STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024

Photo: Ernie Belmonte

• STRONGHOLD WORKS A BULLET FOR KENTUCKY DERBY • PICK 6 CARRYOVER OF 49K AWAITS HORSEPLAYERS SATURDAY • GI WINNER ARABIAN KNIGHT LEADS OTHER NOTABLE WORKERS • SANTA ANITA’S FREE ONLINE ‘PICK ‘EM’ CONTEST RETURNS • PERMANENTLY DISABLED JOCKEYS FUND TELETHON TOMORROW • JOCKEYS SMITH, FREY WIN 2 ON OPENING DAY OF HOLLYWOOD MEET

STRONGHOLD WORKS A BULLET FOR KENTUCKY DERBY Grade I Santa Anita Derby winner Stronghold returned to the work tab Saturday with a quick a half-mile drill under jockey Antonio Fresu. It was the first of two scheduled works for Stronghold ahead of the 150th Kentucky Derby May 4 at Churchill Downs.

Hitting the main track about 6:30 a.m., Stronghold broke off at the half mile pole a few lengths behind his stakes-winning stablemate Shady Tiger. Stronghold and Fresu ranged up to even terms with Shady Tiger at the sixteenth pole and then crossed the wire about a nose in front. The pair galloped-out in unison.

Stronghold was timed in 46.60 seconds, which was the co-fastest of 68 moves at the distance Saturday morning. Millionaire sprinter The Chosen Vron also worked in 46.60.

“I think the track was a little fast today, but he did it the right way,” said Stronghold’s trainer, Phil D’Amato. “He was in hand and we gave him a little target to help stretch him out on the gallop out. Antonio was very happy with him.” D’Amato was also happy with what he saw back at the barn following the work.

“He was cooling out like it was just a trot in the park for him. So far so good,” he added.

Fresu said the final time was quicker than he expected. “He did it so easy. I was actually expecting about 48 (seconds) the way he was going,” he added. “The track was a little fast today. I didn’t ask him for anything.”

Stronghold will be the first Kentucky Derby starter for D’Amato, Fresu and owners-breeders Eric and Sharon Waller. Stronghold secured his berth to the Kentucky Derby with a neck victory in the Santa Anita Derby April 6. Prior to the Santa Anita Derby, the Ghostzapper colt won the GIII Sunland Park Derby Feb 18 in New Mexico.

D’Amato said Stronghold would ship to Churchill Downs on Tuesday and have his final Derby work next weekend under the Twin Spires.

Stronghold will enter the Derby with a record of 6: 3-3-0 and $827,200 in earnings. D’Amato has judiciously campaigned the bay colt to this point, preferring to have more spacing between his races. That won’t be the case heading into the 1 ¼-mile classic. Stronghold will have had just four weeks between starts when the gates open for the 1 ¼-mile classic.

“All that spacing helped us to be where we are at now. With a fresher horse,” D’Amato said. “He hasn’t had a tough campaign as a 3-year-old. We picked our spots and hopefully we’ll have a fresh horse for a Triple Crown bid.”

PICK 6 CARRYOVER OF 49K AWAITS HORSEPLAYERS SATURDAY With just a single winning favorite on Friday’s nine-race card, the $1 Pick Six went unsolved resulting in a $49,398 carryover for Saturday’s 10-race program.

The Pick Six starts with the fifth race at approximately 3 p.m. PT and ends with the 10th at about 5:33 p.m. The sequence averages 8.0 starters per race before scratches.

Included in Saturday’s Pick Six is the GIII Providencia Stakes led by undefeated 3-year-old filly Medoro and the GIII Californian featuring budding star Judge Miller, who is 4-5 on the morning line.

The winners in Friday’s Pick Six starting with the fifth race were #7 Ryder’s Candy ($18.60), #6 Jetovator ($6.60), #5 Big Buzz ($9), #2 Father Delay ($14.40), #6 Potential Spam ($9.80) and #7 Rebalation ($11.20).

GI WINNER ARABIAN KNIGHT LEADS OTHER NOTABLE WORKERS SATURDAY Grade I winner Arabian Knight, off since a fourth-place finish in the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita, worked for the second time this month Saturday at Santa Anita.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Arabian Knight went an easy half mile in 50.00 seconds. Nine days ago, the 4-year-old Uncle Mo colt had his first work of the year when drilling three furlongs in 38.0 seconds.

Arabian Knight last year won the GIII Southwest at Oaklawn Park and GI Pacific Classic at Del Mar. He was also third in the GI Haskell at Monmouth Park.

