Santa Anita Stable Notes

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

· •     LA BREA: FORMULA ROSSA PEGGED AS SLIGHT FAVE IN GI DEBUT
•     MCCARTHY LOOKS TO ADD TO CAREER-BEST YEAR ON OPENING DAY
•     WORKS: MOTORIOUS DRILLS AHEAD OF GII HERNANDEZ DEFENSE
•     CARDS ADDED NEXT MONDAY AND NEW YEAR’S EVE AS MAKEUPS

LA BREA: FORMULA ROSSA PEGGED AS SLIGHT FAVE IN GI DEBUT
  It was back in February that Formula Rossa first served notice when rolling to an eye-catching debut win sprinting at Santa Anita. She’s been handled patiently since. But come Sunday, the daughter of Vekoma finally makes her way to the big stage in the Grade I La Brea for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs.

   “We knew if she developed and continued to improve, this was a race down the line that would be in our sights,” trainer Mark Glatt said Tuesday morning.

   In a deep field of 11 set for the La Brea, Formula Rossa has been tabbed as the slight 3-1 favorite by morning-line maker Horse Racing Nation. The La Brea is one of three Grade I’s that will help usher in the 2025-26 Classic Meet at Santa Anita on Sunday. Also on a blockbuster 11-race program, which starts at 11 a.m. PT, are the GI Malibu for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs and GI American Oaks at 1 ¼ miles on turf.

In the Oaks, Glatt looks to have another big shot at victory with Take A Breath. If her and Formula Rossa both managed to win, Glatt—who has been training since 1994—would equal his current career total of Grade I victories. Glatt’s two Grade I wins entering this weekend both came in the Bing Crosby at Del Mar. Collusion Illusion won the race in 2020, and then Dr. Schivel followed suit in 2021.

Following her big debut win, Formula Rossa didn’t resurface until August at Del Mar in a six-furlong allowance. She promptly aired by 6 ¼ lengths and earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure, which is the highest recorded among the 11 La Brea entrants.

Formula Rossa made her stakes debut three weeks later against older in the GIII Rancho Bernardo going 6 ½ furlongs at Del Mar. That day she dueled on a hot pace before finally giving way to one the country’s top female sprinters, Sweet Azteca.

“I thought it was really good,” Glatt said of the Rancho Bernardo effort. “We were hoping to beat the heavy favorite, but she turned out to be too good. It was just the third start of (Formula Rossa’s) career and it was a lot to ask against a filly like that. But she didn’t embarrass herself by any means. We’re hopeful she can take the next step Sunday.”

    The La Brea goes as the eighth race at approximately 2:30 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Simply Joking, Kazushi Kimura (20-1); So There She Was, Antonio Fresu (15-1); Five G, Irad Ortiz Jr. (7-2); Artisma, Edwin Maldonado (15-1); Usha, Juan Hernandez (9-2); Brilliantly, Flavien Prat (6-1); Schilflied, Tyler Baze (50-1); Her Laugh, Jose Ortiz (6-1); Formula Rossa, Mike Smith (3-1); Magnificat, Mirco Demuro (20-1); Silent Law, Joel Rosario (10-1).

As for Take A Breath, she’ll be seeking her first U.S. win in the Oaks. She finished a fast-closing fourth in the GI Del Mar Oaks when rallying from last in August, then had a brutal trip when failing as the favorite in an allowance in September at Santa Anita. Most recently, in the GIII Autumn Miss at Santa Anita, Take A Breath ran evenly and was never a factor.

    “Maybe her last race was a little disappointing, but she’s had zero luck since she’s been here,” Glatt said. “(In the allowance), she had a terribly bad trip. She had to check extremely hard, and at that point in the race she looked like she was an easy winner.”

In the Oaks, Take A Breath will have a new rider as Irad Ortiz Jr. takes over in the irons.
“We were looking to make a change and he’s here on opening day and was available,” Glatt said of the five-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey.

The American Oaks goes as the 11th and final race. Post time is approximately 4 p.m.. The field in post position order: A Thousand Miles, Mike Smith (30-1); Will Then, Flavien Prat (7-2); Cliffs, Jose Ortiz (6-1); Ambaya, Antonio Fresu (8-1); Slick, Umberto Rispoli (20-1); Take A Breath, Irad Ortiz Jr. (15-1); Resolve, Diego Herrera (30-1); Totally Justified, Juan Hernandez (5-1); As Catch Can, Joel Rosario (8-1); Atsila, Tiago Pereira (5-2); Ribbons, Mirco Demuro (15-1).

MCCARTHY LOOKS TO ADD TO CAREER-BEST YEAR ON OPENING DAY
The year 2025 won’t soon be forgotten by trainer Michael McCarthy, both on a personal and professional level. In January, things got off to a calamitous start for McCarthy and his family when the Eaton Fire nearly destroyed their house in Altadena. They were displaced due to smoke and fire damage for more than 10 months, not to return home until just last week. But winners overcome adversity, and that’s exactly what McCarthy has managed to do this year.

