STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

__FRIDAY, OCT. 18, 2024 __

• LURE: SEAL TEAM, SUMTER LOOM AS THREATS FOR MANDELLA • WORKS: PRINCE OF MONACO, TENMA DRILL FOR BAFFERT • FRIDAY CARRYOVERS: $47K IN PICK 6, $9K IN SUPER HI 5 • SATURDAY’S $1 COAST-TO-COAST PICK 5 STARTS AT 2:08 P.M. PT • ALAN BUCHDAHL 50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

LURE STAKES: SEAL TEAM, SUMTER LOOM AS THREATS FOR MANDELLA Saturday’s feature race at Santa Anita, the $80,000 Lure Stakes at one mile on turf, attracted a competitive field of nine older horses who are all seeking their first stakes win of the year other than in the statebred ranks.

Two of the key principals, Seal Team and Sumter, are trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella. Seal Team, the 7-2 second choice on the morning line, will be making his first start in 11 ½ months. When last seen on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita, Seal Team won the GII Twilight Derby at a mile on turf in his stakes debut. The lightly raced 4-year-old by colt by War Front is 3-1-1 in five starts overall and a perfect 2-for-2 on the Santa Anita lawn.

As for Sumter (5-1), while he hasn’t been big on winning in his career, the 5-year-old War Front gelding rarely runs a bad race. In 22 starts, Sumter has hit the board 12 times with three wins and banked $330,570.

“Both are coming into the race in great shape,” Mandella said Friday morning. “Sumter seems to be better than he’s ever been for some reason.”

Seal Team and Sumter both race as homebreds for Perry and Ramona Bass. In preparation for his comeback, Seal Team has been working steadily since late July. Mandella said the Lure, which is restricted to horses who have not won a stake in 2024 other than statebred, has been targeted as Seal Team’s comeback spot.

The work tab for Seal Team includes six consecutive works going six furlongs, with the last on Oct. 14 completed in 1:13.00 on Santa Anita’s synthetic training track. “He’s been off a long time, had to get him fit,” Mandella said of the workload.

Seal Team will have regular rider Umberto Rispoli in the irons. Sumter will be reunited with Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who last rode the gelding 10 starts ago in the 2023 GII Del Mar Mile.

The 5-2 program favorite in the Lure is California-bred Man O Rose, who while a win machine for trainer Jeff Mullins, has never raced around two turns on turf. A 4-year-old gelding by Stanford, Man O Rose is 7-2-0 in 12 starts with $319,840 in earnings for owner-breeder B and B Zeitz Stables Inc., He is exiting an eight-length demolition job in the E.B. Jonston Stakes going a mile on dirt at Los Alamitos Sept. 14. Man O Rose also owns the highest Beyer Speed Figure in the field, a 104 earned when beating open company in a classified allowance at six furlongs on turf June 16 at Santa Anita. He will have regular rider Edwin Maldonado in the irons.

The Lure goes as the eighth race on a nine-race card. Post time is set for 4:34 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Mi Hermano Ramon, Antonio Fresu (8-1); Man O Rose, Edwin Maldonado (5-2); Flashiest, Armando Ayuso (10-1); Sumter, Mike Smith (5-1); Exaulted, Juan Hernandez (4-1); Sarwar, Diego Herrera (12-1); El Potente, Hector Berrios (12-1); War At Sea, Jose Valdivia Jr. (20-1); Seal Team, Umberto Rispoli (7-2).

WORKS: PRINCE OF MONACO, TENMA DRILL FOR BAFFERT

Breeders’ Cup prospects Prince of Monaco and Tenma, each trained by Bob Baffert, were among 102 workers Friday at Santa Anita.

Prince of Monaco, targeting the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint Nov. 2 at Del Mar, worked five furlongs in 59.0 seconds. It was the second-fastest of 28 works at the distance. In two starts this year, the 3-year-old Speightster colt was second in the GI H. Allen Jerkens and GI Woody Stephens, both at Saratoga.

Tenma, a candidate for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 1 at Del Mar, worked five furlongs from the gate in 1:01.0. By Nyquist, Tenma won the GI Del Mar Debutante going seven furlongs then was third in the GII Oak Leaf when making her two-turn debut Oct. 5 at Santa Anita.

Also working for trainer Tim Yakteen was McKinzie Street, who is possible for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Nov. 1 at Del Mar. In his first work since finishing third in the GI American Pharoah Oct. 5 at Santa Anita, the McKinzie colt went four furlongs in 48.80 seconds. Prior to making his two-turn debut in the American Pharoah, McKinzie Street won the GI Del Mar Futurity going seven furlongs on Sept. 8.

