SANTA ANITA STABLE NOTES: ARROGATE WORKS MONDAY, POSSIBLE FOR BIG ’CAP

By Ed Golden —-

• ARROGATE WORKS MONDAY, POSSIBLE FOR BIG ’CAP
• SENSITIVELY RETURNS IN THE GRADE III LAS FLORES
• KOBE’S BACK DRILLS WITH GARY STEVENS ABOARD

ARROGATE, MIDNIGHT STORM WORK TODAY

“The big horse works today.”

So spoke Bob Baffert at Clockers’ Corner on an intermittently rainy Sunday morning, referring to Breeders’ Cup Classic and Pegasus World Cup winner Arrogate, who is scheduled to work at 7:45 a.m. under jockey Martin Garcia, after which a decision could be forthcoming on whether the Eclipse Award champion three-year-old male of 2016 will run in the Santa Anita Handicap on March 11, or go elsewhere.

With the spate of recent rain altering training schedules, Baffert deems it crucial to get the work for Arrogate in tomorrow to maintain a regimen that will keep the son of Unbridled’s Song race ready no matter where he surfaces next.

Also scheduled to work Monday for the Grade I, $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap at a mile and a quarter is Midnight Storm for Phil D’Amato, who has been firm on the Big ’Cap since the versatile speedster won the Grade II San Pasqual Stakes on Jan. 1.

“I’m very happy with him,” D’Amato said of the six-year-old full horse by Pioneerof the Nile out of the Bertrando dam My Tina, and a graded stakes winner on dirt and turf. “We’re looking forward to running in the Big ’Cap”

SENSITIVELY ‘FRESH’ FOR LAS FLORES STAKES

Sensitively is scheduled to make her first start in nearly seven months in next Sunday’s Grade III Las Flores Stakes for fillies and mares, four and up, at six furlongs.

“She’s training good and she runs well fresh,” trainer Phil D’Amato said of the five-year-old Street Sense mare that last raced on Aug. 17, 2016, but has won twice after layoffs, once after five months and another after seven weeks.

“Tyler (Baze) has been breezing her and we’re a go.”

Sensitively has won four of nine career starts but seeks her first stakes win in the Las Flores, which offers $100,000 in purse money. The bay mare is a horse for course, however, having won four of six starts at Santa Anita, with one second.

Others likely for the Los Flores include Constellation, Flavien Prat; Fantastic Style, Rafael Bejarano; and Watch This Cat, Corey Nakatani.

KOBE’S BACK BREEZES FOR TRIPLE BEND UNDER STEVENS

Kobe’s Back, who last raced June 25, 2016, finishing third in the Grade I Triple Bend Stakes, worked six furlongs on Santa Anita’s “good” main track at 11:45 a.m. before Sunday’s first race at 12:30 p.m. for this year’s Triple Bend for four-year-olds and up at seven furlongs on March 11.
Under regular rider Gary Stevens, Kobe’s Back was clocked in 1:13.13, with fractional times of 23.74, 35.71, 47.94 and 1:00.30.

A six-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Flatter trained by Peter Eurton for the C R K Stable, millionaire Kobe’s Back has a 5-3-4 record from 20 starts with earnings of $1,036,250.

Also working before the first race were a trio for Bob Baffert, three-year-old American Anthem, in company with Downtowner, and Grade II Matron winner Pretty N Cool, who is nominated to next Sunday’s Las Flores Stakes.

American Anthem, runner-up to Gormley in the Sham Stakes, was ridden by Martin Garcia and timed in 59.40 for five furlongs. The fractional times were 23.68, 46.76 and 58.98, with a six furlong gallop out of 1:11.51. Downtowner received a final time of 59.40.

Pretty N Cool went six furlongs under Garcia in 1:11.03, getting splits of 23.82, 46.82 and 59.03, with a seven furlong gallop out of 1:24.17.

