Santa Anita Stable Notes Friday, October 28, 2022

By Ed Golden —-

GOLDIKOVA RIGHT SPOT FOR AVENUE DE FRANCE
TWILIGHT DERBY DISTANCE SUITS EURTON COLTS
MILLER PAIR IS READY FOR AUTUMN MISS STAKES
$1 MILLION RAINBOW PAYOUT POSSIBLE SATURDAY
CHAMP CE CE PREPS FOR FILLY & MARE SPRINT

AVENUE DE FRANCE FACES GOING GLOBAL AGAIN
Trainer Leonard Powell is hopeful Avenue of Flags can continue her success against favored Going Global in Saturday’s Grade II Goldikova Stakes, having upset the Irish-bred filly in the Grade II John C. Mabee at Del Mar Sept. 10 after losing to her in two prior meetings, each a Grade II event, the Yellow Ribbon at Del Mar on Aug. 13 and the Royal Heroine at Santa Anita April 9, the former at 1 1/16 miles, the latter at one mile.
The Goldikova will be decided at a mile on turf.
“The Mabee was at a mile and one-eighth and my mare showed a good turn of foot,” Powell pointed out. “This time, we’re going a mile and I’m concerned that there’s not that much pace in the race, but Avenue de France is doing well and this is the right race to put her in.”
The Goldikova goes as race three of 10 with a 1 p.m. first post time: Cover Version, Ryan Curatolo, 20-1; Burgoo Alley, Ramon Vazquez, 4-1; England’s Rose, Victor Espinoza, 6-1; Avenue de France, Juan Hernandez, 5-2; Going Global, Umberto Rispoli, 4-5; and Karakatsie, Joe Bravo, 12-1.
The $200,000 Goldikova is one seven stakes races Saturday offering a total of $1,030,000 in purses.
The others are the Grade II, $200,000 Twilight Derby for three-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on turf; the $100,000, Grade III Autumn Miss Stakes for three-year-old fillies at a mile on turf; and the $100,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes for fillies and mares three and up at about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course.
Also, the $175,000 Golden State Juvenile for two-year-old California-breds at seven furlongs; the $175,000 Golden State Juvenile Fillies for Cal-breds at seven furlongs; and the $80,000 Lure Stakes for three-year-olds and up at a mile on turf.
The Goldikova is named for the 2010 European Horse of the Year that won the Breeders’ Cup Mile three straight years, 2008 through 2010, was Eclipse Award winner as female turf champion in 2009 and 2010 and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.
She won 17 of 27 races earning $7,176,551 and died at the age of 15 on Jan. 5, 2021.

EURTON ENTERS TWO IN TWILIGHT DERBY
Peter Eurton has two three-year-olds entered in Saturday’s Grade II Twilight Derby that should appreciate the grassy mile and an eighth, as each closed from far back to win at shorter distances over Del Mar’s turf course this summer.
They are Stayincotai, an Irish-bred colt owned by C R K Stable LLC, and Seven Wonders, a son of the late Pioneerof the Nile owned by a partnership.
“They both won at a mile and a sixteenth so I think a mile and an eighth should suit them,” the trainer said. Stayincotai has not raced since Aug. 7 when finishing fifth while rank in the Grade III La Jolla Handicap, while Seven Wonders will be making his stakes debut in this, his third start.
“I came back with Stayincotai in a couple weeks (from his prior race on July 23), which wasn’t a good idea as it turned out, so we kind of freshened him up for this,” Eurton said.
“This is one of the last three-year-old races you can catch all year and Seven Wonders did not get the best of trips last time, so we’re hoping he does Saturday.”
The Twilight Derby, race seven: Seven Wonders, Hector Berrios, 15-1; Go Joe Won, Jose Valdivia Jr., 12-1; Perfect Flight, Ramon Vazquez, 6-1; Handy Dancy, Umberto Rispoli, 6-1; Cabo Spirit, Joe Bravo, 4-1; Stayincotai, Victor Espinoza, 12-1; Degree of Risk, Drayden Van Dyke, 12-1; Speaking Scout, Juan Hernandez, 3-1; and War At Sea, Mike Smith, 5-2.

