Santa Anita Stable Notes Sunday, April 20, 2025

**Correction: Flavien Prat will have the mount on Baeza if he makes the field.

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

RODRIGUEZ, BAEZA HAVE FINAL WORKS BEFORE TRIP TO KENTUCKY

Top 3-year-olds Rodriguez and Baeza each had their final local works Sunday at Santa Anita prior to shipping to Churchill Downs.

Rodriguez, who is ticketed for a start in the 151st Kentucky Derby on May 3, worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 for trainer Bob Baffert. Baeza drilled in company stablemate Atitlan, a multiple graded stakes winner on turf, for trainer John Shirreffs. Baeza, working under jockey Hector Berrios, was officially credited with a seven-furlong work in 1:28.00. Shirreffs clocked the McKinzie colt in 1:28.20.

“Because his morning gallops have been a little on the easy side, I wanted to give him a longer work to put a little more air in him and with a good finish,” Shirreffs said.

Baeza’s work was his second since finishing runner-up to Journalism in the GI Santa Anita Derby on April 5. This past Monday at Santa Anita, Baeza worked four furlongs in 50.0 seconds.

As things stood as of Sunday morning, Baeza still needed help to make the field for the Kentucky Derby, which is limited to 20 starters. He was sitting at No. 23 on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard meaning he will need multiple defections to make the starting gate for the 1 ¼-mile classic.

As for Rodriguez, Baffert came away happy with what was his first work since winning the GII Wood Memorial under Hall of Famer Mike Smith on April 5 at Aqueduct.

“All went well,” Baffert said.

Rodriguez will be joined in the Kentucky Derby by stablemate Citizen Bull, who on Friday worked six furlongs in 1:11.80. It was Citizen Bull’s first work since finishing fourth in the Santa Anita Derby. Baffert said Rodriguez, Citizen Bull and other horses he’s running during Kentucky Derby week at Churchill Downs will ship out either Tuesday or Thursday.

Rodriguez will enter the Kentucky Derby with a record of 5: 2-2-1 and $522,800 in earnings for an extensive ownership group that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables and partners.

Shirreffs said Baeza will depart for Kentucky on either Wednesday or Thursday.

“It depends on the space available, but the sooner the better,” Shirreffs added.

If Baeza was to make the Kentucky Derby field, Shirreffs would be shooting for his second victory in America’s most famous race. In 2005, Shirreffs famously shocked the world when Giacomo won the Kentucky Derby at odds of 50-1, which at the time was the second-biggest upset in the race’s history.

*Flavien Prat will have the mount on Baeza if he makes the field.

Baeza is owned in partnership by C R K Stable and breeder Grandview Equine. He has a record of 4: 1-2-0 with $148,500 in earnings.

MARTIN GARCIA WITH CITIZEN BULL AFTER AMERICAN PHAROAH WIN

JOCKEY GARCIA BACK ON BIG STAGE WITH CITIZEN BULL

After a 10-year absence, veteran jockey Martin Garcia is headed back to the Kentucky Derby. He is set to ride Citizen Bull, last year’s champion 2-year-old male, for trainer Bob Baffert in the 151st Run for the Roses on May 3 at Churchill Downs.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Garcia, a 40-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico. “It’s what every jockey wants.”

Garcia has ridden in the Kentucky Derby four times, all between 2010 and 2015. His best finish came in 2015 when Dortmund, also trained by Baffert, finished third behind winner American Pharoah.

“I’m excited to get back, most of all because I know I have a very good horse to ride,” Garcia said.

Garcia first rode Citizen Bull in the GI American Pharoah last October at Santa Anita, which they won. It was a fortuitous phone call that landed Garcia the mount.

In the American Pharoah, Baffert planned to enter three horses but was short one jockey. Garcia just happened to call Baffert on the morning of entries.

“I go, ‘Hey, I’m glad you called. What are you doing Saturday?” Baffert shared after the American Pharoah.

Garcia secured the mount on Citizen Bull and they would win the American Pharoah by two lengths in front-running fashion. Four weeks later, Garcia and Citizen Bull were back in the winner’s circle after taking down the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar. It was Garcia’s fifth win at the Breeders’ Cup and first since the 2016 Sprint when scoring with Drefong, also for Baffert.

In the Kentucky Derby, Garcia will be hoping for a bounce-back performance from Citizen Bull. After kicking off his 3-year-old season with another win in the GIII Robert B. Lewis in February at Santa Anita, Citizen Bull most recently finished a disappointing fourth in the GI Santa Anita Derby after setting the pace on April 5.

“I think it just wasn’t his day,” Garcia said. “Horses can be similar to people, sometimes we all have difficult days. But everybody knows he’s a superstar horse. Hopefully we can get a good result in Kentucky.”

Garcia does have reason for optimism following a promising drill by Citizen Bull Saturday at Santa Anita, which was his second since the Santa Anita Derby. Citizen Bull worked for the second time since the Santa Anita Derby. It was a promising drill. Working with a target several lengths in front, Citizen Bull swept past his workmate in the stretch and galloped out strongly. He was credited with a six-furlong work in 1:11.80, which was the fastest of the day at the distance.

“He worked really good,” Garcia said. “Mr. Baffert told me to be a little off the pace. Then in the stretch when it was time to let him run, he switched leads perfectly and started reaching out like he does. The gallop-out was also really good.”

Entering Sunday, Garcia has won 1,829 races and tallied more than $111 million in purse earnings.

“I’m just really excited,” Garcia said of his return to the big stage. “It means a lot to me.”

WORKS: RAGING TORRENT BACK ON TAB, CORNUCOPIAN DRILLS

It was a busy morning at Santa Anita Sunday as 273 horses recorded timed workouts either on the main track or training track.

Raging Torrent, back stateside after winning the GII Godolphin Mile in Dubai earlier this month, returned to the tab with an easy four-furlong work in 50.20 seconds for trainer Doug O’Neill.

Trainer Bob Baffert’s workers included Nysos, Cornucopian and Hope Road. Nysos and Hope Road each worked seven furlongs from the gate in 1:24.00. Cornucopian drilled four furlongs in 47.40 seconds.

Other notable workers included Formidable Man (4F, 48.60), Mrs. Astor (4F, 48.20), Will Then (4f, 48.20), Air Force Red (4f, 48.20), One Magic Philly (5f, 101:20), Vodka With a Twist (5f, 100:20) and Ultimate Gamble (6f, 1:12.60).

FINISH LINES: Richi earned a 102 Beyer Speed Figure for her dominant victory in Saturday’s GII Santa Maria Stakes, according to Daily Racing Form’s Brad Free…Sunday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:24 p.m. PT with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park…Nominations close Sunday for the GII Charles Whittingham on Saturday, May 3 and the Santa Barbara Stakes on Sunday, May 4…The highly anticipated Netflix documentary Race for the Crown will be available for viewing beginning on Tuesday. Race for the Crown provides viewers an inside look at jockeys, trainers, owners and horses as they strive to reach the Triple Crown…Following Sunday’s 10-race card, live racing resumes Friday at Santa Anita.

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