FINISH LINES: Bettys Bambino, a disappointing third and last as the 2-5 favorite in Saturday’s Sensational Star Stakes, came out of the race with an injury and likely will be retired. “We could bring him back, but at his age (seven), we’d have to give him six months off,” trainer Peter Eurton said Sunday morning. “He strained his (left) front suspensory, but he’s walking sound and more than likely he’ll probably be retired, but I need to talk to the owners. You never know. They might want to bring him back.” The Sensational Star on Santa Anita’s downhill turf course at about 6 ½ furlongs was only the 12th race in the abbreviated career of Bettys Bambino, who had won six of seven starts over the venue. A gelded son of Unusual Heat, Bettys Bambino has earned $390,036 . . . The seven scheduled starters in today’s fifth race will never win any Eclipse Awards, but they’ve certainly paid their dues in longevity, with a combined 275 starts in their careers, topped by Smil’n From Above, a nine-year-old mare trained by Marcelo Polanco who has raced 82 times, winning only three but finishing second and third 17 times each. The seven runners have averaged more than 39 starts each. Gianis, a seven-year-old mare trained by Duff Shidaker, goes postward for the 61st time in the race, labeled the $23,000 Queen of Hearts Starter Handicap for older fillies and mares at six furlongs . . . Agent Tom Knust has Mario Gutierrez booked to ride California Derby winner So Conflated for Paul Reddam and Doug O’Neill in next Saturday’s 1 1/16 mile Gotham at Aqueduct . . . Friends and well wishers of trainer Barry Abrams, of whom there are many, offered congratulations and enjoyed carrot cake at Clockers’ Corner Sunday in advance of his 63rd birthday next Saturday, March 4 . . . All THOROUGHBREDS members at Santa Anita on Big ’Cap Day, March 11, will receive a free Santa Anita umbrella with paid admission while supplies last. There will be a $1 million guaranteed Late Pick 4 and a $100,000 guaranteed Pick 6. First post time will be 12 noon, with admission gates opening at 10 a.m.

SANTA ANITA STATISTICS

(Current Through Saturday, Feb. 25)
Jockey Mts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won

Flavien Prat 162 38 25 28 23% 56% $2,495,094
Tyler Baze 171 30 36 20 18% 50% $1,446,796
Kent Desormeaux 101 21 12 10 21% 43% $1,268,091
Rafael Bejarano 99 18 15 17 18% 51% $983,493
Joseph Talamo 108 16 8 17 15% 38% $515,903
Mike Smith 38 13 3 9 34% 66% $1,252,159
Stewart Elliott 112 12 13 16 11% 37% $586,157
Norberto Arroyo, Jr. 78 12 7 7 15% 33% $617,100
Santiago Gonzalez 94 10 13 12 11% 37% $481,242
Luis Contreras 89 10 10 23 11% 48% $487,537
Tiago Pereira 78 10 8 10 13% 36% $320,755
Martin Pedroza 82 9 16 14 11% 48% $429,713
Victor Espinoza 46 9 12 6 20% 59% $631,797

Trainer Mts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won

Peter Miller 78 21 20 7 27% 62% $1,144,515
Jerry Hollendorfer 94 18 11 18 19% 50% $1,335,468
Richard Baltas 91 16 16 14 18% 51% $854,717
Philip D’Amato 63 13 7 11 21% 49% $815,980
Doug O’Neill 107 11 22 19 10% 49% $1,026,751
William Spawr 22 10 2 2 45% 64% $282,271
Mark Glatt 54 9 11 7 17% 50% $400,570
Bob Baffert 44 9 6 7 20% 50% $886,151
Vladimir Cerin 34 8 7 6 24% 62% $283,719
Peter Eurton 43 8 5 5 19% 42% $457,269
John Sadler 42 7 9 10 17% 62% $471,304
J. Keith Desormeaux 34 7 3 5 21% 44% $446,760

Cover Photo: Arrogate; Zoe Metz/Clockers Corner

About Us
Santa Anita Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is North America’s premier supplier of virtual online horseracing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.