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SANTA ANITA STABLE NOTES – Thursday March 10, 2016

IdaBet has teamed up with Ed Golden to offer his Santa Anita Stable Notes for our valued IdaBet.com players.  Thanks for choosing to wager on Santa Anita and directing your play the IdaBet way!

SANTA ANITA STABLE NOTES

BY

ED GOLDEN

Thursday March 10, 2016

 

  • SMITH EYES FOURTH STRAIGHT BIG ’CAP VICTORY
  • BAFFERT HAS TWO FOR THE MONEY IN SAN FELIPE
  • TRAINER SEES FAST FRACTIONS FOR KILROE MILE
  • NO OPTIONS FOR KOBE’S BACK IN SAN CARLOS
  • NYQUIST IN SHARP WORKOUT FOR FLORIDA DERBY

 

SMITH EXPECTS BIG EFFORT FROM EFFINEX

          Mike Smith seeks an unprecedented fourth straight victory in the 79th Santa Anita Handicap when he rides favored Effinex in the $1 million race presented by San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino on Saturday’s dynamite racing program also highlighted by the Grade II San Felipe Stakes for three-year-old Triple Crown contenders, the Grade I Frank E. Kilroe Mile on turf and the Grade II San Carlos Stakes for top sprinters.

Smith won the Santa Anita Handicap last year aboard the ill-fated Shared Belief, and in 2014 and 2013 with Game On Dude. Effinex had his only breeze over Santa Anita’s main track Tuesday with Smith up, going four furlongs in a bullet 47.80. He went the first quarter mile in 24 seconds flat and galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.20.

“He felt real good,” Smith said of the drill. “He looks wonderful coming off his layoff. He seems to have put some weight on, he’s training well, he’s happy, and got over the track just beautiful Tuesday morning.

“If that’s any indication as to how he’s going to run, I guess he should run extremely well. Given the...

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IdaBet Players Note: VICTOR ESPINOZA TO ACCEPT 2016 SANTA ANITA GEORGE WOOLF MEMORIAL JOCKEY AWARD ON SUNDAY

IdaBet.com players; as America’s first Triple Crown Champion jockey in 37 years, Victor Espinoza helped Thoroughbred racing project a positive image far beyond the confines of the Thoroughbred industry throughout 2015, thus elevating the sport’s exposure and acceptance to a level perhaps not seen since the 1970s.  Accordingly, Espinoza, a 43-year-old native of Mexico City, has been selected by a vote of jockeys nationwide as the winner of Santa Anita’s highly coveted 2016 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award and he will accept the award in a Winner’s Circle ceremony following Sunday’s sixth race.

“It’s quite an honor for any rider to be selected by his peers as the winner of such a prestigious award,” said Terry Meyocks, National Manager of the Jockeys’ Guild.  “And I would like to congratulate Victor on this great achievement.”

In addition to numerous national television appearances through the 2015 Triple Crown and  last fall’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Espinoza also remained tireless in his efforts on behalf of cancer-stricken youth, donating 10 percent of his winnings to support pediatric cancer research at City of Hope, in nearby Duarte.

With the Bob Baffert-trained American Pharoah providing the horsepower, Espinoza gleefully proclaimed himself “The luckiest Mexican on earth,” on national television following their win in the Belmont Stakes June 6.

In addition to winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont, Espinoza and Santa Anita-based American Pharoah won last year’s Grade II Rebel Stakes, Grade I Arkansas Derby, Grade I Haskell Invitational and, in a performance for the ages, the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic by 6 ½ lengths on Oct. 31—all the while elevating the profile of jockeys nationwide and generating tremendous ratings on a consistent basis.

Born on a dairy farm near Mexico City, Espinoza is the 11th of 12 children.  A three-time ESPY Award...

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IdaBet Players Note: CALCULATOR HEADS FIELD OF EIGHT IN SATURDAY’S GRADE II, $300,000 SAN CARLOS STAKES

We wanted our IdaBet.com players to know with recency on his side, graded stakes winner Calculator will head a field of eight in Saturday’s Grade II, $300,000 San Carlos Stakes going seven furlongs on the main track.

