Santa Anita Stable Notes Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

GIII ZUMA BEACH: IMPORT CARO BUONO A SLIGHT FAVE FOR POWELL

European import Caro Buono is tabbed as the slight 5-2 morning line favorite for what will be his second U.S. start in Sunday’s GIII Zuma Beach Stakes for 2-year-olds at one mile on turf at Santa Anita.

In his native France this year, Caro Buono won once in four starts—all turf sprints—before coming stateside in July and joining the Leonard Powell barn. For his U.S unveiling, Caro Buono was stretched out to a mile in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf on Sept. 7. The colt by Zelzal, who was drawn wide in post 11, was far back early but came running late under Umberto Rispoli to be a solid fourth beaten three lengths by winner Hey Nay Nay.

“I was very happy with that performance,” Powell said. “We were not well-served with our post position. But he settled, got bumped at the top of the lane, and then I really liked his last eighth of a mile.”

In the Zuma Beach, which is a potential launching pad to the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on Oct. 31 at Del Mar, Caro Buono is comfortably drawn in post three in a seven-horse field. He’ll again have Rispoli in the irons.

Owned by Michael House, Caro Buono has worked twice since his U.S. bow including a sharp four-furlong move in 47.60 seconds last Saturday on the synthetic training track.

We’re very happy with his training. I feel like he’s moved up from his first race,” Powell said Saturday morning.

Caro Buono’s chief rival is likely Proletariat, the 3-1 second choice on the morning who is also exiting the Del Mar Juvenile Turf. Trained by Jeff Mullins, Proletariat stalked the pace in fourth under Kyle Frey and finished evenly to be third by 2 ¾ lengths. It was his first start around two turns. Previously, the $200,000 auction purchase by Raging Bull broke his maiden going five furlongs when switched to turf for his second start on Aug. 1 at Del Mar.

“It was a learning experience for him,” Mullins said of the Del Mar Juvenile Turf. “Obviously he hadn’t gone that far. Kyle thinks he learned something from it. He was a little keen early.”

Proletariat has come back with two works since his stakes bow, the first going four furlongs on the synthetic training track and the second going five furlongs on the dirt main track. On Sunday, he’ll break from the outside in post seven with Frey again aboard.

“Hopefully he can settle down this time and sit a good trip,” Mullins said.

First post Sunday is 1 p.m. PT. The Zuma Beach goes as the fourth race at 2:32 p.m. The field in post position order: Stark Contrast, Kazushi Kimura (4-1); Caro Buono, Umberto Rispoli (5-2); Medici, Mirco Demuro (8-1); Charlie’s Curlin, Hector Berrios (9-2); Won for Lou, Armando Ayuso (15-1); Third Beer, Antonio Fresu (5-1); Proletariat, Kyle Frey (3-1).

GIII SURFER GIRL: WILL HAPPEN GETS 2-TURN TEST FOR BALTAS

After an impressive debut win going five furlongs on turf in late August at Del Mar, Will Happen steps up into stakes company and stretches out in distance as the 9-5 program favorite in Sunday’s GIII Surfer Girl Stakes for 2-year-olds at one mile on turf.

Trained by Richard Baltas, the daughter of Vekoma was purchased for $210,000 at this year’s OBS March sale of 2-year-olds in training. Sent off the 2-1 favorite for her debut, Will Happen went to the front under Welfin Orantes and then kicked clear down the stretch for an eye-catching 4 ½-length victory. The runner-up that day, Umbralle, returned to break her maiden a month later going six furlongs on turf for trainer John Sadler and owner-breeder Don Alberto Stable.

Will Happen’s maiden win earned a 74 Beyer Speed Figure, which is easily the best in the field. The question now for Will Happen is can she go the distance. The test will come with a new jockey as Santa Anita leading rider Juan Hernandez takes over on Will Happen.

“Obviously she has to stretch out for the first time,” Baltas said. “But she’s worked well sitting off horses. She doesn’t need the lead. That will be up to Juan.”

Will Happen has worked four times since her debut. The tab includes a bullet five-furlong work in 58.80 seconds three weeks ago and another quick five-furlong work in 59.80 last Saturday.

