Santa Anita Stable Notes Sunday, October 22, 2023

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN
SUNDAY, OCT. 22, 2023

BREEDERS’ CUP: BAFFERT RUNNERS GEAR UP WITH SUNDAY WORKS
Prince of Monaco and Speed Boat Beach were among a quartet of Breeders’ Cup prospects trained by Bob Baffert to record timed workouts at Santa Anita Sunday.
Prince of Monaco and Speed Boat Beach each worked six furlongs from the gate. Prince of Monaco, pointed to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile here Nov. 3, went six furlongs in 1:12.00. Speed Boat Beach, headed to the $2 million Sprint Nov. 4, blitzed through his work in 1:11.00. It was the fastest of seven moves at the distance.
Prince of Monaco will try and provide a sixth Juvenile win for Baffert, which would break a tie with D. Wayne Lukas for most all time. Prince of Monaco, by Speightstown, is a perfect 3-for-3 including wins in the GIII Best Pal and GI Del Mar Futurity, both at Del Mar. The 1 1/16-mile Juvenile will be his first time going two turns.
Speed Boat Beach will go for a sixth win in the Sprint for Baffert, who already owns the record for most all time. On Sept. 30, the 3-year-old colt by Bayern returned from a nearly 10-month layoff Sept. 30 and finished a game second in the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship behind Dr. Schivel, who also worked Sunday.
Also working for Baffert were Adare Manor (5f, 59.60) for the $2 million Distaff on Nov. 4 and Eda (4f, 46.80), who is possible for the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint Nov. 4.
Adare Manor has won five straight races including the GII Zenyatta here most recently on Oct. 1. Eda last time out had a seven-race win streak snapped when a disappointing third as the favorite in the GIII Chillingworth here Sept. 29.
Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella worked Tamara, the likely favorite for the $2 million Juvenile Fillies Nov. 3. The daughter of Bolt d’Oro out of Hall of Fame mare Beholder went six furlongs in 1:12.60. Tamara is a perfect 2-for-2, including a win the GI Del Mar Debutante going seven furlongs most recently Sept. 9. The Juvenile Fillies will be her first time going two turns.
Working for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen were Clairiere (5f, 59.80) and Private Creed (4f, 48.40). Clairiere was fourth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland. She is 2-2-1 in five starts this year, which includes wins in the GI Apple Blossom at Oaklawn and GI Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park. Most recently, the 5-year-old daughter of Curlin was a lackluster fifth in the GI Personal Ensign at Saratoga Aug. 25.
Dr. Schivel worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 for trainer Mark Glatt. It was his second work since winning the Santa Anita Sprint Championship. In 2021 at Del Mar, Dr. Schivel was second by just a nose in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
Buttercream Babe, a candidate for the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf Nov. 3 for trainer Michael Maker, worked four furlongs in 51.20. The daughter of Twirling Candy was most recently second by a neck in the GIII Surfer Girl here won by Dreamfyre on Oct. 8.
Rounding out Sunday’s Breeders’ Cup workers were Gold Phoenix and Balladeer, both candidates for the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Nov. 4. Balladeer, front-running winner of the GII John Henry Turf here Oct. 1, went five furlongs in 1:00.00 for trainer George Papaprodromou. Gold Phoenix, fifth in the John Henry, worked five furlongs on the training track in 1:01.80.
Pre-entries for the 40th Breeders’ Cup will be announced on Wednesday at 9 a.m. Pacific.

NYSOS EARNS LOFTY 96 BEYER WITH SMASHING 10 ½-LENGTH DEBUT WIN
Nysos, the least-fancied of three Bob Baffert runners in Saturday’s nightcap for 2-year-olds, ran like an emerging star with a romping 10 ½-length victory going six furlongs.
Nysos was installed as a lukewarm 3-1 favorite on the morning line for his debut, but when the betting was complete, he had floated all the way up to 6-1. Debuting stablemates Urban Legend, who was second, and sixth-place finisher British Isles each went off at 3-1.
Ridden by Kyle Frey, Nysos broke alertly and dueled for the lead with Urban Legend through an opening half mile completed in 44.19 seconds. In the stretch, it quickly turned into a one-horse race. Nysos kicked clear of his pace rival and continued to extend his lead all the way to the wire. The winning time on a fast track was 1:08.97, which according to Daily Racing Form’s Brad Free earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.
Nysos is by 1996 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist out of the unraced Bernardini mare Zetta Z. He was purchased by owner Baoma Corp. for $550,000 at this year’s OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training.

ANOKIA WINNER SANDY BOTTOM ON THE ASCENT FOR MCCARTHY
Trainer Michael McCarthy looks to have a high-class filly on his hands in Sandy Bottom, winner of Saturday’s six-furlong Anokia Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Santa Anita.
Bet down to the 6-5 favorite with Umberto Rispoli up, Sandy Bottom broke like a shot from the inside stall and took the field gate-to-wire to earn a three quarter length victory over a game Tambo (6-1) for trainer Peter Eurton. The winning time on a fast track was 1:10.55, which according to Daily Racing Form’s Brad Free earned a 74 Beyer Speed Figure.
On Sunday, McCarthy reported Sandy Bottom “is excellent this morning.
“It surprised me just how clean she got out of the gate,” the trainer added. “Umberto did a nice job and she took control from the start. Just a super professional effort.”
Sandy Bottom hails from the first crop of Omaha Beach, who was based at Santa Anita in 2018-19 with trainer Richard Mandella and earned $1,651,800 on the track. Owned by James M. Daniell and Donna Daniell, she was purchased for $145,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Prior to the Anokia, Sandy Bottom won her debut going 5 ½ furlongs at Del Mar by 3 ½ lengths on Sept. 10. McCarthy said Sandy Bottom will now target the $100,000 Desi Arnaz Stakes going seven furlongs at Del Mar Nov. 18.

BREEDERS’ CUP: 9 HORSES FROM JAPAN SET TO ARRIVE TUESDAY
Nine horses from Japan bound for the Breeders’ Cup are scheduled to arrive at Santa Anita Tuesday. This year’s Japanese contingent is the largest-ever to come stateside for the Breeders’ Cup, which is Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita.
Among Japan’s expected arrivals are GI Dubai World Cup winner Ushba Tesoro and Derma Sotogake, who came to the U.S. earlier this year for the Kentucky Derby and finished sixth.
Two years ago at Del Mar, horses from Japan collected their first-ever wins in a Breeders’ Cup. Marche Lorraine lit up the tote board in the Distaff when prevailing by a nose at 48-1 and Loves Only You won the Filly & Mare Turf at 4-1.
According to Santa Anita Stall Superintendent Jeff Metz, an additional 42 horses from Europe are scheduled to arrive at Santa Anita on Sunday, Oct. 29.

FINISH LINES: Jockeys Kent Desormeaux and Erick Garcia each won their first races of the meet Saturday. Desormeaux, a Hall of Famer, scored with Zimba Warrior ($9.80) in the fourth race for trainer Bob Hess. Garcia, who rides Quarter Horses at night at Los Alamitos, won the second race with Mike Operator ($7.80) to provide trainer Angela Aquino, who has relocated from Golden Gate Fields with her first win of the meet…Trainers Dean Pederson and Antonio Garcia also had their first wins of the meet Saturday. Pederson won the fifth with first-time starter On The Whim ($25.40) and Garcia scored in the seventh with Just A Guess ($8.80)…Saturday’s Pick 6 returned $9,031.40 to nine winning tickets…Next Saturday’s feature at Santa Anita is the Lure Stakes for older horses going a mile on turf.