Santa Anita Stable Notes Monday, March 17, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2025

CORNUCOPIAN (Rail) & BARNES

ERNIE BELMONTE

BAFFERT BRIGADE: BARNES, CORNUCOPIAN WORK 6F IN COMPANY
VODKA WITH A TWIST EYES SANTA ANITA OAKS FOR 3-YEAR-OLD BOW
JOCKEY FREY BAGS 3 WINS FRIDAY; PICK 6 PAYS $22K
GIII SAN LUIS REY, CHINA DOLL HIGHLIGHT NEXT WEEK’S ACTION

BARNES, CORNUCOPIAN WORK 6F IN COMPANY FOR BAFFERT

Barnes, who endured his first defeat in the GII San Felipe March 1, and standout debut winner Cornucopian worked six furlongs in company Monday for trainer Bob Baffert. They were joined on the tab by fellow Baffert-trained 3-year-olds Citizen Bull, Gaming and Rodriguez.

Barnes and Cornucopian were each clocked in 1:11.80 to share the bullet for six furlongs.

“I was trying to get a good work into them. They both went well,” Baffert said.

Citizen Bull drilled six furlongs in company in 1:12.0. He worked in company with Nafisa, a 4-year-old filly who is winless in six starts. For Citizen Bull, it was his third six-furlong work in the past 22 days. Last year’s champion 2-year-old male, Citizen Bull exits a win in the GIII Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita when making his sophomore debut Feb. 1.

Gaming earned a bullet with a five-furlong work in 59.0 seconds. By Game Winner, Gaming was expected to run in this past Saturday’s Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs but did not make the trip after reportedly spiking a fever.

Rodriguez, who was third in the San Felipe, worked four furlongs in 48.60 seconds.

Baffert said it remains to be determined where the quintet of 3-year-olds will make their next starts. Options include the GI Santa Anita Derby on April 5 and both the GI Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn and GI Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on March 29.

“I’ll know more by next week,” he said.

Cornucopian was an eye-catching winner at Oaklawn when sprinting six furlongs on Feb. 23. The Into Mischief colt blitzed through fractions of 21.80, 45.50 and 57.41 seconds before crossing the wire a 5 ¾-length winner in a time of 1:09.02. He earned a lofty 101 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort. Oaklawn officials reported it was the fastest time in track history for a 3-year-old maiden special weight at six furlongs.

Cornucopian was a $1.1 million purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September yearling sale. He is owned by an extensive ownership group led by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables and Stonestreet Stables. Dubbed “The Avengers” by Baffert, they are also the principal owners of both Citizen Bull and Rodriguez.

Barnes, owned by Zedan Racing, was making his two-turn debut when upended in the San Felipe by top 3-year-old prospect Journalism. Barnes set fractions of 23.71, 47.31 and 1:11.10 before being overtaken in deep stretch. Despite the loss, Barnes still earned a career-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure.

Also working for Baffert was unbeaten 4-year-old Nysos, who hasn’t started since February 2024 when winning the Robert B. Lewis. The Nyquist colt was clocked in 1:12.40 for six furlongs.

VODKA WITH A TWIST EYES SANTA ANITA OAKS FOR 3-YEAR-OLD BOW

Vodka with a Twist, runner-up in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar, is targeting the GII Fasig – Tipton Santa Anita Oaks on April 5 for her sophomore bow following a five-furlong work in 59.80 seconds Monday at Santa Anita.

“I was very happy with the drill,” trainer Phil D’Amato said. “It looks like we’re on target for the Santa Anita Oaks. She still has two more breezes, but if they go like today’s, she’ll be there.”

Vodka With a Twist had jockey Antonio Fresu aboard for Monday’s work.

In the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 1, Vodka With a Twist finished 4 ½ lengths back of winner Immersive as the co-fourth choice at 8-1. She returned in the GII Starlet five weeks later at Los Alamitos and finished third behind both Tenma and Look Forward, who are also eyeing the Santa Anita Oaks.

