Santa Anita Stable Notes Friday, Jan. 16, 2026

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

CAL CUP DERBY: SAMMY DAVIS WILL BE A SOLO ACT FOR SADLER

Trainer John Sadler entered two in Saturday’s California Chrome Cal Cup Derby but only one will run. On Friday, Sadler said Can’t Help Myself—who was 8-1 on the morning line—would be scratched, leaving 3-1 second choice Sammy Davis to perform as a solo act for the Sadler barn.

In the $175,000 Cal Cup Derby for statebreds going 1 1/16 miles, Sammy Davis will be getting his first test around two turns. Winner of the Graduation Stakes in August at Del Mar, Sammy Davis in his two most recent starts had the lead inside the final furlong but was overtaken late. That includes the Golden State Juvenile going seven furlongs in his most recent start on Oct. 31 at Del Mar. Sammy Davis led by a length at the eighth pole before being overtaken by Ocean Bear, who will also be making his two-turn debut in the Cal Cup Derby.

By Bolt d’Oro, Ocean Bear is installed as the 5-2 favorite for trainer George Papaprodromou and owner-breeder Richard Barton.

Sadler said the major issue recently for Sammy Davis is “he’s been struggling to change leads.

“He’s an honest horse that runs good all the time, but we think he can do a little more,” Sadler added.

Sammy Davis, owned by Legacy Ranch, is a gelding by Sir Prancealot. He is drawn down inside in post two in what would be a lineup of 10 with the withdrawal of Can’t Help Myself. On paper, Sammy Davis looks like he could be the controlling speed under regular rider Hector Berrios.

“When you’re drawn inside like that, you have to run away from there. That is the plan,” Sadler said. “The distance we feel he should handle. It’s going to depend more on the ride and the trip.”

The California Chrome Cal Cup Derby goes as the eighth race Saturday at 3:58 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: My Boy Stan, Kazushi Kimura (6-1); Sammy Davis, Hector Berrios (3-1); Start the Ride, Armando Ayuso (30-1); Smoovin Saturday, Tiago Pereira (5-1); Almost There, Abel Lezcano (30-1); Ocean Bear, Umberto Rispoli (5-2); John Metcalfe, Juan Hernandez (12-1); Can’t Help Myself, Kyle Frey (8-1); Pavlovian, Mirco Demuro (15-1); Fionello, Emisael Jaramillo (30-1); Cruise Home, Welfin Orantes (12-1).

CAL CUP OAKS: CECILIA STREET WHEELS BACK IN 8 DAYS FOR POWELL

Last Friday, Cecilia Street was switched to turf and cut back to six furlongs and promptly scored in a first-level allowance for California-breds at Santa Anita. On Saturday, the Stanford filly steps up in class and stretches back out to a mile in the Leigh Ann Howard California Cup Oaks for statebreds going one mile on the lawn.

Trained by Leonard Powell, Cecilia Street two starts prior to her recent win broke her maiden at a mile on turf against statebreds at Del Mar. Given that fact, Powell indicated it made sense to take advantage of Saturday’s stakes opportunity just eight days after having had raced.

“She’s a Cal-bred obviously, and although she just won going six furlongs, before that she showed she could handle a mile,” Powell said. “We thought it would be good to give her a look in a race like this. She should be competitive in there.”

Cecilia Street is 6-1 on the morning line and will have regular rider Mirco Demuro aboard. Purchased for $23,000 at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton California fall yearling sale, she has banked $107,300 with a record of 6: 2-1-1 for co-owners Carliwood Farms, Integrity Thoroughbred Racing LLC and Mathilde Powell, who is Leonard Powell’s wife.

The 2-1 favorite in the Oaks is Cashed, who’ll be trying turf for the first time for trainer Doug O’Neill and owner-breeder Reddam Racing. The daughter of I’ll Have Another most recently finished second in the GII Starlet going 1 1/16 miles on Dec. 6 at Los Alamitos.

The Leigh Ann Howard Caliofrnia Cup Oaks goes as the seventh race at 3:28 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Crunchy, Emisael Jaramillo (10-1); Tiger Lady, Welfin Orantes (15-1); Cee Drew, Ricky Gonzalez (4-1); Eighties, Armando Ayuso (10-1); Too Sassy, Diego Herrera (5-2); Cecilia Street, Mirco Demuro (6-1); Cashed, Umberto Rispoli (2-1); Final Table Lady, William Antongeorgi III (12-1).

