Santa Anita Stable Notes Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

SUNDAY, OCT. 12, 2025

Baoma Corp.’s Nysos and jockey Flavien Prat win the Grade II $300,000 San Diego Handicap Saturday, July 26, 2025 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Del Mar, CA.
Benoit Photo

WORKS: NYSOS DRILLS 6F; STRAIGHT NO CHASER RETURNS TO TAB
SWINGTIME: WATCHTOWER BACK AFTER RODEO DRIVE MISHAP
$160K IN CARRYOVERS IN $2 PICK 6, $1 SUNSET 6 and $1 SUPER HI 5
POPULAR HORNBLOWER JAY COHEN OUT REMAINDER OF MEET
SPECIAL 9-RACE HOLIDAY CARD SET FOR MONDAY STARTING AT 1 P.M.

WORKS: NYSOS DRILLS SHARP 6F, TARGETING BC DIRT MILE
Nysos and stablemate Citizen Bull each worked six furlongs for trainer Bob Baffert, and reigning champion sprinter Straight No Chaser returned to the tab after being the beaten favorite in the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Sept. 28. They were among 218 horses to record timed workouts Sunday at Santa Anita.
Nysos, working for the first time in 12 days, was clocked in 1:11.20 to earn the bullet work for the distance. Afterwards Baffert confirmed Nysos was on track for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
“Very happy with the work,” Baffert said.
Nysos, a 4-year-old colt by Nyquist, most recently won the GII San Diego Handicap going 1 1/16 miles on July 26 at Del Mar.
Citizen Bull was timed in 1:11.80. Last year’s champion 2-year-old male is also a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. By Into Mischief, Citizen Bull most recently beat fellow sophomores in the Sharef Belief Stakes going a mile on Aug. 31 at Del Mar.
Straight No Chaser worked for the first time since finishing third behind winner Imagination in the six-furlong Santa Anita Sprint Championship. The 6-year-old horse by Speightster worked four furlongs in 47.20 seconds, which was the fastest of 69 moves at the distance.
“He worked really well,” Blacker said. “We’re on target for the Breeders’ Cup (Sprint).”
Last year, Straight No Chaser won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar to lock up the Eclipse Award as North America’s outstanding male sprinter.
Motorious, who is pointed to a return in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, blitzed five furlongs on the synthetic training track in k 58.60 seconds for trainer Phil D’Amato. It was the fastest of 19 works at the distance. The 7-year-old gelding by Muhaarar most recently won the GIII Green Flash via disqualification on Aug. 30 at Del Mar.

SWINGTIME: WATCHTOWER BACK AFTER RODEO DRIVE MISHAP
Last weekend, trainer Richard Baltas went into the GII Rodeo Drive thinking he had a puncher’s chance with 12-1 shot Watchtower. Instead, Watchtower’s saddle slipped near the three-eighths pole. She was subsequently pulled up by jockey Diego Herrera and did not finish.
On Monday, as part of a special holiday card at Santa Anita, Watchtower will wheel back in the Swingtime Stakes just nine days after her aborted run in the Rodeo Drive.
“She only ran half the race and came back fine,” Baltas said Sunday morning. “We had her nominated to this spot and so we decided to go ahead and run her back.”
The Swingtime, contested at one mile on turf, is for fillies and mares who have not won a sweepstakes of at least $60,000 this year other than statebred. Watchtower is 6-1 on the morning line in a full field of 13.
Baltas is expecting a big effort. said “I think she’s going to run good.
“. I thought she would run good last time but it didn’t happen. That’s my fault I guess the saddle slipped. But Diego’s won on her already and I’m hoping for the best.” Baltas said.
A 4-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by Demanchelier, Watchtower began her career in the east with trainer Chad Brown and owner Peter Brant. She was entered in last year’s Keeneland April horses of racing age sale where she sold for $310,000 and subsequently transferred to Baltas. Owned by Abbondanza Racing, Omar Aldabbagh and Michael Iavarone, Watchtower comes in with an overall record of 12: 3-2-2 and $184,935 in earnings.
The Swingtime’s tepid 3-1 favorite is Vibez, who’ll have Juan Hernandez aboard for trainer Peter Eurton. A 4-year-old filly by Collected, Vibez most recently was a sharp 3 ½-length winner in a high-level allowance at one mile on turf on Aug. 30 at Del Mar.
Top turf trainer Phil D’Amato had three entered in the Swingtime but will only run two. D’Amato scratched Musical Rhapsody, which moves stablemate Granny Budgie (20-1) from the also-eligible list and into the body of the field. D’Amato’s other entrant is Sun of Hill (30-1). She most recently tried dirt and checked in fourth in the restricted Tranquility Lake going a mile at Del Mar Sept. 1.
“Sun of Hill is a filly who on her best day can win this race,” D’Amato said. “But she’s one of those where, ‘what does she feel like doing that day?” D’Amato said.
The Swingtime goes as the seventh race on the card. Post time is approximately 4 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Baltic Fire, Serafin Carmona (15-1); Violet M, Mike Smith (12-1); Word Play, Umberto Rispoli (7-2); Nadette, Armando Ayuso (8-1); Raw Ability, Kyle Frey (10-1); Watchtower, Diego Herrera (6-1); Venganza, Mirco Demuro (30-1); Mahina, Tyler Baze (30-1); Miss Roberts, Hector Berrios (5-1); Sun Of Hill, Kazushi Kimura (30-1); Vibez, Juan Hernandez (3-1); Granny Budgie, Geovanni Franco (20-1); Delightful Laura (AE), Welfin Orantes (10-1).

