Santa Anita Stable Notes

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

DESERT STORMER: GI WINNER SWEET AZTECA RETURNS SUNDAY
CARRYOVERS: $48K IN PICK 6, $17K SUPER HIGH 5 IN 10th RACE
WORKS: JOHANNES, WESTWOOD, SILENT LAW AMONG NOTABLES
CARMOUCHE TO BE HONORED WITH WOOLF AWARD AFTER 8th RACE

DESERT STORMER: GI WINNER SWEET AZTECA RETURNS SUNDAY

Grade I winner Sweet Azteca, now trained by Richard Baltas, makes her first start in nearly eight months Sunday in the Desert Stormer Stakes for fillies and mares going six furlongs at Santa Anita.

Previously trained by Michael McCarthy, Sweet Azteca hasn’t started since Oct. 5 when finishing last of four as the 1-10 favorite in the GIII Chillingworth Stakes on Oct. 5 at Santa Anita. She has been working regularly at Santa Anita since mid-April for her 5-year-old debut.

“Juan Hernandez has been working her,” Baltas noted of the jockey, who also has the call in the Desert Stormer. “She’s just a very kind horse and does everything we ask of her.”

By Sharp Azteca, Sweet Azteca is installed as the 3-5 favorite for her comeback. Her chief rivals are Grade II-placed Super Shine (5-2), who also makes her seasonal debut following a layoff; and Chismosa, last year’s Desert Stormer winner.

Sweet Azteca comes in with a record of 7: 5-0-1 and $487,200 in earnings for owner Pamela C. Zeibarth. Prior to last year’s Chillingworth, Sweet Azteca reeled off consecutive wins in the GI B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile at Santa Anita, GII Great Lady M at Los Alamitos and GIII Rancho Bernardo at Del Mar. Baltas said the Desert Stormer “seemed like a logical spot” to kick off her 2025 campaign.

“I feel good about it,” Baltas said. “I don’t think she’s dead fit, but she’s fit to run and this is a good starting point. I didn’t want to make it too tough on her first time out.”

Super Shine, trained by Phil D’Amato, hasn’t started since last September when finishing second in the restricted Tranquility Lake Stakes going a mile at Del Mar. In her only previous time sprinting, Super Shine finished 12 lengths back of Sweet Azteca in last year’s Great Lady M going 6 ½ furlongs.

Chismosa wheels back in two weeks and switches to dirt for trainer Rafael DeLeon. On May 17, Chismosa returned from a six-plus month layoff and was never a factor in the Mizdirection Stakes sprinting about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course. The 5-year-old California-bred by Clubhouse Ride most notably beat Sweet Azteca in last year’s GIII Las Flores going six furlongs at Santa Anita. That day Sweet Azteca, who was making her just second start, led at the top of the stretch but then drifted out badly to cost her the race.

The Desert Stormer goes as the seventh race on a 10-race card. First post is 1 p.m. PT and post time for the Desert Stormer is set for 4:08 p.m. The field in post position order: Fayette Fox, Kent Desormeaux (6-1); Sweet Azteca, Juan Hernandez (3-5); Chismosa, Kyle Frey (7-2); Super Shine, Hector Berrios (5-2).

CARRYOVERS: $48K IN $2 PICK 6, $17K SUPER HIGH 5 IN 10th RACE

A string of longshots to close out Friday’s card at Santa Anita resulted in a $48,869 carryover for Saturday’s $2 Pick Six and a $17,379 carryover in the $1 Super High 5, which will be up for grabs in Saturday’s 10th and final race at 5:38 p.m. PT.

The lone winning favorite in Friday’s Pick Six sequence was La Ville Lumiere, who scored in the fifth race under Kazushi Kimura for trainer Michael McCarthy and paid $3.00. The winning horses in Friday’s Pick Six beginning with the fourth race were #1 Cooling Off ($11.20), #5 La Ville Lumiere ($3), #6 Cupid’s Crusader ($5.80), #1 Harcyn ($20.60), #1 Scary Fast Ride ($26.60) and #8 Tavolara ($20.20).