Another potential Breeders’ Cup starter, Artislas, worked for trainer Jeff Mullins. The 2-year-old Catalina Cruiser colt also went four furlongs in 48.80 seconds. In Artislas’s most recent start, he crossed the wire first in Santa Anita’s GIII Zuma Beach at one mile on turf but was disqualified and placed third due to a bump near the wire. Artislas previously won the GIII Del Mar Juvenile Turf on Sept. 8. Earlier this week, Mullins said he was “undecided” if Artislas would go on to the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Nov. 1 at Santa Anita.

Pre-entries for the Breeders’ Cup must be submitted by Monday at 12 p.m. PT. The pre-entered fields will be revealed Wednesday starting at 9 a.m. PT on FanDuel TV and the Breeders’ Cup website, mobile app plus Facebook, X, and Youtube channels.

FRIDAY CARRYOVERS: $47K IN PICK 6, $9K IN SUPER HI 5

Both the $2 Pick Six and $1 Super Hi 5 have carryovers heading into Friday’s eight-race card at Santa Anita.

In the Pick Six, the pool will start with $47,835 after there were no perfect tickets with 6-of-6 winners on Monday’s program. The Super Hi 5, which is only offered on the final race of the day, has a carryover of $9,719.

With first post at 1 p.m. PT Friday, the Pick Six kicks off at approximately 2 p.m. with the third card on the card, a starter/optional claimer for 2-year-olds going six furlongs on dirt. The Super Hi 5 carryover will be up for grabs in the eighth and final race at approximately 4:30 p.m. The eighth race is a $30,000 maiden-claimer for fillies and mares at one mile on turf. A full field of nine is signed on with four also eligibles.

In Monday’s Pick Six, the carryover was helped triggered by longshot winners Toulouse Detrac ($28.80) in the sixth race and We Can ($64) in the ninth and final race. Toulouse Detrac was ridden by Kazushi Kimura for trainer George Papaprodromou and We Can scored under Tyler Baze for Northern California-based trainer Monty Meier.

The consolation payout Monday for tickets with 5-of-6 winners was $2,227.80.

The winners in Monday’s Pick 6 sequence starting with the fourth race were #4 Discrepancy ($4.40). #11 Captain Choochies ($8.80), #7 Toulouse Detrac ($28.80), #4 Queen of the Mud ($5), #5 Dr Ruben M ($16.80) and #3 We Can ($64).

SATURDAY’S $1 COAST-TO-COAST PICK 5 STARTS AT 2:08 P.M. PT

The $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 on Saturday kicks off at 2:08 p.m. PT with the ninth race from Gulfstream Park, a one-mile maiden race on turf that drew an overflow field of 13 2-year-old fillies. The highly competitive sequence averages 10 starters per race before scratches.

In the opening leg, the tepid 4-1 favorite on the morning line is Jalila for trainer Gustavo Delgado with Miguel Vasquez up. By Justify, Jalila will have to overcome being parked outside in post 12 for the short run-up to the first turn.

The second leg from Gulfstream Park, the $200,000 Susan’s Girl Stakes for 2-year-old fillies bred in Florida, is seven furlongs on dirt. It features the lone prohibitive favorite in Saturday’s sequence. R Morning Brew, trained by Saffie Joseph and ridden by Edgard Zayas, is 4-5 on the morning line in a field of seven.

The action then shifts to Santa Anita for its sixth race, a $50,000 maiden-claimer at six furlongs on turf. In a field of 11, Prosper is the 5-2 program favorite for trainer John Sadler with Hector Berrios up.

Then it’s back to Gulfstream for its 12th race, $16,000 maiden-claimer at 1 1/16 miles on turf. An overflow field of 14 is signed on with 12 to run. In the main body of the field, Ragtap Girl for Joseph is the lukewarm 4-1 favorite. She will have Micah Husbands in the irons.

The anchor leg is the eighth race from Santa Anita, the $80,000 Lure Stakes at one mile on turf. Man O Rose, trained by Jeff Mullins with Edwin Maldonado up, is the 5-2 program favorite.

The Coast-to-Coast Pick 5, which offers a player-friendly 15 percent takeout rate, is offered every Saturday and Sunday through the end of the Santa Anita Autumn Meet Oct. 27.

FINISH LINES: Friday’s fourth race is named in honor of Santa Anita fill-in announcer Alan Buchdahl, who 50 years ago this week called his first-ever race at Santa Anita at the age of 18. Buchdahl will also be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Friday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m…With six race days left in the Autumn Meet, Juan Hernandez holds his customary spot atop to the jockey’s standings and George Papaprodromou leads in the trainer’s division. Papaprodromou has never won a Santa Anita trainer’s title…First post Saturday for a nine-race card is 1 p.m. PT.