After the Starlet, Vodka With a Twist received a brief freshening before returning to the work tab Jan. 29 at Santa Anita. The daughter of Thousand Words has been working weekly since that time.

D’Amato said he has been pleased with the development of Vodka With a Twist from 2 to 3, particularly the mental aspect. As a 2-year-old, Vodka With a Twist made seven starts starting in April at Keeneland.

“She’s a filly that never really had a break. I think given her that little time off has allowed her to mature mentally,” D’Amato said. “That’s the biggest thing she needed to improve on. She’s kind of a nervous, high-strung filly, but she seems to be a little more relaxed and settled now.”

Trainer Michael McCarthy confirmed Look Forward is also possible for the Fasig – Tipton Santa Anita Oaks following a seventh-place finish in the GIII Honeybee at Oaklawn Feb. 23. She returned to the work tab Saturday at Santa Anita with a five-furlong work in 59.60 seconds. It was the second-fastest of 18 drills at the distance.

“We’ll see about the Oaks. I thought her work was very good,” McCarthy said. “She’s just a naturally very fast horse.”

In the 1 1/16-mile Honeybee, Look Forward was off slow after bobbling at the start. She then steadily improved her position around the oval before ultimately splitting the 13-horse field.

“She needs to be on or near the lead,” McCarthy said. “When she missed the break at Oaklawn, she got shuffled back probably 10 or 11 lengths off the field. That made all the difference.”

Look Forward is a daughter of Bolt d’Oro owned by Reddam Racing. Prior to the Honeybee, she won the Fasig-Tipton Santa Ynez going seven furlongs on Jan. 5 at Santa Anita.

KYLE FREY HAS A THREE WIN DAY

BENOIT PHOTO

FREY WINS 3 FRIDAY; DOUBLE CARRYOVER FUELS $22K PICK 6 PAYOUT

Jockey Kyle Frey bagged three wins, and a double carryover in the $2 Pick Six spurred a $22,463 payout Sunday at Santa Anita.

Frey scored in the third race on favorite Nothing Is Forever ($4) for trainer Andy Mathis, the fifth with favorite Extensive ($3.40) for trainer Michael McCarthy and the seventh aboard Mucho Magical ($13.20) for trainer Alfredo Marquez. Frey now has 21 wins at the Classic Meet to rank seventh in the jockey’s standings.

Sunday’s $2 Pick Six started with a two-day carryover of $218,963. When the sequence started with the fifth race, the total pool had swelled to $1,827,393.

There were 48 tickets with all six winners. The consolation payout for tickets with 5-of-6 winners was $200.60. The winning horses in Sunday’s Pick Six were #2 Extensive ($3.40), #1 Yacowlef ($6.20), #1 Mucho Magical ($13.20), #7 Prancingthruparis ($24), #4 Saltwater Cowboy ($13.80) and #8 Brilliantly ($5).

Also on Sunday, there was a Super High 5 carryover of $16,974 for the 10th and final race. The race was won by 3-2 favorite Brilliantly and the Super High 5 returned a cool $28,790 for five winning tickets.

FINISH LINES: This Saturday’s card featuring the GIII San Luis Rey at 1 ½ miles on turf will be set later Monday. Sunday’s feature is the China Doll Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf…Trainer Bob Hess Jr. is two wins away from his 1,500th career victory. He has two horses entered Monday. Activated (9-2) goes in the third race and Beau Soleil (10-1) runs in the ninth race…Following Monday’s special St. Patrick’s Day card, live racing will resume Friday at Santa Anita with an eight-race card starting at 1 p.m. PT. Every Friday at Santa Anita, on-track fans receive free parking and admission plus $3 beers and $5 margaritas…Sunday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 paid $27,643. The Coast to Coast, which is offered every Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the Classic Meet, has a low 15 percent takeout and is open to retail players only,

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