STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2023

Photo: Ernie Belmonte

- • PRACTICAL MOVE, REINCARNATE HAVE FINAL KY. DERBY WORKS - • SADLER PAIR TAKES ON FAVORITE ADARE MANOR IN GII SANTA MARIA - • DR. SCHIVEL TARGETS THE PREAKNESS UNDERCARD FOR COMEBACK __- • SOON TO BE HALL OF FAMER NAKATANI WILL BE HONORED MAY 5 __ __- • SANTA ANITA WILL HOST KENTUCKY DERBY WATCH PARTY __

PRACTICAL MOVE, REINCARNATE HAVE FINAL KENTUCKY DERBY WORKS Trainer Tim Yakteen’s two expected starters in the May 6 Kentucky Derby, Practical Move and Reincarnate, each had their final works for the 1 ¼-mile classic Friday at Santa Anita.

Practical Move, winner of the GI Santa Anita Derby on April 8, drilled five furlongs in 59.60 seconds. It was the second-fastest of 26 moves at the distance Friday. Reincarnate, who most recently was third in the GI Arkansas Derby April 1, blazed a bullet half mile in 46.40 seconds.

“Reincarnate went great. He had some outside company and looked really nice,” Yakteen said. “Practical Move went really nice as well. We’re very happy with what we saw.”

Practical Move and Reincarnate are both scheduled to depart Santa Anita for Churchill Downs at around 3:30 a.m. Saturday morning. Joining those colts on the trip to Kentucky will be stablemates Kangaroo Court, Fort Bragg and Johannes, who will all compete on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Kangaroo Court and Fort Bragg are each ticketed for the GII Pat Day Mile, while Johannes will seek a third-straight stakes win in the GII American Turf for 3-year-olds.

“Knock on wood, but we should be all set,” Yakteen said.

In the Kentucky Derby, Practical Move will be ridden by Ramon Vazquez and Reincarnate will have Hall of Famer John Velazquez in the irons. Vazquez’s only previous Kentucky Derby mount came in 2015 aboard longshot Mr. Z, who finished 13th for trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Velazquez has won three Kentucky Derbies and he also crossed the wire first in 2021 aboard Medina Spirit, but that colt was disqualified months later due to a medication overage.

The post-position draw for the 149th Kentucky Derby is Monday at 11 a.m. PT.

SADLER PAIR TAKES ON FAVORITE ADARE MANOR IN GII SANTA MARIA Four weeks ago, Adare Manor and Big Switch were separated by just a head in a classified allowance going a mile here on March 31. On Saturday, Big Switch will get another crack at 8-5 morning-line favorite Adare Manor in the GII Santa Maria going 1 1/16 miles.

Joining Big Switch in the Santa Maria for trainer John Sadler is stablemate Kirstenbosch, who won the GIII La Canada at a mile here Jan. 15. Big Switch, a 4-year-old California-bred by Mr. Big for owner-breeder George Krikorian, is the 2-1 second choice on the Santa Maria morning line. Kirstenbosch, who drew the rail, is the co-third choice at 4-1.

In Adare Manor and Big Switch’s first matchup, Adare Manor showed the way under Santa Anita leading rider Juan Hernandez with Big Switch settling just off the pace under Joe Bravo. As the field reached the second turn, Big Switch launched a determined bid to range up to the leader. But she could never get by. Adare Manor dug in gamely through the stretch to keep her rival at bay, winning in a final time of 1:36.59.

A two-time stakes winner against statebreds, Big Switch now gets her first graded-stakes test since the GII Santa Ynez in January 2022 when she finished fourth. She has worked five times for her rematch with Adare Manor, which includes a bullet five-furlong move in 59.80 seconds on Monday.

“She came up with a big race the other day and has continued to really work well,” Sadler said Thursday. “We know she fits well in the Cal-bred program, but I think she’s good enough to handle open company.”