MILLER SET TO SPRING VICTORY IN AUTUMN MISS
Peter Miller has two fillies with dissimilar styles in Saturday’s Grade III Autumn Miss Stakes for three-year-old fillies at a mile on turf, Pammy’s Ready and Tezzaray.
Vying for Santa Anita’s training title as is his wont, Miller is optimistic about their chances in the Autumn Miss, which drew a full field of 12.
“I feel good; they’re both doing really well,” he said. “They’re in good form and I expect them to run good races. Pammy’s Ready can either go on the lead or track; she’s versatile.
“Tezzaray will probably be sitting mid-pack. She has a new rider in Jose Valdivia Jr, but he’s breezed her the last couple weeks and got to know her.”
The Autumn Miss, race 10: Nadette, Umberto Rispoli, 6-1; Tezzaray, Jose Valdivia Jr., 10-1; Pammy’s Ready, Ramon Vazquez, 5-1; Gracelund Gray, Mario Gutierrez, 8-1; Lucky Girl, Ryan Curatolo, 20-1; Helens Well, Tiago Pereira, 20-1; Lady Clementine, Joe Bravo, 20-1; Rhea Moon, Juan Hernandez, 6-1; Gold Dragon Queen, Ricardo Gonzalez, 30-1; Cairo Memories, Mike Smith, 8-5; Gimme Mo Baby, Edwin Maldonado, 12-1; and Kitty Kitana, Hector Berrios, 12-1.

BREEDERS’ CUP HOPEFULS DRILL ON TURF FRIDAY MORNING
Santa Anita’s turf course was made available to a pair of Breeders’ Cup hopefuls late Friday morning, with both horses completing final preparations for the two-day Championships which begin next Friday at Keeneland.
The Jeff Mullins-trained Packs a Wahlop, a 2 ¾ length winner of the Grade I Zuma Beach Stakes at one mile on turf here Oct. 9, drilled five furlongs in 1:02.80 in preparation for the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Nov. 4.
Trainer Michael McCarthy sent Chilean-bred Master Piece five furlongs in 58.80. An upset winner of the Grade II Eddie Read Stakes at a mile and one eighth on grass July 31 at Del Mr, Master Piece will run in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 5.

SANTA ANITA GUARANTEES POTENTIAL $1 MILLION RAINBOW PAYOUT SATURDAY
With large, competitive fields the order of the day, Santa Anita will guarantee a $1 million payout if there is a Single Ticket winner in the track’s 20 cent Rainbow Pick Six on Saturday. As the track embarks upon its penultimate Autumn Meet weekend, 10 races, including seven stakes will be offered.
Saturday’s Rainbow Six, which will be comprised of races five through 10, has attracted 53 entries, putting average field size for the Rainbow Six at just under nine runners per race.
Approximate post time for Saturday’s fifth race is at 3:08 p.m. PT. Saturday’s fifth, a one mile turf maiden special weight for 2-year-olds, has attracted a field of eight.
From there, races six through 10 are all stakes, with the $175,000 Golden State Juvenile Fillies at seven furlongs, going as race six with a field of seven.
The Grade II, $200,000 Twilight Derby, which drew a field of nine at a mile and one eighth on turf, has been carded as race seven.
Race eight is the $175,000 Golden State Juvenile, with seven horses set to go seven furlongs.
Saturday’s ninth race is the $100,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes, with 10 three-year-olds and up set to go about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course.
Saturday’s card figures to end with a crescendo, as 12 sophomore fillies will go one mile on turf in the Grade III, $100,000 Autumn Miss Stakes.
With the two-day Breeders’ Cup World Championships set for Nov. 4 and 5 from Keeneland, Santa Anita’s 18-day Autumn Meet will close on Sunday, Nov. 6.
For entries and complete morning line information regarding Saturday’s 10-race card, fans are encouraged to visit Equibase.com, or santaanita.com or to call (626) 574-RACE.

FINISH LINES: Eclipse Award champion Ce Ce, winner of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint for owner/breeder Bo Hirsch and trainer Michael McCarthy, worked four furlongs this morning at Santa Anita in 47.80 under regular rider Victor Espinoza for defense of her crown Nov. 5 at Keeneland. Ce Ce leaves Sunday for Kentucky . . . Hit the Road, winner of last year’s Grade I Frank E. Kilroe Mile but eighth in his most recent start, the Grade I Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park last Jan. 29, went four furlongs breezing on the training track in 49.60 for Dan Blacker. In all there were 108 recorded workouts, 32 on the training track . . . Jockey Hector Berrios has a busy Saturday in store as agent Michael Burns has booked the 35-year-old native of Chile to ride in nine of the 10 races, missing only the Goldikova which drew a six-horse field . . . Trainer Mike Puype is host Tom Quigley’s seminar guest today, while clocker Andy Harrington does honors Saturday, each day at 11:50 a.m… Santa Anita’s admission gates will open early next Friday and Saturday to accommodate undercard wagering over the two-day Breeders’ Cup World Championships from Keeneland. Admission gates will open on Friday, Nov. 4 at 8:30 a.m. and on Classic Day, Nov. 5, at 7 a.m…Closing day of Santa Anita’s current 18-day Autumn Meet is Sunday, Nov. 6.