Stable Notes

• GOMEZ NEEDS BETTER START IN SUNDAY’S EL ENCINO STAKES

• CHAMP PEGASUS READY FOR 2011 DEBUT ON MONDAY

• ASMUSSEN SENDS OUT CITY COOL IN MONDAY’S SAN PEDRO STAKES

BETTER BREAK WILL HELP MALIBU PIER IN SUNDAY’S GRADE II EL ENCINO

Garrett Gomez will need good luck to upset Blind Luck in Sunday’s Grade II, $150,000 El Encino Stakes.

Gomez rides Malibu Pier in the race for 4-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles, second leg of the La Caňada series.

• SAN FERNANDO WIDE OPEN WITHOUT SIDNEY’S CANDY

• GOMEZ ASSIGNMENT TOUGHER WITH DEFECTION OF FAVORITE

• TAPIZAR FAVORED IN GRADE III SHAM STAKES SATURDAY

SIDNEY’S CANDY’S DEFECTION DRASTICALLY CHANGES MORNING LINE

Sidney’s Candy would have been the 4-5 San Fernando morning line favorite, according to Jon White, Santa Anita’s oddsmaker.

“Obviously the defection of Sidney’s Candy dramatically changed the morning line for the race,” White said. “Sidney’s Candy undoubtedly would have been a heavy favorite, but now I’m not even sure who will be the favorite.

• BEJARANO EYES BIG STAKES WEEKEND AT SANTA ANITA

• LIFE’S A ‘BEACH’ FOR CHANTAL SUTHERLAND

• GOMEZ RIDES AT THE FAIR GROUNDS JAN. 22

LEADING RIDER BEJARANO HAS A LOT AT STAKE

Rafael Bejarano is looking forward to a big holiday weekend at The Great Race Place.

• THE FACTOR WORKS FIVE FURLONGS IN :58 FLAT AT SANTA ANITA

• VETERAN TRAINER PALMA HAPPY TO BE BACK IN THE GAME

• 2009 MALIBU WINNER M ONE RIFLE DRILLS FOR HEADLEY

THE FACTOR CONTINUES ON FAST TRACK FOR BAFFERT

Bob Baffert might need a leash instead of reins to slow down The Factor.

• BAFFERT OFF TO FLYING START AT SANTA ANITA

• ZENYATTA RETIRED, BUT SMITH MAINTAINS WINNING ATTITUDE

• COST OF FREEDOM, CARACORTADO & TALAMO DRILL FOR SUNSHINE MILLIONS

CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT FOR LEADING TRAINER BAFFERT

Bob Baffert, Santa Anita’s leading trainer seven straight years from 1996 through 2003 when he won a total of 292 races, is off to perhaps the best start of his career through the first nine days of the current meet, with 10 wins, five seconds and two thirds from 22 starts.

At his present pace, the Hall of Fame trainer who turns 58 next Th

• O’NEILL HOPES ‘SCARLET’ IS GONE WITH THE WIND ON SUNDAY

• ‘UNUSUAL’ SUPERFECTA RECORD SET BY UNREAL SIRE

• BLIND LUCK DRILLS FOR 4-YEAR-OLD DEBUT IN EL ENCINO

O’NEILL EXPECTS BETTER START FOR FILLY IN SANTA YSABEL STAKES

Doug O’Neill anticipates marked improvement from Scarlet Starlet Sunday when the 3-year-old Florida-bred daughter of Congrats runs in the Grade III, $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles.

“She broke in a tangle up north,” said Santa Anita’s leading trainer from 2004 through 2007.

• OWNER HOPES STAKES DOOR OPENS FOR RED DOOR DRIVE

• THE FACTOR GOES GLOBAL ON FOX NEWS--AGAIN

• BERRIO, RECOVERED FROM STROKE, WORKS THREE HORSES

CONSISTENT RED DOOR DRIVE SET FOR SAN PASQUAL STAKES

Red Door Drive has been a gem of consistency for Bob Baffert since the Hall of Fame trainer received the 6-year-old Sky Mesa horse 14 races ago after an absence of one year.

• TALAMO ON SPEEDY AGGIE ENGINEER IN SAN PASQUAL STAKES

• SWITCH SET FOR GRADE I SANTA MONICA ON JAN. 30

• BERRIO LEAVES HOSPITAL FOR TEMPLE CITY HOME

TALAMO COMES OF AGE AS HE NEARS 21ST BIRTHDAY

Despite time lost due to an injury, Joe Talamo enjoyed a successful 2010. He is looking forward to even better things this year, and not just because he’ll celebrate his 21st birthday on Jan. 12.

• BLIND LUCK WORKS FOR RETURN IN EL ENCINO STAKES

• ASMUSSEN BREAKS HIS MAIDEN AT SANTA ANITA

• GOMEZ REFLECTS ON CONQUEST OF ZENYATTA

BLIND LUCK DRILLS, WILL MAKE 4-YEAR-OLD DEBUT IN JAN. 16 EL ENCINO

Blind Luck, favored to win an Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding 3-year-old filly of 2010, worked six furlongs on Santa Anita’s traditional dirt main track Saturday in 1:11.80 as she prepares for her 4-year-old debut in the Grade II El Encino Stakes on Jan. 16.

• DAKOTA PHONE PREPS FOR SAN PASQUAL STAKES

• EVENING JEWEL SHARP FOR SUNDAY’S MONROVIA

• JOCKEY BERRIO HOSPITALIZED

BREEDERS’ CUP WINNER DAKOTA PHONE SET FOR SAN PASQUAL

Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Dakota Phone worked five furlongs under Joel Rosario in 1:01.20 on Santa Anita’s traditional dirt main track Friday in preparation for next Saturday’s Grade II, $150,000 San Pasqual Stakes, a major steppingstone to the Grade I, $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap on March 5.

Dakota Phone’s drill was one of 276 recorded under temperatures that dipped below freezing before