CALCULATOR: After a 13-month layoff, trainer Peter Miller’s Calculator returned to the track and the Winner’s Circle in impressive fashion winning by a neck in a seven furlong allowance at Santa Anita Feb. 13 as the even money favorite. A Kentucky Derby hopeful just last year after running second to American Pharoah in both the Grade I Del Mar Futurity and the Grade I FrontRunner Stakes in 2014, he went on to win the Grade III Sham Stakes in January, 2015. Calculator was then sidelined due to a non-displaced fracture in his right front ankle before returning to training in November, 2015.

A 4-year-old Florida-bred by In Summation, Calculator is owned by Richard C. Pell and will again be ridden by Flavien Prat, who was up for the win Feb. 13.  He is 6-2-2-1 overall and has amassed earnings of $228,300.

KOBE’S BACK: Trained by Peter Eurton, the 5-year-old horse by Flatter will look for his second win in-a-row Saturday following a half-length score with the addition of blinkers in the Grade II Palos Verdes on Feb. 7 in which he earned a 100 Beyer Speed figure. Notoriously slow out of the gate, Kobe’s Back won the Grade III, seven furlong Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland by three quarters of a length in April, 2015 but was winless in five consecutive starts, including a third to San Carlos contender Wild Dude in the Bing Crosby Stakes in July and seventh to Eclipse Champion Runhappy in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint Oct. 31.

Owned by Lee Searing of CRK Stable, he will retain the services of Gary Stevens Saturday. Kobe’s Back has won four races in 17 lifetime starts and has earnings of $772,250.

 

SAN CARLOS STAKES FIELD, IN POST POSITION...

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IdaBet Players Note: BOLO, BAL A BALI & OM HEADLINE GRADE I, $400,000 FRANK E. KILROE MILE

Top turf horses Bolo, Bal a Bali and Om headline a field of seven older horses in Saturday’s Grade I, $400,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile (turf) at Santa Anita.  Named for the late Frank E. (Jimmy) Kilroe, Santa Anita’s innovative, longtime Director of Racing, the Kilroe will be run for the 57th time on Saturday.

 

BOLO:  Idle since July 4, trainer Carla Gaines’ star student on turf unfurled a career-best effort in winning the Grade II, one mile turf Arcadia Stakes Feb. 13.  Although favored Obviously shook loose around the far turn and the Arcadia appeared a fait accompli, Bolo kept to his task under Flavien Prat to win going away.  A 4-year-old colt by the Dynaformer stallion, Temple City, Bolo, who was third in last year’s Grade I Santa Anita Derby, is a perfect three for three over the Santa Anita turf.  Owned by Golden Pegasus Racing and Earle I, Mack, LLC, he has four wins from nine overall starts and is likely being pointed to the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Mile here at Santa Anita in November.  With Prat committed to ride Bal a Bali, Mike Smith, who guided him to a pair of wins as a 2-year-old, will take over on Saturday.

 

BAL A BALI:  Trained by Richard Mandella, this 6-year-old Brazilian-bred horse cuts back a furlong in distance off of a sharp third in the Grade II, 1 1/8 miles turf San Gabriel Stakes Jan 2.  Best suited at the Kilroe distance, he’s six for nine at one mile on grass.  A multiple Group I winner in Brazil, Bal a Bali, who was ridden by Flavien Prat, was an impressive winner of his U.S. debut in the Grade III, one mile turf American Stakes here on May 9, 2015.  Owned by Fox Hill Farms, Inc. and Siena Farms, LLC, Bal a Bali has 13 wins from 18 overall starts.

 

OM:  Trained by Dan Hendricks and owned by the Sareen Family Trust, Om was an impressive winner over the course of the Grade II Mathis Brothers Mile...

