Santa Anita Barn Notes

By Ed Golden —-

TOUCHING RAINBOWS
Benoit Photo

• ‘RAINBOWS’ SEEKS GOLD AT END OF SAN CARLOS
• CORDIALITY DRILLS FOR POSSIBLE WILSHIRE START
• FANS CAN SEE JUSTIFY AT SANTA ANITA ON JUNE 23

‘NOW HORSE’ TOUCHING RAINBOWS SET FOR SAN CARLOS

Touching Rainbows seeks his fifth straight victory and his first stakes win in his first
attempt in Saturday’s Grade II San Carlos Stakes for three-year-olds at seven furlongs.

Claimed for $25,000 in September of 2016, the California-bred son of Aragorn has ripped off four straight wins under Flavien Prat, who rides again in the San Carlos.

“He’s a horse on the improve,” said Phil D’Amato, who trains the five-year-old chestnut gelding for KM Racing Enterprises. “Each race is better than the last I’ve been very impressed with his progression. I think he’s the ‘now’ horse and we’re looking forward to running him in his first graded stakes.”

Touching Rainbows, who worked five furlongs Sunday morning in 1:02.60 with Prat aboard, has won six of 12 career starts, earning $230,560.

‘HONEST’ MARE CORDIALITY COULD GO IN WILSHIRE

Cordiality, a five-year-old daughter of Papa Clem, is a possible starter in next Sunday’s
closing day feature, the Grade III, $100,000 Wilshire Stakes for fillies and mares, four and up, at one mile on turf.

Claimed for $32,000 in July of 2016, the consistent and versatile mare has since won
four of 11 starts, including the Fran’s Valentine Stakes last out on May 19.

“We’ll look ahead towards a summer campaign, but if the Wilshire fits into our
plans, yes, we’ll run,” said part owner and trainer Mark Glatt.

“She’s a nice mare, a real nice mare, as honest as they come.”

Cordiality has eight wins, six seconds and a third in 21 lifetime starts, earning $316,095.

Also likely for the Wilshire are Ancient Secret, Flavien Prat; Beau Recall, Joe Talamo; and Storm the Hill, Rafael Bejarano.

JUNE 23 FIRST POST IS 12 NOON TO ACCOMMODATE JUSTIFY

Santa Anita will have a special early first post time of 12 noon this Saturday, June 23, to accommodate an on-track appearance between races by undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify, who returned to his home at The Great Race Place this afternoon.

Winner of the Grade I, $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 7, the Bob Baffert trainee achieved racing immortality winning last Saturday’s Grade I Belmont Stakes as he joined the legendary Seattle Slew in becoming only the second Thoroughbred in history to remain undefeated through the Triple Crown.

Unbeaten in six starts (three of them at Santa Anita, dating back to a rousing 9 ½ length maiden win going seven furlongs Feb. 18), Justify, a striking chestnut colt by the late Scat Daddy, out of the Ghostzapper mare Stage Magic, has earned $3,798,000.

Justify, who is owned by China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, LLC, Starlight Racing and WinStar Farm, currently is thought to be worth between $75 million and $100 million as a stallion prospect.

FINISH LINES: Trainer Phil D’Amato said Sunday morning that multiple graded stakes winner Fault could resume her racing career in the future, if her owners decide to do that. The four-year-old daughter of Blame suffered a non-displaced condylar fracture of her left hind leg on June 3 and had surgery the next day. “She can absolutely run again,” D’Amato said. “It just depends on what the owners choose to do with her in three months, basically. Will they choose to put her through the sale as a racing/broodmare prospect, or campaign? It’s up to them, but she’s in really good health.” . . . Overall, favorites are winning at a 37.91 clip with five racing days remaining in the Spring Meet (127 out of 335), but at an even higher rate, 43.08 percent (84 of 195) on dirt. On turf, the number dips to 30.71 (43 of 140) . . . Santa Anita will be dark for live racing Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week, resuming live racing on Thursday, June 21, at 12:30 p.m. It will be open for simulcast racing Wednesday, with free parking and free general admission. Admission gates open at 10 a.m.

SANTA ANITA STATISTICS

(Current Through Saturday, June 16)
Jockey Mts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won

Flavien Prat 116 32 21 16 28% 59% $1,797,816
Geovanni Franco 161 26 21 17 16% 40% $1,180,931
Joseph Talamo 148 24 25 18 16% 45% $1,396,617
Mario Gutierrez 103 22 14 19 21% 53% $1,066,890
Asa Espinoza 142 19 18 26 13% 44% $587,205
Tiago Pereira 136 19 12 20 14% 38% $690,275
Drayden Van Dyke 108 18 18 15 17% 47% $1,084,445
Stewart Elliott 140 16 19 15 11% 36% $747,504
Tyler Baze 127 15 26 11 12% 41% $795,030
Martin Pedroza 106 15 16 13 14% 42% $499,870
Kent Desormeaux 88 14 9 22 16% 51% $956,485
Franklin Ceballos 115 13 11 9 11% 29% $388,298
Tyler Conner 110 9 19 21 8% 45% $495,185
Rafael Bejarano 73 9 11 8 12% 38% $578,514
Edwin Maldonado 83 8 18 11 10% 45% $371,305
Heriberto Figueroa 58 8 12 7 14% 47% $216,315
Gary Stevens 43 8 6 6 19% 47% $489,745
Kyle Frey 59 8 5 5 14% 31% $258,168
Martin Garcia 58 7 3 9 12% 33% $330,025
Victor Espinoza 48 7 2 9 15% 38% $771,412
Ruben Fuentes 52 6 4 11 12% 40% $227,791

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

Doug O’Neill 118 29 25 18 25% 61% $1,409,680
Philip D’Amato 96 24 18 20 25% 65% $1,508,178
Peter Miller 102 23 13 17 23% 52% $1,068,504
Richard Baltas 87 12 16 12 14% 46% $722,709
Vladimir Cerin 45 11 5 7 24% 51% $363,243
Jerry Hollendorfer 72 10 9 8 14% 38% $684,417
Bob Baffert 41 10 8 5 24% 56% $751,290
Peter Eurton 49 10 4 8 20% 45% $395,295
John Sadler 82 9 20 13 11% 51% $806,331
David Jacobson 46 9 5 6 20% 43% $226,055
Mike Puype 37 9 2 3 24% 38% $279,936
Steven Miyadi 52 8 11 7 15% 50% $262,770
Mark Glatt 56 8 8 3 14% 34% $323,385
Brian Koriner 32 7 8 5 22% 63% $444,042
Neil Drysdale 31 7 3 2 23% 39% $294,290
Genaro Vallejo 22 7 3 1 32% 50% $162,888
Simon Callaghan 30 6 3 1 20% 33% $278,470

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.