Santa Anita Stable Notes Friday, May 15

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

MIZDIRECTION: QUEEN MAXIMA RETURNS ON SHORT REST SATURDAY

Multiple graded stakes winner Queen Maxima returns on short rest Saturday in the Mizdirection Stakes, just 15 days after shipping to Churchill Downs and running in the GII Unbridled Sydney Stakes.

Trainer Jeff Mullins said he wasn’t initially planning to run Queen Maxima in the Mizdirection, which is for fillies and mares at about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course. A couple of factors played into the decision to enter.

“She never got a chance to run in Kentucky. She was tracking a (beaten) horse,” Mullins said. “There’s also really nothing for her at Del Mar. There’s one race, but that’s it. She’ll get some time off after this.”

Queen Maxima last year dominated the Unbridled Sydney when winning by 3 ¼ lengths. This year, she finished a no-threat fourth. In the 5 ½-furlong turf sprint, Queen Maxima and jockey Juan Hernandez settled behind horses while tracking Shisospicy, the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner and 3-5 favorite. When Shisospicy weakened in the stretch, Queen Maxima dove down to the inside and finished evenly to be beaten three lengths by 13-1 longshot Moon Spun.

The Mizdirection will be the fourth start this year for Queen Maxima, a 5-year-old mare by Bucchero. She’s the 4-5 favorite on the morning line. Prior to the Unbridled Sydney, Queen Maxima won the GIII Las Cienegas on the hillside course in January and then was third in last month’s GIII Monrovia, also on the hillside course. Queen Maxima sports an overall record of 15: 8-2-1 with $662,060 in earnings for owners Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures.

The top two finishers in the Monrovia, upset winner Spirited Boss and runner-up Amorita, also return in the Mizdirection. Spirited Boss, trained by Jose D’Angelo, shipped in from Florida for the Monrovia and promptly scored by three-quarters of a length under Mike Smith at 18-1. The 4-year-old filly by Street Boss then returned to Florida, worked twice, and is now back at Santa Antia. She is the 5-1 second choice on the morning line in the Mizdirection, Smith again has the call on Spirited Boss

Amorita, trained by Richard Mandella, set the pace in the Monrovia and led into deep stretch before getting passed late by Spirited Boss. The 4-year-old filly by Liam’s Map is 6-1 on the line. She’ll have a new rider Saturday as Antonio Fresu takes over for Mirco Demuro.

The Mizdirection Stakes goes as the ninth race on a 10-race card. First post is at 1 p.m. and the Mizdirection goes at approximately 5:20 p.m. The field in post position order: Marian Cross, Hector Berrios (15-1); Candy Bar, Tyler Baze (30-1); Amorita, Antonio Fresu (6-1); Princesa Moche, Emisael Jaramillo (10-1); Rosie Jeeks, Armando Ayuso (30-1); Queen Maxima, Juan Hernandez (4-5); Antifona, Tiago Pereira (20-1), Spirited Boss, Mike Smith (5-1).

WORKS: JOURNALISM, BIG CITY LIGHTS AMONG NOTABLES ON TAB

Top older horse Journalism and graded stakes winner Big City Lights, slated to run in next weekend’s Thor’s Echo Stakes for California-breds, were among the notable horses recording timed workouts Friday at Santa Anita.

Journalism worked four furlongs in 48.2 seconds. The 4-year-old colt by Curlin is ticketed for the GI Metropolitan Handicap going one mile on June 6 at Saratoga, trainer Michael McCarthy confirmed earlier in the week. On April 18, Journalism returned from a five-plus month layoff and finished third in the GII Oaklawn Handicap going 1 1/8 miles at Oaklawn Park.

Big City Lights worked four furlongs in 47.8 seconds. Trained by Richard Mandella, Big City Lights 13 days ago returned from a five-month layoff and won an allowance versus open company going seven furlongs at Santa Anita. The Thor’s Echo a week from Saturday is contested at six furlongs.

Simply Joking, romping winner of the GIII Santa Maria on April 19, worked five furlongs in 1:01.0 for McCarthy. A 4-year-old daughter of Practical Joke, Simply Joking set the pace in the 1 1/16-mile Santa Maria and rolled to a 6 ¾-length victory under Emisael Jaramillo. She is a candidate to return in the GII Santa Margarita at 1 1/8 miles on May 30.

Call Me Cory, an impressive allowance winner going 1 1/8 miles on turf April 19, worked five furlongs on the dirt main track in 1:00.2. It was the second-fastest of 42 works at the distance. Trained by Ryan Hanson, Call Me Cory is a 4-year-old colt by Uncle Mo. He is nominated for both the GI Shoemaker Mile on turf and GII Hollywood Gold Cup on dirt. Both races will be run on Memorial Day Monday, May 25.

$23,111 CARRYOVER IN $1 SUNSET PICK 6 FRIDAY; STARTS AT 1:04 P.M. PT

The $1 Sunset Pick 6 Friday has a carryover of $23,111. The wager starts at 1:04 p.m. PT with the seventh race from Gulfstream Park.

The Sunset Pick 6 links the final three races from Gulfstream and Santa Anita Park. It features a low 15 percent takeout and is open to retail players only.

CINEMA STAKES PART OF 9-RACE CARD SUNDAY; FIRST POST IS 1 P.M. PT

The Cinema Stakes for 3-year-olds at one mile on turf is part of a nine-race card set for Sunday. First post is 1 p.m. PT.

The Cinema goes as the third race at approximately 2 p.m. Leading a compact field is Later Than Planned, the 8-5 program favorite. Trained by Phil D’Amato, Later Than Planned will be joined in the lineup by stablemate Iriseach, the 5-2 second choice. Later Than Planned, an Irish-bred colt by Cotai Glory, most recently won the John Shear Stakes sprinting on the hillside turf course on April 18. Iriseach, an Irish-bred by Ubettabelieveit, was fourth in the Shear. Prior to that effort, Iriseach was beaten just a neck when third in the Pasadena Stakes going the same one-mile trip as the Cinema.

The field for the Cinema in post-position order: Iriseach, Antonio Fresu (5-2); Go Ralph, Kyle Frey (10-1); Later Than Planned, Hector Berrios (8-5); Charlie’s Curlin, Juan Hernandez (3-1); Bust Out, Emisael Jaramillo (3-1).

FINISH LINES: Friday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:35 p.m. PT with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park…At about the halfway mark of the Hollywood Meet, the race for leading jockey remains tight. Entering Friday, Armando Ayuso leads the standings with 13 wins from 70 mounts (19 percent). Antonio Fresu is next with 12 wins. Juan Hernandez and Emisael Jaramillo each have 11 wins and are followed by Kazushi Kimura, who has won 10 races…Horseplayer Mark Leib will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Saturday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m. PT.