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IdaBet Players Note: DESORMEAUX’S EXAGGERATOR & BAFFERT’S MOR SPIRIT HEADLINE COMPETITIVE GRADE II, $400,000 SAN FELIPE STAKES

We knew our IdaBet.com players would want to know that Keith Desormeaux’s Exaggerator and Bob Baffert’s Mor Spirit headline a talented group of seven three-year-olds in Saturday’s Grade II, $400,000 San Felipe Stakes at     1 1/16 miles.  In addition to the top two, unbeaten California-bred Smokey Image and rapidly improving sophomores Uncle Lino and Danzing Candy all rate big chances with a total of 85 Kentucky Derby qualifying points at stake.

 

EXAGGERATOR:  A big second to undefeated Eclipse Champion Nyquist in Santa Anita’s Grade II, seven furlong San Vicente Stakes Feb. 15, this Kentucky-bred colt by Curlin figures to improve with the added distance and a recent race under his belt.  Owned by Big Chief Racing, LLC, Head of Plains, LLC, Rocker O Ranch LLC and Keith Desormeaux, he’s proven to be a versatile sort who can press the pace or stalk.  With a pair of graded stakes wins to his credit, he has three overall wins and two seconds from seven starts, good for career earnings of $1,023,120.  He’ll again be ridden by Desormeaux’s Hall of Fame brother, Kent.

 

MOR SPIRIT:  A better-than-looked 1 ½ length winner of the Grade III, 1 1/16 miles Robert B. Lewis Stakes here Feb. 6, he took the Grade I Los Alamitos Futurity at the same distance on Dec. 19.  Although he’s proven a bit reluctant on occasion in the mornings, the Pennsylvania-bred ridgling by Eskendereya is progressing nicely for Baffert who won last year’s San Felipe with Dortmund, who provided him with his record fifth San Felipe win.  Owned by Michael L. Petersen, Mor Spirit has been ridden to all three of his career wins by Gary Stevens, who’s back aboard on Saturday.

 

SMOKEY IMAGE:  Much like California Chrome in 2014, undefeated California-bred Smokey Image will be trying graded stakes completion for the first time following a massive 8 ½ length win...

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IdaBet Players Note:EFFINEX, IMPERATIVE & DONWORTH HEAD 79TH RUNNING OF GRADE I, $1 MILLION SANTA ANITA HANDICAP

We wanted our IdaBet.com players to know that Trainer Jimmy Jerkens’ talented Effinex, along with sharp local contenders Imperative and Donworth, head a field of nine older horses set to go a mile and a quarter in Saturday’s 79th running of the Grade I, $1 million Santa Anita Handicap.

America’s longest continually run “hundred grander,” the Big ’Cap was first run in 1935, and it was won by Azucar, with legendary George “The Iceman” Woolf aboard.  Last year’s renewal was won by Jerry Hollendorfer’s Shared Belief.

 

EFFINEX:  Owned by Tri-Bone Stables, this 5-year-old horse by Mineshaft was second to Triple Crown Champion American Pharoah two starts back in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic Oct. 31, and has been idle since winning the Grade I, 1 1/8 miles Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs Nov. 27.  A winner of Belmont Park’s Grade II, 1 ¼ miles Suburban Handicap from well off the pace last July, Effinex has two wins, a second and a third in five tries at a mile and a quarter.  Based at Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida, Effinex had what was termed a “maintenance” half mile work here on Tuesday in 47.80.  With seven wins from 20 overall starts, he’ll be making his first-ever start at Santa Anita.  A winner of the past three runnings, Mike Smith will seek an unprecedented fourth consecutive win in the Big ’Cap on Saturday.

 

IMPERATIVE:  In one of his best-ever races, KM Racing Enterprise, Incorporated’s stable star was second, beaten a nose, in the Grade II, 1 1/8 miles San Antonio Stakes on Feb. 6 and rates a big chance in his sixth start for trainer Richard Baltas.  Second to Hoppertunity in the San Antonio, Imperative, a 6-year-old gelding by Bernardini, was a sharp second two starts back to California Chrome in the Grade II, 1 1/16 miles San Pasqual Stakes on Jan. 9.  Ridden by Mike Smith in the San Antonio,...

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