Santa Anita Stable Notes Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

SUNDAY, DEC. 28, 2025

•     MAKEUPS: RACING MONDAY, WEDNESDAY DUE TO POSTPONEMENT
•     WORKS: BUSY MORNING UNDER CLEAR SKIES AFTER RAINSTORMS
•     FREE PARKING, ADMISSION; ALL-DAY HAPPY HOUR MON., WED.

MAKEUPS: RACING MONDAY, WEDNESDAY DUE TO POSTPONEMENT
      Santa Anita will conduct live racing Monday and Wednesday as makeup days for the delayed start to the Classic Meet. Santa Anita will then continue with four more consecutive days of live racing as originally scheduled starting this Thursday, New Year’s Day, and ending next Sunday.
      On Monday, a nine-race card is set with first post at 12 p.m. PT. The co-features are the Grade II Joe Hernandez on the hillside turf course and the Blue Norther Stakes for 2-year-olds fillies at one mile on turf.
      In the Joe Hernandez, the field includes three horses that all ran in separate Breeders’ Cup races—Motorious, Imagination and Gas Me Up.
Motorious, trained by Phil D’Amato, seeks a repeat in the Joe Hernandez after winning last year’s edition in a thriller. He is the 3-1 favorite on the morning line. On Breeders’ Cup Saturday Nov. 1 at Del Mar, the 7-year-old gelding finished fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
On the same day at Del Mar, Imagination ran second in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint for trainer Bob Baffert. The 4-year-old colt by Into Mischief has never raced on turf. He is listed as the 7-2 second choice on the morning line. As for Gas Me Up (5-1), he ran in the Breeders’ Cup Mile and finished seventh. The 5-year-old Hard Spun gelding was saddled by Kevin Attard that day but is now again conditioned by trainer Peter Eurton, who previously had Gas Me Up at the start of his career.
The Joe Hernandez goes as the seventh race at approximately 3 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Imagination, Juan Hernandez (7-2); Zio Jo, Joel Rosario (15-1); Sorrento Sky, Umberto Rispoli (6-1); Flyover, Tyler Baze (30-1); Yellow Card, Kazushi Kimura (12-1); Motoious, Antonio Fresu (3-1); Unconquerable Keen, Armando Ayuso (8-1); El Potente, Hector Berrios (5-1); Gas Me Up, Mirco Demuro (5-1); Sumter, Flavien Prat (20-1); AE: Awesome Rhythm, Armando Ayuso (20-1); Schwarzmeier, Edwin Maldonado (20-1); Feel the Magic, Geovanni Franco (30-1); Son of a Birch, Umberto Rispoli (30-1); First Peace, Mike Smith (15-1).
The Blue Norther goes as the third race at approximately 1 p.m. The field is led by Latte Luv (5-2) and La Ville Lumiere (8-5), the two-three finishers in last month’s GIII Jimmy Durante at Del Mar, also at one mile on turf. Latte Luv is a daughter of Constitution trained by Doug O’Neill and Latte Luv is a City of Light filly trained by Michael McCarthy.
      The field in post position order: Total Val, Mirco Demuro (15-1); Hypergamy, Antonio Fresu (5-1); Peanutbutterbombe, Umberto Rispoli (4-1); La Ville Lumiere, Flavien Prat (8-5); Wild Like the West, Juan Hernandez (9-2); Latte Luv, Hector Berrios (5-2).
      On Wednesday is another nine-race card also starting at 12 p.m. The co-features on the program are the GIII Robert J. Frankel at 1 1/8 miles on turf and the Eddie Logan for 2-year-olds at one mile on turf.
      Headlining the Frankel are 8-5 program favorite Public Assembly and 2-1 second choice Paradise Lake. They most recently finished second and third, respectively, in the GIII Red Carpet at Del Mar behind winner Mrs. Astor. Public Assembly is trained by Phil D’Amato and Paradise Lake goes for trainer Peter Eurton.
      The Frankel is the seventh race with post time at approximately 3 p.m. The field in post position order: Public Assembly, Antonio Fresu (8-5); Sun Of Hill, Kazushi Kimura (10-1); Ima Joker, Emisael Jaramillo, 30-1); As Catch Can, Umberto Rispoli (4-1); Watchtower, Mirco Demuro (5-1); Paradise Lake, Juan Hernandez (2-1); Mahina, Joel Rosario (12-1).
      The Eddie Logan goes as the fifth race at approximately 2 p.m. PT. Start Contrast, most recently second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, is the 8-5 favorite on the morning line. Also in the lineup is Grade I-placed maiden winner Plutarch (2-1), an Into Mischief colt trained by Bob Baffert; and Unrivaled Time (6-1), winner of the GIII Cecil B. DeMille on Nov. 30 at Del Mar.
      The field in post position order: Third Beer, Antonio Fresu (8-1); Plutarch, Juan Hernandez (2-1); Iriseach, Umberto Rispoli (5-1); Stark Contrast, Kazushi Kimura (8-5); Brigante, Emisael Jaramillo (20-1); Caro Buono, Armando Ayuso (12-1); Unrivaled Time, Diego Herrera (6-1).

WORKS: BUSY MORNING UNDER CLEAR SKIES FOLLOWING RAINSTORMS
      With the rain having subsided for now, it was a busy morning of training under clear skies Sunday at Santa Anita.
      Trainer Bob Baffert’s workers included Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Explora (5F, 1:00.00) and GI Del Mar Debutante winner Bottle of Rouge (4F, 47.60). Working for trainer Librado Barocio was Grade I winner Lovesick Blues (4F, 47.40), most recently sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
      Trainer Jeff Mullins’ workers included multiple graded stakes winner Queen Maxima (5F, 1:01.20), recent winner of the Senator Ken Maddy on Breeders’ Cup Friday at Del Mar.
      Working for trainer Jonathan Thomas were multiple graded stakes winners Truly Quality (4F, 48.40) and Mrs. Astor (4F, 48.40). Mrs. Astor most recently won the GIII Red Carpet, while Truly Quality exits a win in the GII Hollywood Turf Cup.

FINISH LINES: On Monday and Wednesday, on-track fans will receive free parking and admission and can also enjoy “All-Day Happy Hour” with 50 percent off select beer and cocktails at Sirona’s and the Horseshoe Bar…Next weekend’s features are the Santa Ynez for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs on Saturday and the GIII Las Flores Stakes on Sunday, which is expected to include Grade I winner Tamara…Legendary jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Monday starting at 10:50 a.m. PT.

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