WORKS: GI WINNERS HOPE ROAD, SPEED BOAT BEACH GEARING UP

Grade I winner Hope Road and Speed Boat Beach each worked Friday for trainer Bob Baffert as they continue to gear up for their 2026 debuts. Also among Baffert’s workers were Imagination, who most recently finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Hope Road drilled four furlongs in 48.20 seconds. It was her second work after returning to the tab last Friday. A 5-year-old mare by Quality Road, Hope Road most recently won the GIII Bayakoa going one mile at Del Mar on Nov. 30. Previously, she finished third as the favorite in the seven-furlong Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint won by stablemate Splendora.

Speed Boat Beach fired a bullet for Baffert with a five-furlong work from the gate timed in 59.20 seconds. The 6-year-old horse by Bayern had been working steadily at Los Alamitos since late November before recently rejoining Baffert’s string at Santa Anita.

Speed Boat Beach won the 2023 GI Malibu then missed all of 2024. Last year, he was winless in three starts with his last effort being an eighth-place finish in the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Sept. 28.

Imagination worked five furlongs in 59.40 seconds. The 5-year-old horse by Into Mischief is slated to make his next appearance on the Saudi Cup program next month in Riyadh.

Working for trainer Phil D’Amato was multiple graded stakes winner Thought Process. A 4-year-old filly by Collected, Thought Process worked four furlongs in 48.80 seconds. She hasn’t started since August when third in the GI Del Mar Oaks. Thought Process previously won the GII San Clemente and in 2024 won both the GIII Surfer Girl and Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Returning to the work tab following efforts in the GII Joe Hernandez were both Sumter and El Potente. Sumter, who was second in the downhill sprint, blitzed four furlongs on the synthetic training track in 46.40 seconds for trainer Richard Mandella. It was the fastest of 16 works at the distance.

El Potente, a graded stakes winner who finished fourth in the Joe Hernandez, worked four furlongs on the training track in 52.40 seconds for trainer Dan Blacker.

FREE PP’S AVAILABLE FOR FRIDAY’S $20K PICK 6 CARRYOVER

There is a carryover of $20,692 in Friday’s $2 Pick Six at Santa Anita after no one successfully selected all six winners in Thursday’s wager. Friday’s Pick Six begins with the third race at 1:35 p.m. PT.

To help make informed selections, Santa Anita has partnered with Daily Racing Form to provide free past performance for Friday’s card. They can be accessed at https://promos.drf.com/santaanita25.

In addition to Santa Anita’s Pick Six, there is also carryover in Friday’s $1 Sunset Pick Six of $8,016. The Sunset Pick Six combines the final three races from Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park. It starts at 12:50 p.m. PT with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park.

The consolation payout in Thursday’s Santa Anita Pick Six for tickets with 5-of-6 winners was $2,956. The winning horses in the sequence starting with the fourth race were #2 Memetic ($34.20), #1 Dark Blue ($7.40) #6 Solo Gano ($4.40), #5 Irish Royalty ($13.20), #7 Ryan’s Girl ($5.20) and #9 Strait Up Country ($9.60).

FINISH LINES: Jockeys Umberto Rispoli, Kazushi Kimura and Emisael Jaramillo all won two more races Thursday on a nine-race program to continue their fast starts to the Classic Meet. Rispoli now leads the jockey’s standings with 10 wins through the first eight days of the stand. Kimura and Juan Hernandez are tied for second with nine wins each and Jaramillo is fourth with seven wins. Rispoli’s wins Thursday came aboard Beef Winslow ($5.80) in the opener for trainer Bob Hess Jr. and Dark Blue ($7.40) in the fifth race for trainer Michael McCarthy. Kimura’s wins came in the second race on Singlemore ($2.60) for trainer Tim Yakteen and the eighth race with Ryan’s Girl ($5.20) for trainer George Papaprodromou. Jaramillo won the seventh race on Irish Royalty ($13.20) for trainer Doug O’Neill and the nightcap with Strait Up Country ($9.60) for trainer Brendan Galvin…The $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 Friday starts at 1:20 p.m. PT with the ninth race from Gulfstream Park. There was just one winning ticket in Thursday’s Coast-to-Coast that paid a cool $54,867…A special Holiday card of racing is set for this Monday starting at 12:30 p.m. As part of the festivities, on-track patrons will be treated to $2 beers, $2 hot dogs and $2 sodas…Santa Anita track announcer Frank Mirahmadi will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Saturday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:20 a.m. PT.

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