Santa Anita Stable Notes Saturday, September 30, 2023

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN
SATURDAY, SEPT. 30, 2023

MANDELLA PAIR, DESERT DAWN TEST ADARE MANOR IN GII ZENYATTA
KIRSTENBOSCH POINTS TO BREEDERS’ CUP AFTER FRIDAY UPSET
TRADITIONAL PICK 6 RETURNS WITH A BANG ON OPENING DAY
BREEDERS’ CUP: ARCANGELO, ASMUSSEN QUARTET GALLOPS
PRINCE OF MONACO, PRACTICAL MOVE LEAD BUSY WORK TAB
TOP JOCKEY JUAN HERNANDEZ HAS OPENING-DAY HAT TRICK

MANDELLA PAIR, DESERT DAWN TEST ADARE MANOR IN GII ZENYATTA
Given Adare Manor’s run of success this year in California, which includes four straight wins capped by the GI Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar Aug. 5, few were willing to take on the streaking filly in Sunday’s GII Zenyatta going 1 1/16 miles.
Those bold enough to challenge the 4-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo, installed as the 2-5 morning-line favorite, are Hirsch runner-up Desert Dawn for Phil D’Amato and two fillies trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella – Window Shopping and Micro Share.
Desert Dawn was beaten just a length in the 1 1/16-mile Hirsch when rallying from last under Umberto Rispoli. She has come back to train well. The 4-year-old Cupid filly worked a bullet five furlongs (1:00.0) at Del Mar Sept. 10 and then posted another bullet at Santa Anita this past Sunday when blitzing five furlongs in 58.40 seconds.
“She’s been doing really well since the Hirsch, hopefully we can find a way to turn the tables on Sunday,” D’Amato said this week.
Rispoli again has the call on Desert Dawn in the Zenyatta.
Window Shopping, a 3-year-old by American Pharoah, and Micro Share will each be facing Adare Manor for the first time. Window Shopping won the GII Summertime Oaks on dirt here June 3 two starts after a romping 16 ½ length maiden win in a race taken off the turf in March at Santa Anita.
Mandella then decided to try the turf with Window Shopping in the GI Del Mar Oaks Aug. 19. It did not go well. Window Shopping was never a factor before crossing the wire sixth, beaten 8 ¼ lengths.
“I’m going to hope she didn’t like the turf,” Mandella said.
Window Shopping’s recent works include a six-furlong drill in 1:13 last Saturday followed by a three-furlong leg stretcher completed in 38.0 seconds on Wednesday.
“It was just an easy little move the other day. She’s coming in good,” Mandella said.
Micro Share, a 4-year-old Upstart filly, has blossomed this year after a so-so sophomore campaign. She reeled off three straight wins this summer, including the restricted Tranquility Lake at Del Mar most recently going a mile on Sept. 4.
“She has grown up – it took her awhile to appreciate my training,” Mandella quipped.
As for Adare Manor, her three other stakes wins this year for Bob Baffert came in the GII Santa Maria and GII Santa Margarita, both at Santa Anita. She enters with an overall record of 6-4-0 in 12 starts and $861,600 in earnings.
“She’s a really big filly, which is why we’ve kind of taken our time with her. But she’s still improving,” Baffert said. “She really likes to train and enjoys what she’s doing. She’s a fun horse to have around.”
The GII Zenyatta is a potential steppingstone to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff here on Nov. 4. It goes as the fourth race on Sunday’s 10-race card with a scheduled post time of 2:33 p.m. Pacific. The field in post position order: Adare Manor, Juan Hernandez (2-5); Micro Share, Mike Smith (5-1); Desert Dawn, Umberto Rispoli (4-1); Window Shopping, Hector Berrios (5-1).

KIRSTENBOSCH POINTS TO BREEDERS’ CUP AFTER CHILLINGWORTH UPSET
All appeared to be well with Kirstenbosch following her upset win in Friday’s GIII Chillingworth, trainer John Sadler reported Saturday morning.
Kirstenbosch won the 6 ½-furlong Chillingworth by 1 ¾ lengths after rallying into a fast pace under Hector Berrios. Kirstenbosch was near the back of the field as a four-horse scramble up front resulted in a wicked opening half mile completed in 43.69 seconds. Clearly Unhinged, who was part of the pace battle, had a 2 ½-length lead at the eight pole but could not fend off a hard-charging Kirstenbosch.
“She needs the setup. She can’t make her own race,” Sadler said of the winner. “But she got the pace we were looking for and got a good result.”
The winning time Kirstenbosch, a 4-year-old Midnight Lute filly, was 1:15.37. She paid $15.
Kirstenbosch’s only other win in eight starts this year came in the GIII La Canada going 1 1/16 miles here Jan. 15. Prior to the Chillingworth, she was second to Eda in Del Mar’s GIII Rancho Bernardo going 6 ½ furlongs. Eda was the 3-5 favorite in the Chillingworth and finished a non-threatening third.
Sadler said Sunday morning the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint going seven furlongs at Santa Anita Nov. 4 is now squarely on Kirstenbosch’s radar.
“I think that’s where we’re headed,” Sadler said. “Seven furlongs is a good distance for her. We’re right here in our own backyard and if everything goes well, we will run.”
A homebred for Keith Abrahams, Kirstenbosch sports a record of 4-5-2 in 17 starts with $521,480 in earnings.