Saturday’s Pick Six starts with the fifth race at approximately 3:06 p.m. PT. To help make informed selections in the Pick Six and Super High 5, Santa Anita and Daily Racing Form have joined forces to provide free past performances for Saturday’s card. They can be accessed at promos.drf.com/santaanita25.

The Super High 5 in the 10th race has field of nine following the Saturday morning scratch of 5-2 program favorite Lovely Idaho. Inheriting the favorite’s role with the scratch is Beyond Lucky, who’ll have Kendrick Carmouche aboard for trainer Jonathan Thomas.
WORKS: JOHANNES, WESTWOOD, SILENT LAW AMONG NOTABLES
Grade I winner and 2024 Eclipse Award finalist Johannes worked for the third time in the past 12 days Saturday to lead an extensive work tab at Santa Anita.

Trained by Tim Yakteen, Johannes drilled four furlongs in 49.0 seconds. Previously, the 5-year-old Nyquist horse worked three furlongs on both March 19 this again this past Sunday. Johannes hasn’t started since Dec. 26 when winning the GII San Gabriel at Santa Anita to put a bow on a stellar campaign. Johannes last year also won the GI Shoemaker Mile, GII Eddie Read, GII City of Hope Mile and GIII American prior to finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Also working for Yakteen was Sea Runner, who is nominated to next Saturday’s GIII Summertime Oaks at 1 1/16 miles. By Gun Runner, Sea Runner worked four furlongs in 49.0 seconds.

Westwood, who is nominated to next Sunday’s Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles, worked five furlongs in 1:00.0 for trainer John Shirreffs. The gelding by Authentic most recently finished third in the GI Santa Anita Derby on April 5 when facing winners for the first time.

Trainer Bob Baffert’s workers included Silent Law and Howin, who are both nominated to the Summertime Oaks. Silent Law and Howin each worked four furlongs in 59.60 seconds, which tied for the second fastest of 46 works at the distance. Silent Law, by Tiz the Law, most recently was second to stablemate Tenma in the GII Santa Anita Oaks April 5. Howin, a daughter of Gun Runner, most recently was third in the GIII Santa Ysabel going 1 1/16 miles on March 2.

Trainer Jeff Mullins’ workers included graded stakes winners Queen Maxima and Sugar Fish. Queen Maxima, a winner of five straight including the GIII Unbridled Sidney May 2 at Churchill Downs, drilled five furlongs on the training track in 1:00.00. Sugar Fish, winner of last year’s GII Zenyatta and GII Summertime Oaks, worked for the first time since finishing third in the GI La Brea Dec. 26. The 4-year-old daughter of Accelerate worked three furlongs in 36.0 seconds.

Working on the comeback trail for trainer Doug O’Neill was Happy Jack, last year’s GII Triple Bend winner. Off since the GII Pat O’Brien in August, Happy Jack worked four furlongs in 51.40 seconds. It was the third work this month for the 6-year-old horse by Oxbow.

FINISH LINES: Vlahos (10-1) was scratched from Saturday’s GIII Triple Bend, which goes as the seventh race at 4:08 p.m. PT…Jockey Kendrick Carmouche will be presented with this year’s George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in a winner’s circle ceremony after the eighth race. Former Woolf Award winners expected to be in attendance include Laffit Pincay Jr., Kent Desormeaux, Mike Smith, Frank Oliveras and Patrick Valenzuela…Saturday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 2:41 p.m. PT with the 10th race from Gulfstream Park. Friday’s Coast-to-Coast paid $60,806 for a single winning ticket…Two-year-old filly Queen Bay ($2.80) became the second winner from as many starters for her sire, 2020 GI Malibu winner Charlatan, when winning her debut in Friday’s first race going five furlongs on turf. Queen Bay was ridden by Antonio Fresu for trainer Simon Callaghan…Daily Racing Form’s Steve Andersen will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Sunday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m. PT…

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