.80 seconds. It was his first work since finishing third in the GIII San Luis Rey on March 22 at Santa Anita following an almost five-month layoff.

Thought Process worked for the first time this year when going three furlongs in 37.20 seconds on the main track. Last year, the Collected filly won the GIII Surfer Girl at Santa Anita and the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf prior to a ninth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Among trainer Jonathan Thomas’s workers were graded stakes winners Mrs. Astor and Rashmi. Mrs. Astor worked for the first time since finishing second in the GIII Santa Ana March 15 at Santa Anita. The 5-year-old mare by Lookin at Lucky drilled four furlongs in 48.0 seconds.

Rashmi also returned to the tab following a third-place finish in the GII Buena Vista March 1 at Santa Anita. The 4-year-old Oscar Performance filly also drilled four furlongs in 48.0 seconds.

OM N JOY WINNING CONNECTIONS

BENOIT PHOTO

FINISH LINES: Trainer Aggie Ordonez earned her first-ever stakes win Saturday when Om N Joy ($6.20) took down the Evening Jewel Stakes for California-breds with Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux aboard…Trainer Jeff Mullins earned his 1,800th career win Saturday when Queen Maxima ($2.40) scored in the GIII Monrovia Stakes under Juan Hernandez…Sunday’s feature, the John Shear Stakes for 3-year-olds sprinting about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course, goes as the eighth race with post time set for 4:12 p.m…Sunday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:16 p.m. PT with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park…The George Woolf Award will be presented to jockey Kendrick Carmouche on May 31 during a winner’s circle ceremony at Santa Anita.

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