By Uncle Mo, Arabian Knight has a record of 5: 3-0-1 with $1,544,275 in earnings for owner Zedan Racing Stables.

Millionaire sprinter The Chosen Vron also worked Saturday. The 6-year-old California-bred gelding by Vronsky went four furlongs in 46.60 seconds, which tied with GI Santa Anita Derby winner Stronghold for the fastest of 68 moves at the distance.

Trained by Eric Kruljac, The Chosen Vron earned his 15th career stakes victory when winning the GIII San Carlos here March 16. In 12 starts dating back to September 2022, The Chosen Vron has been beaten just once. His only other start this year was a win in the California Cup Sprint Stakes Jan. 13 at Santa Anita.

Working towards a scheduled start on the Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill Downs was Vlahos for trainer Doug O’Neill. An eye-catching debut winner here March 9 when trained by Luis Mendez, Vlahos worked six furlongs in 1:13.40.

By Kantharos, Vlahos was purchased privately after his smashing debut by Ty Leatherman, Todd Cady and Greg Pappas. Dan Northrup, who bred and debuted Vlahos, also retained a minor share in the ridgling. Vlahos is slated to make his first start for his new connections in the GII Pat Day Mile May 4 at Churchill Downs.

A pair of 3-year-old colts briefly on the Triple Crown trail worked for John Sadler. Scatify, third in the GIII Robert B. Lewis and fourth in the GII San Felipe at Santa Anita, drilled four furlongs on the synthetic training track in 49.40 seconds. It was the Justify colt’s first work since shipping to Keeneland and finishing second in a first-level allowance going six furlongs April 6.

Scatify’s stablemate, Tapalo, worked four furlongs on the main track in 47.60 seconds. By Tapiture, Tapalo was second in the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields and most recently was fifth in the Santa Anita Derby.

In all Saturday, there were 133 works on the main track and 36 on Santa Anita’s recently installed synthetic training track.

SANTA ANITA’S $10,000 ONLINE ‘PICK ‘EM’ CONTEST RETURNS SATURDAY Santa Anita’s popular free online “Pick ‘Em” contest presented by EquineEdge will be available to players everywhere during the track’s 29-day Hollywood Meet.

Every Saturday and Sunday during the meet, Santa Anita Pick ‘Em enables players to mix horse racing selections with other major sports propositions. A Santa Anita Pick ‘Em player can win $500 each day by making the most correct picks. There is also a $1,000 bonus to be awarded on closing day June 16, to the player with the most total wins over the course of the Hollywood Meet.

To sign up and for additional information regarding Santa Anita Pick ‘Em, please visit santaanita.com/pickem.

PERMANENTLY DISABLED JOCKEYS FUND TELETHON SET FOR SUNDAY The 6th annual Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund telethon is on Sunday and will be broadcast on both FanDuel TV and America’s Day at the Races on the Fox Sports family of networks.

Active and retired jockeys will be on hand live accepting donations at call centers at Santa Anita and Keeneland from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT as their schedules permit. Fans can participate by calling 1-844-884-7353 or can donate directly at the PDJF website, pdjf.org/donate.

Popular retired jockeys scheduled to participate include Steve Cauthen, Sandy Hawley, Chris McCarron, Donna Barton Brothers, Alex Solis, Shane Sellers and more.

Since the inaugural event in 2018, the telethon has raised in excess of $1.5 million in support of the PDJF.

FINISH LINES: Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally, 93, won Friday’s third race with 6-year-old homebred The Giants Candy ($8.20). It was McAnally’s first win at Santa Anita since March 2022. Jockey Jose Verenzuela was aboard for the win. For Verenzuela, it was his first victory at Santa Anita since June 2017…Jockeys Mike Smith and Kyle Frey each had a pair of wins on a nine-race card Friday, opening day of the 29-day Hollywood Meet. Smith scored with Bert’s Prospect ($5.80) in the first for trainer Sean McCarthy and Father Delay ($14.40) in the seventh for trainer Bob Hess. Jr. Frey won the second with favorite Whimsical Heir ($4.40) for trainer Mark Glatt and the fourth with Ryder’s Candy ($18.60) for trainer Anthony Saavedra…Sunday’s features on a 10-race card are the GII Santa Maria for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on dirt and Siren Lure Stakes for older horses on the hillside turf course. First post Sunday is 1 p.m…Southern California News Group turf writer Kevin Modesti will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Sunday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m.