Santa Anita Stable Notes Friday, January 19, 2024

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2024

GRADE III LA CANADA: COFEE IN BED, MUSICAL MISCHIEF SEEK UPSET
Musical Mischief, trained by Michael McCarthy, and Coffee in Bed for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella each return to dirt Saturday seeking a stakes breakthrough in the GIII La Canada going 1 1/16 miles.
Musical Mischief, the 4-1 third choice on the morning line, arrived at Santa Anita in early December after making her first four starts in the Midwest while part of McCarthy’s string in Kentucky. She broke her maiden going two turns on dirt at Indiana Downs in October and came right back to air by 11 ½ lengths in a 1 1/8-mile allowance that was taken off the turf at Churchill Downs Nov. 23.
Musical Mischief’s Santa Anita debut came on opening day Dec. 26 in the GI American Oaks at 1 ¼ miles on turf. With top rider Flavien Prat aboard, the 4-year-old Into Mischief filly pressed the pace before checking in third, 3 ¾ lengths adrift of winner Anisette.
“I thought it was a solid performance,” McCarthy said. “But I’m not sure she loved the turf.”
A $300,000 auction buy as a yearling by owner Stoneway Farm, Musical Mischief will break from the rail in her return to dirt Saturday. With Prat opting to ride 2-1 second choice Desert Dawn for trainer Phil D’Amato, jockey Umberto Rispoli will ride Musical Mischief for the first time.
“This is a logical spot and a small field,” McCarthy said. “Hopefully we can pad her resume.”
Coffee In Bed most recently tried turf in the GIII Autum Miss here going a mile. She was rank early and some 13 lengths back after the opening half mile before showing late interest to be fifth beaten 5 ¼ lengths by winner and stablemate Ruby Nell.
“It wasn’t bad. But we know she handles dirt pretty good,” said Mandella, whose three stakes wins at the Classic Meet is tied with Mark Glatt for most by a trainer.
Prior to the Autumn Miss, Coffee in Bed was a sharp 3 ¼-length allowance winner going a mile on dirt at Del Mar Nov. 5. Mandella had hoped to run the 4-year-old Curlin filly in the GI La Brea going seven furlongs on opening day, but weather-related disruptions to her training schedule forced Mandella to bypass the race. That bump in the road is not a concern for Saturday, the trainer said.
“She’s doing great. We don’t have any excuses going in. Hopefully we don’t need any coming out,” Mandella added.
Coffee in Bed, who was forwardly placed in her dirt allowance win, will break right next to Musical Mischief in post two. She will be reunited with Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who was aboard for her first three starts including a debut win here sprinting on dirt last January.
Santa Anita’s leading rider Juan Hernandez, who had ridden Coffee in Bed in her last three starts, sticks with 6-5 morning-line favorite Midnight Memories for Bob Baffert.
The GIII La Canada goes as the eighth race on Saturday’s nine-race card. Post time is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. The field in post position order: Musical Mischief, Umberto Rispoli (4-1); Coffee in Bed, Mike Smith (6-1); Signorina Merisi, Tiago Pereira (12-1); Desert Dawn, Flavien Prat (2-1); Cliquish, Kazushi Kimura (10-1), Midnight Memories (6-5).

$1 COAST-TO-COAST PICK 5 SEQUENCE IS SET FOR SATURDAY
The $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 with player-friendly 15 percent takeout returns Saturday with three races from Gulfstream Park and two races from Santa Anita. The sequence kicks off with the ninth race from Gulfstream at 1:06 p.m. PT and ends with the sixth race from Santa Anita at 3:08 p.m.
Saturday’s Coast-to-Coast averages 8.4 starters per race before scratches. The opening leg is the $75,000 Sunshine Classic for older Florida-breds at 1 1/16 miles on dirt. Octane with Edgar Zayas aboard is the 6-5 morning-line favorite for trainer Juan Alvarado.
The sequence continues with the 10th from Gulfstream, which is an allowance/optional claimer at seven furlongs on dirt. In a field of nine, Super Chow with David Egan up is the lukewarm 3-1 favorite for trainer Jorge Delgado.
In the third leg, the 11th from Gulfstream, a field of 11 3-year-old maidens are set to go 1 1/16 miles on turf. Coinvest with Irad Ortiz Jr. on board is the 5-2 favorite for trainer Todd Pletcher.
The sequence then moves to Santa Anita for its fifth race, a $50,000 maiden-claimer for 3-year-old at a mile on turf. A field of eight is signed up led by 5-2 favorite Potential Spam, who will have Antonio Fresu in the irons for trainer Doug O’Neill.
In Santa Anita’s sixth race, the anchor leg, a field of seven is set to go postward led by 9-5 favorite Scary Fast Ride with Abdul Alsagoor up for trainer Sean McCarthy.
Last Sunday, the Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 paid a cool $21,950.60 to six winning tickets. The Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 is offered every Saturday and Sunday through the end of the Santa Anita Classic Meet April 7.

