Santa Anita Stable Notes Friday, Feb. 27, 2026

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

GII BUENA VISTA: GRAND SLAM SMILE SWINGS FOR GRADED GLORY
Grand Slam Smile is an eight-time stakes winner, has never finished off the board in 17 starts, and banked nearly $830,000 for owners-breeders Larry Williams and Marianne Williams. On Saturday, the ultra-consistent California-bred will look to add a coveted graded stakes victory to her resume in the Grade II Buena Vista Stakes.
Grand Slam Smile, a 5-year-old mare by Smiling Tiger, is tabbed as the 3-1 second choice in the Buena Vista for fillies and mares at one mile on turf. Looming as the 9-5 program favorite is Thought Process, a multiple graded stakes winner who returns from a six-plus month layoff for trainer Phil D’Amato.
“It’s a tough field, as it should be,” said Grand Slam Smile’s trainer, Sean McCarthy. “Obviously we’re stepping up in class, but she’s one tough mare.”
Grand Slam Smile’s only previous graded stakes try came in 2024 at Del Mar when third in the GIII Torrey Pines going one mile on dirt. In her two most recent starts, Grand Slam Smile won the Betty Grable going seven furlongs on dirt at Del Mar in November and then the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint on Santa Anita’s hillside turf course Jan. 17.
On Sunday, Grand Slam Smile signaled her readiness for the Buena Vista when blitzing five furlongs on the main track in 58.0 seconds. It was the fastest of 80 works at the distance.
“That was all her,” McCarthy said. “There was a horse about an eighth of a mile in front of her and she was locked in on that horse.”
Aboard for the work was jockey Kazushi Kimura, who also has the call in the Buena Vista. Kimura will replace Grand Slam Smile’s previous rider, William Antongeorgi III, who is now based at Turfway Park in Kentucky.
“K.K. did a good job. He never asked her and she did it easy,” McCarthy said. “I looked down on my clock and thought, that’s pretty quick. But she did it the right way. She galloped out strong and came back very good. She was dragging the hotwalker around the toe-ring.”
Kimura enters Friday second in the Santa Anita jockey’s standing with 26 wins from 128 mounts (20 percent).
“I think Kimura is a great rider,” McCarthy said. “He’s worked her three times. He’s a smart rider with a lot of patience and very professional. We’re glad to have him.”
First post on Saturday is 12:30 p.m. PT. The Buena Vista goes as the seventh race at 3:39 p.m. The field in post position order: Thought Process, Hector Berrios (9-5); Grand Slam Smile, Kazushi Kimura (3-1); Watchtower, Antonio Fresu (9-2); Princesa Moche, Mirco Demuro (5-1); Hannah Buckle, Armando Ayuso (30-1); My Perfect Wave, Florent Geroux (20-1); Vibez, Juan Hernandez (7-2).

HALL OF FAME: SHIRREFFS, O’NEILL, SADLER AMONG FINALISTS
This year’s finalists for induction into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame were announced earlier this week and Santa Anita is well-represented among those up for enshrinement.
Among the six trainers named as finalists were Santa Anita-based Doug O’Neill and John Sadler as well as the late John Shirreffs, who was based at Santa Anita until his death on Feb. 12 at the age of 80.
Seven racehorses were also named as finalists. Among that group, those with Santa Anita ties are Blind Luck, Game On Dude, Kona Gold, Rags to Riches, Groupie Doll and Lady Eli. Groupe Doll and Lady Eli both won Breeders’ Cup races at Santa Anita, while Blind Luck, Game On Dude, Kona Gold and Rags to Riches were all based at Santa Anita at least at some point in their careers.
Other trainers named as finalists were the late Christophe Clement, Ken McPeek and Graham Motion. Rounding out the horse finalists is Havre de Grace.
Hall of Fame voters may select as many candidates as they believe are worthy of induction into the Hall of Fame. All candidates that receive 50 percent plus one vote will be elected to the Hall of Fame. The 2026 Hall of Fame class will be announced on April 23.

WORKS: BOTTLE OF ROUGE BACK ON TAB, DESERT GATE DRILLS
Bottle of Rouge returned to the work tab Friday at Santa Anita following her win in the Sunland Park Oaks Feb. 15. Stablemate Desert Gate, nominated to next weekend’s GII San Felipe, also drilled for trainer Bob Baffert.
Bottle of Rouge worked an easy four furlongs in 49.80 seconds. In the one-mile Sunland Park Oaks, Bottle of Rouge won by 1 ½ lengths after swerving out in the stretch. After an inquiry into the stretch drive, the Sunland Park stewards made no change to the order of finish.
Desert Gate worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds. By Omaha Beach, Desert Gate most recently finished fourth as the favorite in the GIII Robert B. Lewis going one mile on Feb. 7 at Santa Anita. The Lewis was his first start in four months. Previously, Desert Gate was second in the GI American Pharoah on Oct. 4.
Returning to the work tab for trainer John Sadler was stakes winner Revera, a 3-year-old filly by Lexitonian. Two weeks ago, Revera shipped to Oaklawn and finished eighth in the Dixie Belle Stakes going six furlongs. On Friday, Revera—who was third in the Santa Ynez here in January—worked an easy half mile in 53.0 seconds.
Grade III turf winner Stark Contrast, a 3-year-old colt by Caravaggio, worked four furlongs on the main track in 47.60 seconds for trainer Michael McCarthy. It was Stark Contrast’s first work in 20 days. Daily Racing Form this week reported a bruised foot caused Stark Contrast to miss training time. McCarthy is hoping to run last year’s GIII Zuma Beach winner and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf runner-up in the GIII Jeff Ruby for 3-year-olds on synthetic at Turfway Park on March 21.
Grade I winner Subsanador continued on the comeback trail for trainer Richard Mandella with a five-furlong work in 1:01.0. It was his seventh work since Jan. 21. Subsanador, a 6-year-old import from Argentina, hasn’t started since September 2024 when winning the GI California Crown at Santa Anita.

DOUBLE CARRYOVER OF $198K IN $2 PICK 6; FREE PP’S AVAILABLE
There is a double carryover of $198,741 in Friday’s $2 Pick Six and a $69,685 carryover in the $1 Sunset Pick Six, which combines the final three races from Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park.
Track officials estimate the $2 Pick Six will have a total pool of $1.3 million. The wager starts with Santa Anita’s fourth race at 2:04 p.m. Free past performances are available for Friday’s full card at Santa Anita courtesy of Daily Racing Form. They can be accessed at https://promos.drf.com/santaanita25.
Friday’s $1 Sunset Pick Six starts at 12:53 p.m. PT with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park. The Sunset Pick Six features a player-friendly 15 takeout rate and is open to retail players only.

FINISH LINES: Due to elevated temperatures, heat protocols will be in place this weekend. Buckets of ice and hoses will be available for use throughout the property. Riders will be legged up in the saddling barn and horses will go directly to the track. Post parades will also be shortened…Friday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:23 p.m. PT with the ninth race from Gulfstream Park…Jockey Juan Hernandez won three races Sunday to vault back atop the jockey’s standings. Entering Friday he has won 27 races at the stand, one more than Kazushi Kimura. On Sunday, Hernandez won the first race aboard Charlie’s Curlin ($10.40) for trainer Jeff Mullins, the Pasadena Stakes on Greenwich Village ($5.40) for trainer Bob Baffert, and the 10th and final race with Vicky Lyn ($9) for trainer Brendan Galvin…Trainer Mike Puype will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Saturday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:20 a.m. PT.

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