Santa Anita Stable Notes Saturday, December 26, 2020

By Ed Golden —-

SANTA ANITA’S TURF CHUTE TO DEBUT IN RACE 6
LERNER GETS MARRIED SUNDAY, SHAM AWAITS
SADLER HAS QUEENGOL SET FOR SANTA YNEZ
POPULAR BETTING MENU HAS VALUE, VARIETY
SHOWVIVOR CONTEST BACK AT SANTA ANITA

ALL NEW TURF CHUTE TO BE UNVEILED IN SATURDAY’S SIXTH RACE

Thanks to world class Track Surfaces Consultant Dennis Moore, Santa Anita’s all new turf chute will make its much-anticipated debut in race six today, a 6 ½ furlong allowance test for three year olds and up.

Today’s sixth race, which has an assigned post time of 1:37 p.m. PT, has attracted a full field of 12 and carries a purse of $63,000. The race appears to be a wide-open affair, evidenced by the fact Richard Mandella’s Anaconda, drawn on the far outside with Drayden Van Dyke, has been installed as the tepid 4-1 morning line favorite by odds master Jon White.

The project, which was “green lighted” by Santa Anita’s Aidan Butler on Aug. 17, appears to be a perfect complement to the track’s turf oval and 6 ½ furlong downhill course, which is currently set to be utilized when horses go distances of a mile and one quarter on up to a mile and three quarters.

The turf chute parallels Santa Anita’s seven furlong main track chute and will provide fans and horsemen ample opportunities at six and the 6 ½ furlongs throughout the Winter/Spring Meet, which concludes on June 20.

-Mike Willman

FIRST THE SHAM, TOMORROW MARRIAGE FOR LERNER

Andrew Lerner is looking forward to next Saturday when he runs Uncle Boogie in the Grade III Sham Stakes, but he has greater anticipation at stake tomorrow.

The 31-year-old trainer is getting married to his long-time love, Katie.

“We’ve been together for seven years and we were going to get married in June,” Lerner said this morning after working Uncle Boogie four furlongs under Flavian Prat, who rides the Florida-bred son of the Curlin sire Ride the Curlin in the $100,000 Sham for three-year-olds at one mile.

“We expected to have a bigger wedding with about 200 people back then but the venue in Malibu called us and said if we want it with dancing and no masks, no social distancing, we’re going to have to wait until 2022.

“We didn’t want to do that so we decided on Dec. 27 which is tomorrow with just immediate family, so it will be a small wedding with about 19 people.”

Meanwhile, back on the track, Uncle Boogie breezed this morning “and Flavien liked his work,” Lerner said. “The horse went well in company sitting outside Miss Glorious. I got him in 48 and change and he galloped out nicely. Provided he comes out of the work good we plan to run.”

Otherwise, Lerner is “trying to reload for the upcoming meet with some incoming two-year-olds coming and recycling our stock a bit.”

Uncle Boogie won his debut race, a $32,000 maiden claimer on Oct. 12 at Santa Anita, by 6 ¼ lengths, and was second in his last two including the Grade III Bob Hope going seven furlongs at Del Mar on Nov. 15.

His running style indicates he should like the added distances of the Sham, a starting point on the Triple Crown trail which offers 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner, four to the runner-up, two to the third-place finisher and one to the fourth.

The colt is owned by Eric Homme, “a good owner and a really nice guy,” Lerner said. “He got into the game two years ago taking fractional percentages of horses. Uncle Boogie is the first horse he owns solely.”

Seems like congratulations are in order all around.

PROMISING QUEENGOL PREPARES FOR SANTA YNEZ

John Sadler has Queengol at the ready for the Grade II Santa Ynez Stakes for freshly turned three-year-old fillies next Sunday.

“She won her first start and has a nice little record,” the trainer said of the Gray daughter of Flashback bred in Kentucky. “She works tomorrow and we think she’s a nice one as her record indicates.”

Owned by Johana Viana and Saragol Stable Corp., Queengol won her debut race Sept. 5 at 9-1 at Del Mar, was second as the 6-5 favorite in the restricted Anoakia at Santa Anita Oct. 18, and second again in the restricted Desi Arnez at Del Mar Nov. 14.

“She got away slow in the Desi Arnaz, which cost her, since she’s a closer. She probably wouldn’t have beat the winner (Astute), but she would have been closer (than 7 ½ lengths behind).”

WORTHWHILE WAGERING MENU HAS WIDE APPEAL

With its highly anticipated Winter/Spring Meeting opener set for Saturday, December 26, Santa Anita Park has announced a comprehensive betting menu that will again feature the popular 20 cent Single Ticket Rainbow Pick Six Jackpot and a myriad of other features, including a North American-low takeout of 15.43 percent on all two dollar Win, Place and Show wagers.

Although Santa Anita remains closed to the public due to continued restrictions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, fans can watch all of the track’s live races free of charge via santaanita.com/live and can watch and wager on Santa Anita racing via a variety of ADW platforms including 1st.com/Bet.

