Santa Anita Stable Notes Friday, Feb. 6, 2026

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

GIII LEWIS: INTREPIDO RETURNS AFTER TROUBLE IN BREEDERS’ CUP

Four months ago at Santa Anita, Intrepido announced his presence when taking down the Grade I American Pharoah Stakes for 2-year-olds in his stakes debut. On Saturday at Santa Anita, following a troubled trip in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to close out his 2025 campaign, Intrepido returns for trainer Jeff Mullins in the Grade III Robert B. Lewis Stakes for 3-year-old going one mile.

Intrepido is installed as the 7-2 second choice on the morning line behind 6-5 favorite Desert Gate and just ahead of Plutarch (4-1). Desert Gate and Plutarch are both trained by Bob Baffert. In the American Pharoah at 1 1/16 miles, Intrepido beat both those rivals by three-quarters of a length. But then in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar Oct. 31, Intrepido had trouble at the start and was never a factor when finishing fifth.

“Lost it all at the gate—it was a terrible start,” Mullins said of the Breeders’ Cup. “He got upset and reared when they grabbed his ear. When you need to be near the lead, you can’t spot them four or five lengths.”

Intrepido, by Maximus Mischief, has worked eight times since Dec. 8 at Santa Anita for his sophomore bow. Two weeks ago, he drilled five furlongs from the gate in 59.40 seconds.

Mullins noted Intrepido is the “same horse” as was seen last season.

“We’ll know a lot more after this race,” he added. “I’m just hoping he shows up like he was before the Juvenile. But when they have this much time off you don’t know what happens in their head. Hopefully he’s on his game and gives us a good performance.”

The Lewis goes as the eighth race on a nine-race card Saturday. Post time is 4:05 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Desert Gate, Juan Hernandez (6-5); Plutarch, Florent Geroux (4-1); Cherokee Nation, Antonio Fresu (5-1); Intrepido, Hector Berrios (7-2); Briggs Armypower, Tyler Baze (30-1); Robusta, Emisael Jaramillo (15-1); Secured Freedom, Kazushi Kimura (6-1).

GII LUKAS: ME AND MOLLY MCGEE BACK FROM LAYOFF FOR EURTON

Among those looking to upset Breeders’ Cup winner Splendora in Saturday’s Grade II D. Wayne Lukas are the comebacking Me and Molly McGee for trainer Peter Eurton and Simply Joking for trainer Michael McCarthy. They are among a field of seven for the seven-furlong Lukas.

Splendora, trained by Bob Baffert, is installed as a heavy 4-5 favorite on the morning line. The Lukas will be her first start since winning the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Me and Molly McGee, a 4-year-old Vekoma filly, hasn’t started since last since last summer at Saratoga. In the Grade I Test going seven furlongs on Aug. 2, Me and Molly McGee dueled on the lead for the opening half mile before weakening to last.

Eurton noted the effort came with an excuse.

“She got clipped and had a pretty good gash,” Eurton said. “But there were no soft tissue issues or anything else. She just needed time to heal. We gave her a little freshening.”

Prior to the Test, Me and Molly McGee beat older horses twice at Churchill Downs. She broke her maiden against older in May and then came back to clear her first-level allowance condition versus elders in June.

“I was thinking about bringing her back in the La Brea (on opening day Dec. 28) but I didn’t have her ready,” Eurton said. “She’s pretty fit and doing well. We’ll see how it goes.”

Simply Joking finished third behind winner Usha in the La Brea for McCarthy. The runner-up that day, Formula Rossa, also returns. Trained by Mark Glatt, Formula Rossa is the 5-2 second choice on the morning line.

Simply Joking, a 4-year-old filly by Practical Joke, drew the rail in the La Brea and will again start from that unenviable position in the Lukas. In the La Brea, Simply Joking was up near the pace but then proved no match for the top pair in the stretch.

“She was drawn down inside last time, comes back and is drawn down there again,” McCarthy said. “We’ll try to deploy the same tactics and bounce out of there. Hopefully Kazushi (Kimura) can work out a trip.”

Last year, Simply Joking won the Silverbulletday Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Fair Grounds going one mile and 70 yards.

Formerly the Santa Monica Stakes, the D. Wayne Lukas Stakes was renamed this year in honor of the legendary trainer who died last June at the age of 89. It goes as the sixth race at 3:05 p.m. The field in post position order: Simply Joking, Kazushi Kimura (6-1); Lemon Muffin, Antonio Fresu (30-1); Me and Molly McGee, Hector Berrios (5-1); Irina’s Charm, Armando Ayuso (20-1); Splendora, Juan Hernandez (4-5); No Bad Beats, Emisael Jaramillo (20-1); Formula Rossa, Mike Smith (5-2).