Led by the exploits of GI Santa Anita Derby and Preakness winner Journalism, McCarthy’s stable this season has smashed its previous best in earnings with $10,391,891 through Monday. McCarthy’s previous high was $6,985,218 set in 2021, which was the year Rombauer won McCarthy’s first Preakness.

On Sunday, opening day of the Santa Anita Classic Meet, McCarthy will have multiple chances to add to his already record season. In the Grade I La Brea, McCarthy will saddle Simply Joking, a stakes winner around two turns who’ll be cutting back in distance to seven furlongs. Most recently, the daughter of Practical Joke finished second to Hope Road when facing older horses in the GIII Bayakoa going one mile at Del Mar Nov. 30. She’ll break from post one in the La Brea

“I like the seven-eighths,” McCarthy said. “I’m not crazy about being drawn down inside, but we’ll have Kazushi go ahead and run away from there. Being back in with straight 3-year-olds is nice.”
In the GII Mathis Mile for 3-year-olds on turf, McCarthy will saddle live contender Maaz (5-1). The Galiway gelding most recently tried the GI Hollywood Derby at Del Mar and lost all chance going into the first turn.

“Saddle slipped. That was the issue,” McCarthy said.

Prior to that, Maaz beat several in the Mathis field—including 3-2 favorite Namaron—when second in the GII Twilight Derby at Santa Anita.

“If things work out his way he can definitely make noise,” McCarthy said.
Maaz will have a new rider in the Mathis Mile as former Eclipse Award winner Jose Ortiz takes over for Ricky Gonzalez.

The Mathis Mile goes as the fifth race at approximately 1 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Hiding in Honduras, Antonio Fresu (6-1); Tempus Volat, Mirco Demuro (9-2); Namaron, Flavien Prat (3-2); Geometry, Joel Rosario (12-1); Friendly Confines, Irad Ortiz Jr. (7-2); Lyle the Crocodile, Umberto Rispoli (12-1); Maaz, Jose Ortiz (5-1).

In the GIII San Gabriel at 1 1/8 miles on turf, McCarthy entered Endlessly (6-1) and Mondego (8-1). Endlessly hasn’t won in five starts since running in last year’s Kentucky Derby. The Oscar Performance colt will have blinkers off for the Mathis Mile.

“Hasn’t been the same since the Kentucky Derby,” McCarthy said. “The ability is there, you just have to catch him on the right day.”

As for Mondego, he most recently was seventh in the GII Hollywood Turf Cup.

“Wide all the way around,” McCarthy said. “Horse has always trained well. He disappointed last start. I thought he would run better than he did, but he never really got a chance to tuck in.”

The San Gabriel goes as the ninth race at approximately 3 p.m. The field in post position order: Twirling Point, Mirco Demuro (20-1); Mondego, Flavien Prat (8-1); Endlessly, Umberto Rispoli (6-1); Stay Hot, Irad Ortiz Jr. (4-1); St Anthony, Juan Hernandez (5-1); Nesso’s Lastharrah, Edwin Maldonado (30-1); Suchet, Joel Rosario (6-1); Astronomer, Antonio Fresu (9-2); Cabo Spirit, Mike Smith (8-1); Flashiest, Armando Ayuso (20-1); Nineeleventurbo, Hector Berrios (10-1).

WORKS: MOTORIOUS DRILLS AHEAD OF GII HERNANDEZ TITLE DEFENSE
Motorious, who will try and win the GII Joe Hernandez for the second year in a row on Monday, worked five furlongs on the training track in 1:00.60. Stablemate Unconquerable Keen, also entered in the Hernandez for trainer Phil D’Amato, worked five furlongs on the training track in 1:02.40.

Motorious most recently finished fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. He is installed as the 3-1 morning line favorite in the Hernandez. Unconquerable Keen recently returned from a nearly seven-month layoff and won the Stormy Liberal at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar on Nov. 30. He is 8-1 on the morning line.

Magnificat, entered in the GI La Brea Sunday, worked three furlongs in 36.60 seconds for trainer Richard Mandella. She is 20-1 on the morning line.

Also working was promising 2-year-old Plutarch, a Grade I-placed maiden winner for trainer Bob Baffert. The 2-year-old colt by Into Mischief drilled six furlongs on the training track in 1:15.80. Also on the tab were graded winners Public Assembly (5f, 1:01.80) for D’Amato and Big City Lights (4f, 47.80) for Mandella.

FINISH LINES: On Opening Day Sunday admission gates open at 9 a.m. PT and first post is at 11 a.m. for an 11-race card. Fans in attendance will receive a free Santa Anita wall calendar while supplies last…With racing canceled this Friday and Saturday, Santa Anita added makeup days this Monday (Dec. 29) and next Wednesday, New Year’s Eve. Monday’s feature races are the GII Joe Hernandez and Blue Norther for 2-year-old fillies at one mile on turf…In jockey news, Emisael Jaramillo will spend his first winter riding full-time at Santa Anita. He is represented by agent Tom Knust. Jaramillo, 48, was previously based at Gulfstream Park. He has won 1,882 races since 2000 according to Equibase…Tiago Pereira is now represented by agent Jack Carava, who’ll also continue to book rides for Kyle Frey.

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