Among Will Happen’s main rivals are Dreaming of Alys (5-1) and Pentle Bay (8-1), who blew up the tote board when running one-two in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf going a mile Sept. 6. Dreaming of Alys, trained by Phil D’Amato, finished a length ahead of Pentle Bay at odds of 61-1. Pentle Bay, trained by Simon Callaghan, was 75-1.

For Dreaming of Alys, the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf came after two dirt sprints to start her career. She won her debut at Laurel Park in June going 5 ½ furlongs when trained by Gary Capuano, then was purchased privately and transferred to D’Amato. In her first California start on Aug. 10, she was never a factor in the GIII Sorrento going six furlongs on dirt at Del Mar.

“It stunned me how she ran in the Sorrento,” D’Amato said. “She had a bullet work going into there and I was expecting a big effort. But as soon as she got dirt in her face, she kind of climbed around there like a deer in headlights. We thought the best way to prevent that was to throw her on the grass. She fit sheets-wise in the stakes based off her debut. It was just a matter of if she liked the grass.”

Pentle Bay launched a rally from last to come up just short in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf. It was her second start after showing little in a 6 ½-furlong maiden race on dirt at Del Mar.

“We certainly thought switching from dirt to turf was going to help her,” Callaghan said. Perhaps the closers were favored a little bit that day, but she’s come back in good shape and I think she’ll run well. She’s improving and there’s some speed in there. I think we’ll be saving ground and relaxing and hopefully running at the end.”

Pentle Bay was purchased for $180,000 at the OBS April sale. She is by Uncle Mo out of graded stakes winner Sanenus, by Scat Daddy.

The Surfer Girl goes as the eighth race at 4:34 p.m. The field in post position order: Yours Sincerely, Umberto Rispoli (6-1); Dreaming of Alys, Diego Herrera (5-1); Will Happen, Juan Hernandez (9-5); South Bay, Hector Berrios (10-1); Soaring Angel, Antonio Fresu (15-1); Scratch It, Kazushi Kimura (3-1); Pentle Bay, Serafin Carmona (8-1); Brave Deb, Mirco Demuro (12-1).

WORKS: BAEZA RETURNS TO TAB; SEISMIC BEAUTY DRILLS FOR BC

Baeza worked for the first time since winning the GI Pennsylvania Derby Sept. 20 at Parx and Seismic Beauty continued on a regular work pattern for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff Saturday at Santa Anita.

Baeza worked an easy half mile in 52.20 seconds for trainer John Shirreffs. The McKinzie colt earned his first graded stakes win when taking the Pennsylvania Derby by 2 ¼ lengths under Hector Berrios. He is a candidate to run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Seismic Beauty worked six furlongs in 1:12.20 for trainer Bob Baffert. The 4-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo is a perfect 2-for-2 in graded stakes. Seismic Beauty won the GII Santa Margarita at Santa Anita in May and came back to win the GI Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar on Aug. 2.

Also on the tab was stakes-placed up Friendly Confines, who earned a bullet when drilling five furlongs in 58.60 seconds. Trainer Richard Baltas this week said both Friendly Confines and stakes-winning stablemate Scipio are targeting the GII Twilight Derby on Oct. 25 going 1 1/8 miles on turf.

FINISH LINES: There is a $10,818 carryover in Saturday’s $1 Sunset Pick 6, which combined the last three races from Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park. The sequence starts at 2:07 p.m. PT with the ninth race from Gulfstream….The $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 2:34 p.m. with the fourth race from Santa Anita….With a $104,929 carryover in Friday’s $1 Super High 5 offered on the ninth and final race, bettors poured in an additional $599,616 chasing the added money. #6 Issa Court, ridden by Hector Berrios for trainer John Sadler, won the ninth race and paid $10.40, triggering a $7,812 payout for 72 winning tickets. Completing the Super High 5 were longshot runner-up #9 Nanci Griffin (54-1), #5 She’s A Joker (3-1), #8 Runamileinmyshoes (6-5) and #4 Summer Lake (6-1)…Top horseplayer Dylan Donnelly 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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