$52K CARRYOVER IN FRIDAY’S $2 PICK 6: FREE PP’S AVAILABLE

There are carryovers of $52,044 in Friday’s $2 Pick Six Friday at Santa Anita and a $43,878 carryover in the $1 Sunset Pick Six, which comprises the final three races from Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park

Track officials estimate Santa Anita’s $2 Pick Six will have a total pool of $350,000. The wager begins with the fourth race at 2:02 p.m. PT. As an aid to horseplayers, Santa Anita has teamed with Daily Racing Form to provide free past performance for the Friday’s full card at Santa Anita. They can be viewed at https://promos.drf.com/santaanita25.

Also available on the wagering menu Friday is the $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5, which incorporates select races from Santa Anita and Gulfstream. It has a low 15 percent takeout rate and is available to retail players. Friday’s Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:23 p.m. with the ninth race from Gulfstream Park. Free past performances for the sequence are available at https://promos.drf.com/coast-to-coast-pick5.

1/ST AND ARRANCA TV LAUNCH SPANISH-LANGUAGE RACING CHANNEL

1/ST this week announced a new partnership with Arranca TV, launching a dedicated Spanish-language horse racing channel on YouTube designed to deliver live race coverage, analysis, and original programming to Spanish-speaking fans across the United States and internationally.

The channel is available now on YouTube https://youtube.com/@arrancatv

The Arranca TV channel will feature live race coverage from Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park from Thursday through Sunday, along with interactive live chats, interviews, and behind-the-scenes access that bring fans closer to the sport’s biggest moments.

“Having covered horse racing at the highest level for years, launching Arranca TV allows me to bring Spanish-speaking fans closer to the sport with the depth, emotion, and professionalism they deserve,” said Pedro Casella, founder of Arranca TV. “Working alongside 1/ST makes that vision possible.”

Arranca TV will operate under a three-tier subscription model, offering fans flexible access ranging from live race broadcasts and interactive chats to premium weekly programming, exclusive handicapping content, and VIP-level engagement with Casella and the Arranca TV team. The platform is designed to deliver a more immersive, personalized experience for racing fans at every level.

In addition to the YouTube presence, Arranca TV will also be offering a subscription-based viewing option through its official website, ArrancaTV.com, which is currently under construction. This platform is being developed to provide fans with another way to enjoy live racing from Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park, particularly for audiences in markets where YouTube subscriptions can be more challenging.

Both platforms will operate under the same paid-access model and are designed to complement each other while expanding reach and improving the overall fan experience

Joining Casella is Claudia Spadaro, an acclaimed racing content creator and racing personality who will serve as Arranca TV’s on-site reporter. Spadaro will provide paddock coverage, winner’s circle interviews, and race-day reporting. Spadaro made history as the first woman to broadcast major horse racing events in Spanish including the Breeders’ Cup, Preakness Stakes, and Pegasus World Cup.

“Arranca TV is exactly the kind of platform we want to support – authentic voices, deep racing knowledge, and real interaction with fans,” said Joe Longo, Chief Revenue Officer at 1/ST. “Pedro Casella and Claudia Spadaro understand how to tell racing’s story in Spanish, and this partnership helps bring the sport closer to a broader audience in a modern, engaging way.”

The launch of Arranca TV underscores 1/ST’s ongoing commitment to expanding access, representation, and engagement for Thoroughbred racing fans worldwide through innovative digital platforms.

FINISH LINES: Jockey Antonio Fresu returns to action Saturday after suffering a broken toe on opening day Dec. 28. Leading rider at last spring’s Santa Anita Hollywood Meet, Fresu is named on five mounts Saturday and six more on Sunday. Fresu’s mounts on Saturday include Cherokee Nation (5-1) in the GIII Robert B. Lewis for trainer Bob Baffert; Watsonville (6-1) in the GIII Thunder Road for trainer Mark Glatt; and Lemon Muffin (30-1) in the GII D. Wayne Lukas for trainer Patrick Gallagher…There is an early first post of 11 a.m. Sunday for a nine-race program. The full card will be completed prior to kickoff of the NFL championship game at 3:30 p.m. The co-features on the program are the Las Virgenes for 3-year-old fillies and Clockers’ Corner for older horses on the hillside turf course. After the races, patrons are invited to a ‘Big Game’ Watch Party at Sirona’s bar on the main floor where there’ll be “Big Game Bingo” and a variety of drink specials…Horse racing analyst and podcaster Gino Buccola will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Saturday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:20 a.m.

About The Stronach Group and 1/ST

The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The Stronach Group’s 1/ST business (pronounced “First”) is North America’s preeminent Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering company and includes the 1/ST RACING & GAMING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY and 1/ST EXPERIENCE businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING & GAMING drives the best-in-class racing operations and gaming offerings at the company’s premier racetracks, training centers and premier events including: Santa Anita Park and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); Laurel Park, The Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the operating group for 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, TSG Global Wagering Solutions (GWS) and 1/ST TV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is racing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST EXPERIENCE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality through innovative content development, elevated national and local venue management and hospitality, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and procurement development. As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred racing on and off the track. The Stronach Group’s TSG Properties is responsible for the development of the company’s live, play and work communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). For more information, visit www.1st.com or follow @1ST_racing on Twitter or @1stracing on Instagram and Facebook.