In addition to the 20 cent Rainbow Six, Santa Anita will again offer the 50 cent Early Pick 5, which features a low 14 percent takeout, as well as the 50 cent Late Pick 5.

With the Jackpot provision in place, the 20 cent Single Ticket Rainbow Pick Six requires a perfect single ticket in order to key a potentially life changing payoff. Providing there is no single ticket winner, consolation tickets with the highest number of winners receive a payoff on 70 percent of the net pool. The remaining 30 percent is carried over to a Jackpot pool, which will continue to accrue until there is a single ticket winner or there is a designated mandatory payoff day.

The $1 Stronach Five will again be offered each Friday and will consist of a fast paced series of five races from Santa Anita, Gulfstream Park, Laurel Park and Golden Gate Fields. The Stronach Five offers players a low takeout of 12 percent.

Santa Anita will also continue to offer the $5 Golden Hour Double, and the $1 Golden Hour Pick 4. Both wagers embrace late races at both Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields.

On most race days, there will be an Early and Late 50 cent Pick Four. On opening day, and all other days on which 11 races are carded, there will also be a 50 cent Mid-Pick Four. With 11 races on opening day, this Saturday, the Early Pick 4 will start with Race 2, the Mid-Four with Race 5 and the Late Pick Four will start with Race 8.

Players will also once again be offered one dollar exactas, two dollar rolling Daily Doubles, 50 cent rolling Pick 3s, as well as 10 cent Superfectas on all races with a minimum of six runners.

Additionally, the One Dollar Super High 5 is again available in all races with seven or more declared starters. The wager is available on all races that have seven or more declared starters. There is a 100 percent payout on all tickets selecting five winners, no consolation and a 100 percent carryover to the next race (including to the next day, if applicable).

Special early first post time on opening day, Saturday, Dec. 26, is at 11 a.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

FINISH LINES: Of the 17 three-year-olds nominated to Saturday’s Sham Stakes, Bob Baffert has five of them, including smashing debut winner Life Is Good, who won Nov. 22 at Del Mar by 9 ½ lengths to the delight of chalk players who sent him off at 20 cents to the dollar . . . Santa Anita’s popular free online “Showvivor” returns today with a new Total Win Earnings category and a Monthly Contest provision which will be included in the existing season-long total prize money awarded of $5,000. The contest offers a variety of cash incentives highlighted by the $2,500 top prize, which will be awarded to the longest “Show Streak” over the course of the entire Winter/Spring season which concludes on June 20. For additional information, visit santaanita.com or call 626 574-RACE . . . Reminder, there is an early first post time of 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. Santa Anita will be dark Monday through Wednesday and resume live racing on New Year’s Eve, Thursday, Dec. 31 at 12:30 p.m.

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FEATURES:

Jeff Siegel’s Day Makers for December 26th, 2020

Preview of the Grade II Mathis Brothers Mile

Preview of the Grade II San Antonio Stakes

Preview of the Grade I La Brea Stakes

Preview of the Grade I American Oaks

Preview of the Grade I Runhappy Malibu Stakes

Preview of the Lady of Shamrock Stakes

WORKOUTS:

Nashville (Asmussen) 12-25-20

Lane Way (Mandella) 12-25-20

Chipper (Glatt) 12-25-20

Jolie Olimpica (Outside) and Charlito (Mandella)

Hard Not To Love (Sherriffs) 12-23-20

Big Fish (Hofmans) 12-23-20

Tapwater (Outside) and Affianced (Mandella) 12-23-20

Just Grazed Me (D’Amato) 12-21-20

Sharing (Motion) 12-21-20

Bezos (Outside) and Laurel River (Baffert) 12-21-20

Amuse (Outside) and Tizamagician (Mandella) 12-21-20

Express Train (Shirreffs) 12-20-20

Guitty (Powell) 12-20-20

Mucho Unusual (Outside) and Big Talker (Yakteen) 12-20-20

Mucho Gusto (Inside) and Leading Score (Baffert) 12-20-20

Idol (Baltas) 12-19-20

Merneith (Baffert) 12-19-20

Strongconstitution (O’Neill) 12-19-20

Charlatan (Baffert) 12-19-20

Collusion Illusion (Glatt) 12-19-20

About The Stronach Group and 1/ST

The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred horseracing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The company’s consumer facing brand 1/ST (pronounced “First”) powers The Stronach Group’s forward-thinking 1/ST RACING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY, 1/ST LIVE and 1/ST PROPERTIES businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING drives the best-in-class horseracing operations at the company’s premier racetracks and training centers including: Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series, and Gulfstream Park West (Florida); the Maryland Jockey Club at Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course – home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the newly formed operating group for all of 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, GWS and XBTV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is horseracing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST LIVE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality by delivering uniquely curated events such as InfieldFest and Pegasus LIV Stretch Village. 1/ST PROPERTIES is responsible for the development of the company’s live, work and play communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred horseracing on and off the track. For more information please visit www.1st.com.