STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2023

__- • GII SA OAKS PROSPECTS VIE IN MONDAY’S FEATURE __ - • MORE RAIN EXPECTED THIS WEEK AT SANTA ANITA - • HARD TO FIGURE, HENRY Q COME UP SHORT IN GIII SUNLAND DERBY - • TRAINER JORGE GUTIERREZ GETS 1ST WIN OF CLASSIC MEET - • FREE ADMISSION, PARKING, PROGRAMS & PP’S FOR MONDAY CARD

GII SANTA ANITA OAKS PROSPECT VIE IN MONDAY’S FEATURE The feature race on Monday’s eight-race card, a first-level allowance for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs on the main track, is likely to produce a starter or two for the Grade II Santa Anita Oaks on April 8.

Installed as the 6-5 favorite in a six-horse is Coffee in Bed, an eye-catching debut winner here going six furlongs on Jan. 6 for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella. Coffee in Bed was slated to return in the Grade III Santa Ysabel at 1 1/16 miles on March 6, but was forced to miss the race after she ‘tied up,’ which is medically known as exertional rhabdomyolisis and is akin to severe muscle cramps in humans.

Coffee in Bed retuned to the work tab two days later and has worked three times in all for her encore, which includes a half-mile drill in 48.0 seconds eight days ago.

“She tied up and I had to take her out of that race, but she’s really been doing well since and I expect a lot,” Mandella said.

In her bow, Coffee in Bed settled just off the pace while racing on the inside under Mike Smith. When she was angled out for racing room entering the stretch drive, Coffee in Bed uncorked an impressive turn of foot to win going away by 1 ¾ lengths. The winning time of 1:10.66 returned a 77 Beyer Speed Figure, which is the co-highest in the field.

Mandella said a good performance on Monday could put Coffee in Bed into the Santa Anita Oaks going 1 1/8 miles.

“There’s a chance,” Mandella said of running back in the Oaks. “I’m sure all of us in this race are thinking the same thing.”

Coffee in Bed was a $500,000 auction purchase as a yearling by owner Spendthrift Farm.

The 9-5 second choice on the morning line is Getthemoney, who is making her sophomore bow for trainer Brian Koriner. She has been sidelined since a blowout 6 ½-furlong maiden win when making her second start on Sept. 11 at Del Mar. The effort also earned a 77 Beyer.

“She’s had little problems along the way, she’s a filly that gets really nervous and has tied up on me a few times,” Koriner said. “That’s why it’s taken us so long to get her in a race. We had her entered a few weeks ago but scratched because she tied up on us.”

By Midnight Lute, Getthemoney has worked five times for her comeback. Koriner acknowledged a slight concern is the seven-furlong distance, which is an elongated sprint that typically requires plenty of fitness.

“I don’t know if she’s ready to get seven-eights, but she’s a nice filly who’s worked well. We’ll see what happens,” Koriner said.

The other main principals are maiden winners Lily Poo (7-2) and and Anywho (8-1), who will both be making their first starts for new trainers. Lily Poo earned her diploma sprinting at Del Mar Dec. 2 for trainer Rolando Quinonez. She was subsequently acquired by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners in a private purchase and is now trained by Michael McCarthy.

Anywho won her one and only start last October for trainer Tom Albertrani at the Belmont at Aqueduct meet in New York. She is now trained by John Sadler for Hronis Racing.

Monday’s feature goes as the seventh race with a scheduled post time of 4:11 p.m. The field in post position order: Getthemoney, Hector Berrios (9-5); Coffee in Bed, Mike Smith (6-5); Liberal Lady, Juan Hernandez (8-1); Lily Poo, Ramon Vazquez (7-2); Anywho, Flavien Prat (8-1): Classymademoiselle, Tiago Pereira (20-1).

TRAINING SCHEDULE TWEAKED WITH MORE RAIN EXPECTED THIS WEEK Typically, the Santa Anita main track is closed for workers on Tuesdays. That will not be the case this week with yet another rainstorm forecast to hit Santa Anita starting late Tuesday. Horsemen were notified over the weekend that workers will be allowed tomorrow.

According to Santa Anita Director of Racing and Racing Secretary Jason Egan, up to an inch of rain is expected through Wednesday at Santa Anita with more likely to fall on Thursday morning.

“We’re kind of at the mercy of Mother Nature at this point,” he said.

Through last week, Santa Anita had received more than 33 inches of rain since the start of the meet on Dec. 26. The extremely wet winter by Southern California standards has resulted in eight cards being canceled at the Classic Meet, though one of those was a scheduled makeup date.

Egan said with today’s card also serving as a makeup, there has been a net loss of four racing days at the Classic Meet. One of those missed days will be made up on Friday, April 21.

HARD TO FIGURE, HENRY Q COME UP SHORT IN GIII SUNLAND DERBY Santa Anita-based Hard to Figure and Henry Q, who broke his maiden here Feb. 4 for trainer Doug O’Neill, failed to deliver as the top-two betting choices in the Grade III Sunland Derby going 1 1/8 miles on Sunday.

Hard to Figure, ridden by Flavien Prat, and Henry Q with Edwin Maldonado up locked horns in an early speed duel through fractions of 22.62 and 45.96 seconds for the opening half mile. Henry Q held a half-length lead over that rival when completing six furlongs in 1:10.64, but that was when the pace battle started to take its toll on both colts. Hard to Figure, the 1-2 favorite for trainer Bob Baffert, faded on the second turn and finished last. Henry Q weakened in the stretch and checked in third, 3 ¾ lengths behind long shot winner Wild On Ice ($72.80) for trainer Joel Marr.

Henry Q, who was under the care of trainer Todd Fincher at Sunland, earned 15 points for the Kentucky Derby, which likely is not enough to qualify for the 1 ¼-mile classic at Churchill Downs on May 6. Henry Q is owned by The Del Mar Group, which includes UCLA men’s basketball coach Mick Cronin and UCLA football coach Chip Kelly.

FREE ADMISSION, PARKING, PROGRAMS, PPs FOR SPECIAL MONDAY CARD

On-track patrons for Monday’s special eight-race card will be treated to free parking, free admission, a free racing program and free access to Daily Racing Form digital past performances. First post is set for 1 p.m.

There is also a $255,165.28 Rainbow 6 carryover for Monday’s card. The sequence starts with the third race at approximately 2:04 p.m.

FINISH LINES: Trainer Jorge Gutierrez won his first race at the Classic Meet Sunday with Shezmisbehaving ($12.80) in the fifth race…Santa Anita has an eight-race card set for Friday. First post is 1 p.m…The stakes slate from Santa Anita this week includes the Grade III Royal Heroine for older fillies and mare on Saturday and both the Grade III American for older horses and Pasadena Stakes for 3-year-olds on Sunday. All three races are a mile on turf…Sunday’s player-friendly Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 returned $10,697.20 to 11 winning tickets…There is a $255,165.28 Rainbow 6 carryover for Monday’s card. The sequence starts with the third race at approximately 2:04 p.m…