Following her win in the La Canada, Kirstenbosch returned in the GI Beholder Mile on March 1 and was never a factor when fifth. Then rather than wait the nearly two months for the Santa Maria, Sadler entered Kirstenbosch in the GIII Monrovia on April 8 that was scheduled for the hillside turf course. The race was subsequently moved to the main track going 6 ½ furlongs, where Kirstenbosch rallied from last to be third beaten just a length by Elm Drive.

“She ran a good closing third,” Sadler said. “She’s just an honest mare who runs well all the time. A little more distance is good for here also. We thought the mile might have been a little short for her in the Beholder. Now we get an extra sixteenth and I think that’s going to be really good for her.”

Also appearing to be in with a shot is Bellamore, the 4-1 co-third choice for trainer Simon Callaghan. The 5-year-old Empire Maker mare has raced mostly on turf and synthetic, but she ended last year going 1 1/8-miles on dirt in the GIII Falls City at Churchill Downs and was a good second beaten just a length. After being given the winter off, Bellamore returned March 25 in the Latonia Stakes on synthetic at Turfway Park where she was third.

In the Santa Maria, Bellamore will break from the outside post under new rider Ramon Vazquez.

“I think she needed that last race a little bit,” Callaghan said Friday. “She’s moved forward from that and it should have her spot-on for Saturday. I also like the outside post position. I think she’s set up to run well.”

The Santa Maria goes as the ninth race on Saturday’s 12-race card. Post time is scheduled for 5:07 p.m. The field in post position order: Kirstenbosch, Kazushi Kimura (4-1); Adare Manor, Juan Hernandez (8-5); Big Switch, Joe Bravo (2-1); Smoothlikebuttah, Tiago Pereira (8-1); Mongolian Panther, Geovanni Franco (15-1); Bellamore, Ramon Vazquez (4-1).

DR. SCHIVEL EYES THE PREAKNESS UNDERCARD FOR COMEBACK It’s been a long road back, but 2021 Breeders’ Cup Sprint runner-up Dr. Schivel is nearing a comeback. Trainer Mark Glatt said the now 5-year-old could make his first start in more than 13 months in the GIII Maryland Sprint going six furlongs on the Preakness Stakes undercard at Pimlico May 20.

“We’re looking at it. It’s certainly a possibility,” Glatt said Friday.

Dr. Schivel has not started since March 26, 2022 when he was third in the GI Dubai Golden Shaheen after shipping to the Middle East. It proved to be a taxing trip for the Violence horse. Glatt said Dr. Schivel returned with general body soreness and the decision was made to give him as much time as needed to recover.

In the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar, Dr. Schivel had the lead in the stretch and looked like a winner inside the sixteenth pole. But flying to his outside in the final 100 yards came 11-1 longshot Aloha West, who nailed Dr. Schivel by a desperate nose on the wire.

After missing the final nine months of 2022, Dr. Schivel returned to the work tab Feb. 13 at Santa Anita. He has worked eight additional times this winter and spring, including a five-furlong move in 1:01.20 this past Monday.

Dr. Schivel is owned by Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and William A. Branch. He has a record of 5-2-2 in 10 starts with just over $1 million in earnings.

FINISH LINES: Recently minted Hall of Fame jockey Corey Nakatani will be honored at Santa Anita with the Corey Nakatani Hall of Fame Purse on Kentucky Oaks Day, Friday, May 5…There were 94 workers Friday at Santa Anita including multiple graded-stakes winner Forbidden Kingdom, who drilled five furlongs in 1:00.00…Every Friday at Santa Anita on-track fans will receive free admission and parking plus $3 beers and $5 margaritas…There is a Rainbow 6 Jackpot carryover of $138,505.85 entering Friday’s card…Santa Anita will host a Kentucky Derby Trackside Watch Party Saturday May 6. For $55, fans will receive a Practical Move Santa Anita Derby Winner T-Shirt, beverage of your choice which includes Mint Juleps, a reserved picnic table set, admission and parking, program and tip sheet plus a $5 betting voucher.