SANTA ANITA STABLE NOTES

By Ed Golden / Mike Willman —-

REMATCH LOOMS IN SANTA ANITA DERBY
HESS HOPES FOR HIT WITH WOUND TIGHT
MARATHON MARE IS SET FOR SANTA ANA
HONOR A.P. ON COURSE FOR SANTA ANITA DERBY

Honor A.P., a leading contender for the Santa Anita Derby, continues to train well for Santa Anita’s marquee three-year-old event on April 4, offering 100 qualifying points to the 146th Kentucky Derby Sept. 5.

“He came out of the San Felipe really well,” said trainer John Shirreffs, referring to the ridgling’s second behind unbeaten Authentic in the Grade II event on March 7. “We’re pointing for the Santa Anita Derby.”

Authentic, too, is set to run in the Grade I, $1 million Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles, thus forming the likelihood of an appealing rematch.

Authentic, an Into Mischief colt trained by Bob Baffert, led throughout the San Felipe with Drayden Van Dyke aboard, winning by 2 ¼ lengths under a long hold.

Honor A.P., a son of Honor Code, was making his first start in five months, so Shirreffs was pleased considering the circumstances. “He ran really great,” the trainer said. “I was very happy with him.”

WOUND TIGHT SHORTENS UP FOR SENSATIONAL STAR

As a former Major League baseball hopeful who played college ball at Stanford with eventual Big League stars Jack McDowell and Mike Andrete, Bob Hess Jr. knows that sports can be a game of hit and miss.

That includes horse racing, where the 54-year-old native of Chula Vista has been hitting more than missing, earning his keep as a trainer since 1987.

Hess acquired a Bachelor of Arts degree at Stanford, then learned the intricacies of horsemanship from his father, trainer Bob Sr., still winning races at age 84 in the Bay Area.

Today, Bob Jr. has a horse that might appear to be somewhat misplaced in the $100,000 Sensational Star Stakes for California-breds four and older at 5 ½ furlongs on turf, but he could outrun his odds.

The horse is Wound Tight, a five-year-old gelded son of Coil who is coming off seven straight races at a mile or longer, including the last two at a mile and an eighth, winning the Cal Cup Turf Classic on the front end by 3 ½ lengths on Jan. 18.

Last out at a mile and an eighth in an overnight race against open company, Wound Tight prompted the pace before finishing a distant third.

“We’re in against Cal-breds today and he has sprinted twice, once on dirt (in his debut race in March of 2018, finishing seventh of 10) and once at five furlongs on turf (June of 2019, when he ran sixth but beaten just over two lengths),” Hess pointed out.

“That was a throw out race,” he added. “He wasn’t ready. I think maybe 5 ½ is too short for him, but he’s sharp, so we’re taking a shot.”

Asked about the rags-to-riches mare Zuzanna, an $8,000 claim that posted a 23-1 upset in the Grade III Red Carpet Stakes last September at Del Mar for a partnership that includes TVG’s Kurt Hoover, Hess said, “She’s training at Gulfstream and should run within a month.

“We’re just trying to figure out where.”

The field for the Sensational Star: Grinning Tiger, Ruben Fuentes, 10-1; Wound Tight, Rafael Bejarano, 6-1; Brandothebartender, Umberto Rispoli, 5-1; Just Grazed Me, Geovanni Franco, 4-1; Tigre Di Slugo, Flavien Prat, 12-1; The Hunted, Mario Gutierrez, 10-1; Lieutenant Dan, Drayden Van Dyke, 7-2; Castle, Abel Cedillo, 8-1; Steal Thediamonds, Agapito Delgadillo, 5-1; Loud Mouth, Tiago Pereira, 20-1; and also eligible Tap the Wire, Jose Valdivia Jr., 30-1.

DISTANCE ACE SIBERIAN IRIS RETURNS IN SANTA ANA

In her last four races, Siberian Iris has run a combined total of 5 ¼ miles, so there’s little doubt the Irish-bred mare trained by Richard Mandella will fancy the mile and a quarter on turf in Saturday’s Grade III, $100,000 Santa Ana Stakes for older fillies and mares.