TRADITIONAL PICK 6 RETURNS WITH A BANG ON OPENING DAY
Handle spiked and the payout was juicy for the return of the traditional Pick 6 Friday at Santa Anita.
The opening-day Pick 6 pool was $190,206, nearly double last year’s opening day Rainbow 6 handle of just over $94,000. There were 19 winning tickets Friday worth a healthy $5,348.20. The consolation payout for tickets with five of six winners was $97.30.
Santa Anita in recent years had offered a Rainbow 6 wager with a jackpot provision that paid out the full pool only if there was one unique winning ticket. With the return of the traditional Pick 6, 70 percent of the pool is returned to tickets with six winners with the remainder going to consolation payouts. If there are no tickets with six winners, 70 percent of the pool is carried over into the following program.
The winning horses in Friday’s sequence were Sweet Hello ($3.20), Potito ($5.20), Shes Just Fluffy ($6.60), Aurelian Man ($11.20), Kirstenbosch ($15) and Belmont Bill ($7.40).
Saturday’s Pick 6 begins with the fifth race at approximately 3:05 p.m. Pacific. Average field size is 9.6 starters per race before scratches.

BREEDERS’ CUP: ARCANGELO, ASMUSSEN QUARTET GALLOPS
Top-rated Breeders’ Cup Classic contender Arcangelo galloped for the second straight day Saturday under exercise rider Robert Mallari. Also galloping Saturday were four Breeders’ Cup-bound horses trained by Steve Asmussen: Echo Zulu, Clairiere, Gunite and Society.
Mallari said Jena Antonucci, Arcangelo’s trainer, was expected to visit Santa Anita from New York early next week.
Scott Blasi, Asmussen’s assistant, reported all four horses under his care have continued to do well in their first week at Santa Anita. He added that none of the foursome was likely to have a work until sometime next week.
The other Classic contender on the grounds is White Abarrio, who has been only jogging. Trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. was expected visit Santa Anita this weekend, his assistant and brother Chip Dutrow said on Friday.

PRINCE OF MONACO, PRACTICAL MOVE AMONG 216 WORKERS SATURDAY
With rain expected later Saturday and into Sunday, it was a busy morning during training hours Saturday at Santa Anita. Among the 216 horses to have timed workouts were Prince of Monaco, who is expected to run in next Saturday’s GII American Pharoah for Bob Baffert, and GI Santa Anita Derby winner Practical Move for trainer Tim Yakteen.
Prince of Monaco worked five furlongs in 59.80 seconds. The Speightstown colt is a perfect 3-for-3 including wins in the GIII Best Pal and GI Del Mar Futurity, both at Del Mar.
Practical Move worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds, which was the second-fastest move at the distance. The Practical Joke colt has not started since the Santa Anita Derby on April 8. He was scratched from the Kentucky Derby a month later due to an elevated temperature.
Practical Move has been working steadily since the middle of August. Yakteen on Friday said he did not have a race targeted for Practical Move’s comeback.
Also on the comeback trail is Newgrange, winner of this year’s GI Santa Anita Handicap. Trained by Phil D’Amato, the 4-year-old Violence colt worked five furlongs in 1:00.0. It was Newgrange’s eighth work since Aug. 6.

FINISH LINES: Perennial leading rider Juan Hernandez won three races on opening day. He swept the early double with Give Me The Lute ($5.80) and Poetica ($4.80) and completed the hat trick in the ninth and final race with Belmont Bill ($7.40)…Trainer Mark Glatt saddled two winners Friday, Grazed ($6.20) in the third race and Shes Just Fluffy ($6.60) in the sixth race…The inaugural $3 all-turf Pick 3 on Friday handled $78,244 and returned $495 to 121 winning tickets…Bugler Jay Cohen will miss the Autumn Meet due to a back injury. Rick Tyree, who often collaborates with Cohen, will be his replacement…Daily Racing Form correspondent Brad Free will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m…On Sunday, NTRA Chief Operating Officer Keith Chamblin will be Quigley’s guest starting at 11:50 a.m.