Santa Anita Stable Notes Friday, March 6, 2026

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

GII SAN FELIPE: BRANT RETURNS, POTENTE STEPS UP FOR BAFFERT
In Saturday’s Grade II San Felipe Stakes for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles, Grade I winner Brant returns from a four-plus month layoff and stablemate Potente makes his stakes debut. The two high-priced colts, both trained by Bob Baffert, sold for a combined $5.4 million at auction as unraced youngsters.
Brant, last seen finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Oct. 31 at Del Mar, is installed as the even-money favorite for his 3-year-old debut. Potente, a debut maiden winner going six furlongs on Jan. 31 at Santa Anita, is the 9-2 third choice on the morning line.
Brant was bought for $3 million at last year’s OBS March sale of 2-year-olds in training. Owned by Zedan Racing Stables, the colt by Gun Runner has worked six times since Jan. 22 for his comeback.
Baffert said he had considered sending Brant to last weekend’s GII Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn, but decided to wait for the San Felipe instead.
“He’s doing well. He was just a little behind to make the Rebel,” Baffert said. “I think this will be a good race for him.”
Prior to the Breeders’ Cup, which was his first start around two turns, Brant won his debut at Del Mar going 5 ½ furlongs and came right back to take the GI Del Mar Futurity going seven furlongs. In both the Futurity and Juvenile, Brant set the pace. He’ll break from post four in the San Felipe.
“He’s really fast. The pace will make the race,” Baffert said.
Brant will have Florent Geroux aboard for the first time.
Potente was purchased by owner Speedway Stable for $2.4 million at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton yearling sale. In his debut going six furlongs, Potente dueled on the lead and won by three-quarters of a length under Kazushi Kimura.

“He should like two turns,” Baffert said. “I was surprised he won first time. That was all his class.”

Potente’s debut win came in a time of 1:10.05.
“First thing Kimura said was is he wants to go long,” Baffert said. “You could tell also because he went 10 and change. If he went eight and change, then you might think he was more of a sprinter type.”

Potente will be ridden by Juan Hernandez on Saturday. Kimura has the mount on Secured Freedom, the 8-1 fourth choice on the morning line for trainer Tim Yakteen. By Practical Joke, Secured Freedom finished an encouraging third in the GIII Robert B. Lewis when making his two-turns debut on Feb. 7.

Potente since his debut win has come back with four quick works including a five-furlong drill in 59.0 seconds two weeks ago.

“I didn’t really want to throw him in a stake, but these horses need the mileage. They need to get some races,” Baffert said.

The San Felipe is part of a strong 11-race card Saturday that also includes the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap, GI B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile and GII Frank E. Kilroe Mile. First post is at 12 p.m. PT. The San Felipe goes as the eighth race at 3:41 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Flashy Fritz, Adrian Escobedo (30-1); Start the Ride, Armando Ayuso (12-1); Secured Freedom, Kazushi Kimura (8-1); Brant, Florent Geroux (1-1); Potente, Juan Hernandez (9-2); So Happy, Mike Smith (2-1); Robusta, Emisael Jaramillo (20-1).

$45K CARRYOVER IN FRIDAY’S $2 PICK 6; FREE PP’S AVAILABLE

There is a $45,602 carryover in Friday’s $2 Pick Six at Santa Anita and $17,993 carryover in the $1 Sunset Pick Six, which combines the final three races from Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park, has a $17,993 carryover.

The $2 Pick Six starts at 2:06 p.m. with Santa Anita’s fourth race. Free past performances for Santa Anita’s full card are available courtesy of Daily Racing Form at https://promos.drf.com/santaanita25.

The Sunset Pick Six starts at 1:23 p.m. with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park. The Sunset Pick Six features a low 15 percent takeout and is available to retail players only.

SKIPPYLONGSTOCKING, WESTWOOD OUT OF GI SANTA ANITA HANDICAP

Two of the leading contenders entered in Saturday’s Grade I Santa Anita Handicap, morning line favorite Skippylongstocking and Westwood, will both be scratched, their respective trainers said this week.

Skippylongstocking, who is based in south Florida with trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., did not make his scheduled trip to Santa Anita on Monday. According to Joseph, Skippylongstocking “acted up and started kicking” when the plane was taxiing for departure.

“(He’s) never done anything like this before,” Joseph told Daily Racing Form.

Last May, Skippylongstocking shipped to Santa Anita from Florida without incident and won the GII Hollywood Gold Cup.

Westwood will scratch due to concerns over the 1 ¼-mile distance of the Big ‘Cap, trainer Peter Eurton told DRF.

“We feel he’s better a touch shorter,” Eurton said.

Westwood most recently won the GII San Pasqual going 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita.

The Santa Anita Handicap goes as the 10th race at 4:43 p.m. The remaining field with revised morning line: Midnight Mammoth, Armando Ayuso (6-1); Getaway Car, Juan Hernandez (5-2); Just a Touch, Florent Geroux (6-5); Vodka Vodka, Kent Desormeaux (9-2); British Isles, Diego Herrera (4-1).

LOVESICK BLUES NAMED 2025 CAL-BRED HORSE OF THE YEAR BY CTBA

Lovesick Blues, winner of last year’s Grade I Bing Crosby at Del Mar, was named 2025 California-bred Horse of the Year Monday at the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Awards Dinner.

Lovesick Blues, an 8-year-old gelding by Grazen, is trained by Librado Barocio for his Mia Familia Racing Stable. Barocio purchased Lovesick Blues privately from breeder Nick Alexander in mid-2023.

The other Horse of the Year finalists were Man O Rose and Om N Joy.

Lovesick Blues most recently finished fifth in the GII Riyadh Dirt Sprint in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 14. He is currently in Dubai preparing for a hopeful start in the GI Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 28.

PERIBAN JOINS CTT BOARD; TOC NAMES 7 NEW DIRECTORS

This week Jorge Periban was added to the board of directors of California Thoroughbred Trainers and the Thoroughbred Owners of California elected seven members to its board of directors.

Periban has been training in California since 2004. A native of Mexico and former jockey, Periban has previously served on the CTT’s Nominating Committee and Election Committee.

“I’m honored to join CTT’s board and will do my best to represent the interests of all trainers and workers in the backstretch community,” Periban said.

Elected to the TOC’s board of directors were Gary Barber, Tim Cohen, Matt Dohman, Gary Fenton, Terry Lovingier, Darren Filkins and John Sikura. Those seven directors join current TOC board members Joe Ciaglia, Mark Glatt, Ty Green, Ryan Hanson, Stephanie Hronis, Bob Liewald, Andy Mathis and Samantha Siegel.

The new TOC board will be seated on July 1.

FINISH LINES: Jessica Pyfer and husband Ricky Gonzalez became parents on Sunday with the birth of daughter Grace, who weighed in at a healthy 6 pounds, 4 ounces. Pyfer was North America’s outstanding apprentice jockey in 2021 and is currently a member of Santa Anita’s on-air simulcast team. Gonzalez, 30, is an active jockey at Santa Anita with 1,089 career wins. Congratulations Jessica and Ricky!…Friday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 12:53 p.m. PT with the seventh race from Gulfstream Park…Daily Racing Form’s Brad Free will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Saturday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 10:50 a.m. PT…

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