“She hasn’t run in a while but she’s training great and we expect her to run a good race,” Mandella said. Rafael Bejarano, who has ridden the six-year-old bay three times previously, including to victory in the CTT & TOC Stakes at Del Mar last Aug. 16, will be back aboard.

“The distance will be no problem for her,” Mandella said. “She can go three miles if needed.”

Owned by Calumet Farm, Siberian Iris was third in the Grade III Astra at a mile and a half last out on Jan. 19; fourth in the Grade I Rodeo Drive at a mile and a quarter Sept. 28; won the aforementioned Del Mar stakes at 1 3/8 miles; and fourth in an overnight race at 1 1/8 miles last May 27.

In other news from the Mandella barn, the Hall of Fame trainer recently received a two-year-old colt named Q B One, the first foal from the champion mare he trained, Beholder.

“They always called Beholder the Queen Bee,” Mandella said when asked the significance of the colt’s name, “so I guess that explains Q B One. I thought it meant Quarterback One, but that’s not it.”

Meanwhile San Marcos Stakes winner United, who was scheduled to run in the $6 million Dubai Sheema Classic on March 28, is on standby in the Middle East as the Dubai World Cup event was cancelled early today Pacific Time due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’re trying to figure out how to get him home now,” Mandella said.

United was runner-up by a head at 51-1 to Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 2.

CHRB TELECONFERENCE SET FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 26

The California Horse Racing Board will conduct a teleconference meeting 9:30 a.m. Thursday, March 26. Consistent with the Governor’s recent Executive Order N-29-20, the meeting will be teleconference only and no physical location will be provided.

The public is encouraged to participate in either of two ways: The webcast audio link on the CHRB website will continue to provide a way for the public to listen to the meeting. Furthermore, those wishing to speak during the meeting may dial 888-392-4564 and enter 6896291# when prompted. The operator will provide instructions to those wishing to speak on any agenda item.

Note that for agenda item #17, Public Comment, each person will be limited to two minutes, and no further comments will be permitted after 30 minutes. The agenda and package of materials for this teleconference meeting are available on the CHRB website.

FINISH LINES: Department of Corrections—Contrary to what had been stated here regarding 9-year-old gelding Ashleyluvssugar running for the fourth time in yesterday’s Grade III San Luis Rey Stakes, this was not the first time a horse has appeared in the same Santa Anita stakes on four occasions. Daily Racing Form’s Jay Privman advises that a pair of Hall of Famers have completed the quad. Ron McAnally’s John Henry, ran in two different stakes four times each and Buster Millerick’s Native Diver actually ran in the San Carlos Handicap five years in a row. And a third horse, Bruce Headley’s Eclipse Award winning sprinter Kona Gold, ran in the Grade I Ancient Title Stakes (now Santa Anita Sprint Championship) a total of four times…Jonathon Hardoon with the Ragozin Sheets, reports Bob Baffert’s Charlatan earned an incredible 3 ½ “Sheet” number in winning a one mile allowance here on March 14 and that his stablemate Nadal earned an 11 in taking the Grade II Rebel Stakes on the same day…Baffert’s Authentic, winner of the Grade II San Felipe on March 7, drilled five furlongs over a fast main track yesterday morning in 1:01.80.

LATEST CONTENT FROM XBTV:

FEATURES:

Bob Baffert Gives An Update on Authentic, Nadal, Thousand Words and Charlatan

Day in the Life With Jockey Valet and Exercise Rider Augustine Lura

Day in the Life With Exercise Rider and Valet Manny Avila

WORKOUTS:
Two Thirty Five (Outside) and Del Mar May (Baltas) 3-21-20

Authentic (Baffert) 3-21-20

Le Tub (Outside) and Lazy Daisy (O’Neill) 3-21-20

Zellda (Inside) and Daniela Bella (Shirreffs) 3-19-20

Dark Prince (Baffert) 3-19-20

True Valor (Callaghan) 3-19-20

Donna Veloce (Callaghan) 3-19-20

Dessman (Outside) and McKale (Baffert) 3-19-20