RISING STAR KOPION BACK ON TAB; RUBY NELL WORKS ‘TERRIFIC’
Two of the female stars in trainer Richard Mandella’s barn—Kopion and Ruby Nell—each worked Friday in preparation for upcoming graded stakes engagements.
Kopion, a rising star who improved to 2-for-2 with a dominant victory in the GIII Santa Ynez going seven furlongs here Jan. 7, returned to the tab with a three-furlong leg stretcher completed in 36.20 seconds.
“Very nice,” Mandella said of the drill.
Kopion is a 3-year-old Omaha Beach filly owned by Spendthrift Farm. She is slated to make her two-turn debut in the GII GIII Las Virgenes at a mile on dirt here Feb. 5.
Ruby Nell has won three turf stakes in her last four starts. Most recently in the one-mile Lady of Shamrock here Dec. 31, the Bolt d’Oro filly crushed the field with a front-running, 4 ½-length victory in the one-mile Lady of Shamrock here Dec. 31.
On Friday, Ruby Nell blitzed five furlongs on dirt in 58.80 seconds. It was the second-best of 44 moves at the distance.
“It was a little fast, but terrific,” Mandella said of the work.
Also owned by Spendthrift Farm, Ruby Nell is slated to make her next start a week from Saturday in the GII, $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Invitational at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Gulfstream Park.

$100K PICK 6 CARRYOVER AWAITS BETTORS FRIDAY
With no winning tickets in Monday’s $1 Pick Six at Santa Anita, a hefty carryover of $100,634.40 awaits bettors on Friday. First post is 12:30 p.m. PT. The Pick Six sequence begins in the third race at approximately 1:30 p.m.
Monday’s Pick 6 had just a single winning favorite, Cornelia Fort, who paid $5.60 for taking the eighth race. The carryover into Friday was sealed in the nightcap when Thirsty Thursday under Geovanni Franco won and paid $59.80 for trainer Reid France.
While there were no perfect tickets, 19 tickets that had five of six winners Monday each returned a consolation payout of $2,269.90.
Friday will be mark the first Pick 6 carryover of the Classic Meet.

FINISH LINES: 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner White Abarrio worked four furlongs in 47.60 seconds for trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. The 5-year-old Race Day horse is preparing for an expected start in the $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 24 in Riyadh…Sunday’s feature is the 1 ½-mile Astra Stakes on turf for older fillies and mares. Linda’s Gift, recent winner of the GIII Red Carpet going 1 3/8 miles on turf at Del Mar Nov. 23, is the 2-1 morning-line favorite for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella… …Early Triple Crown nominations close Jan. 29…Horseplayer David Nance will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:20 a.m… Each Friday during the Classic Meet on-track fans receive free parking and admission plus $3 beers and $5 margaritas.

SANTA ANITA STATISTICS
(Current Through Monday, January 15, 2024 Inclusive)
Jockey Mts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won
Juan Hernandez 66 16 15 10 24% 62% $1,302,060
Flavien Prat 58 15 14 8 26% 64% $1,250,082
Antonio Fresu 65 13 11 9 20% 51% $927,782
Lanfranco Dettori 54 9 11 7 17% 50% $569,700
Umberto Rispoli 36 8 5 11 22% 67% $741,460
Edwin Maldonado 15 6 3 0 40% 60% $287,926
Armando Ayuso 26 6 1 1 23% 31% $147,380
Geovanni Franco 34 5 1 6 15% 35% $238,842
Hector Berrios 29 4 5 3 14% 41% $310,740

Trainer Sts 1st 2nd 3rd Win% ITM% Money Won
Mark Glatt 22 8 4 3 36% 68% $467,920
Steve Knapp 35 8 2 5 23% 43% $323,560
Philip D’Amato 42 7 9 6 17% 52% $743,160
Bob Baffert 22 6 5 1 27% 55% $627,300
Richard Mandella 13 6 1 1 46% 62% $400,740
Doug O’Neill 34 4 8 3 12% 44% $317,020
John Sadler 25 4 5 6 16% 60% $362,912
Steven Miyadi 12 4 3 1 33% 67% $238,840
Peter Eurton 20 3 6 3 15% 60% $212,760
Librado Barocio 16 3 1 4 19% 50% $186,982

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