$160K IN CARROVERS AVAILABLE IN $2 PICK 6, $1 SUNSET 6, $1 SUPER HI 5
There are a trio of carryovers totaling $160,784 up for grabs as part of Sunday’s 10-race card. The $2 Pick Six has a carryover of $47,317, the new $1 Sunset Pick Six has a $93,586 carryover and the $1 Super High 5—offered in the 10th and final race—has a $19,881 carryover. Track officials project the Santa Anita Pick Six total pool will exceed $350,000.
The Santa Anita Pick Six starts with the fifth race at 3:04 p.m. PT. The Sunset Pick Six, which combines the final three races from Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park, kicks off with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park at 1:35 p.m. Post time for the Super High 5 in Santa Anita’s 10th and final race is 5:34 p.m.
To help make informed selections, 1/ST Racing and Daily Racing Form have joined forces to provide free past performances for the full cards at both Santa Anita and Gulfstream. Santa Anita’s can be found at https://promos.drf.com/santaanita25. Gulfstream’s can be accessed at https://promos.drf.com/gulfstreampark25 .
Santa Anita’s Pick Six carryover was clinched in Saturday’s eighth and penultimate race when Pasalubong, trained by Jeff Bonde, prevailed under Welfin Orantes and paid $121.40. The consolation payout for tickets with five of six winners was $5,069.60.
The winning horses in Santa Anita’s Pick Six Saturday starting with fourth race were #6 Firmus ($11.20), #3 Burning Rubber ($7.60), #4 Super Corredora ($6), #6 Man O Rose ($6.40), #8 Pasalubong ($121.40) and #8 British Isles ($34).
The upset win in the ninth and final race by British Isles—ridden by Diego Herrera for trainer Richard Baltas—helped lead to the Super High 5 carryover. The Super High 5 requires bettors with selecting the top five finishers in exact order. British Isles was followed across the wire by Lahaina Flavor (17-1), Lammas (8-1), Old Pal (2-1) and City Exile (7-2).
Sunday’s Super High 5 in the 10th race is an open maiden event for 2-year-olds at six furlongs on turf. There are 11 horses entered. The 9-5 favorite is Cactus Charlie, who’ll have Hector Berrios aboard for trainer Peter Miller.

FINISH LINES: Jockey Juan Hernandez scored a natural hat trick Sunday to take a three-win lead over Umberto Rispoli atop the Autumn Meet’s jockey’s standings. Hernandez won the third race on Vancougar ($5.40) for trainer Peter Eurton, the fourth race aboard Firmus ($11.20) for trainer Bob Baffert and the fifth race with Burning Rubber ($7.60) for trainer Sean McCarthy. Hernandez now has 15 wins through the first eight days of the stand… Santa Anita’s popular hornblower Jay Cohen finds himself back on the IL. Cohen reinjured his back at home and will be out the remainder of the meet. His place will be filled by Rick Tyre. Cohen is working hard to return for the opening day of Santa Anita Park’s Classic Meet on Dec. 26…For Monday’s special holiday program, on-track patrons will receive free parking $2 beers and hot dogs and $1 sodas. Admission gates open at 11 a.m. with first post at 1 p.m…Workout analyst Andy Harrington will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Monday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m. PT.

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