STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2023

• • SKINNER BACK IN LIGHT TRAINING AFTER KENTUCKY DERBY SCRATCH
• • ADARE MANOR, DUVET DAY AMONG 184 WORKERS AT SANTA ANITA
• • APPRENTICE ALSAGOOR CLEARED TO RETURN SUNDAY
• • TOP JOCKEY HERNANDEZ SCORES A HAT TRICK FRIDAY
• • TICKETS FOR BREEDERS’ CUP AT SANTA ANITA NOW ON SALE

SKINNER BACK IN LIGHT TRAINING AFTER KENTUCKY DERBY SCRATCH

Skinner is back in light training at Santa Anita after being scratched from last Saturday’s 149th Kentucky Derby due to an elevated temperature.

Skinner, who returned to Santa Anita from Churchill Downs earlier this week, was out for a gallop on the main track Saturday morning. Trainer John Shirreffs said all appears to be well with the Curlin colt.

“He’s good. He walked when he was at Churchill after the scratch and has been on the track here for a couple of days,” Shirreffs added.

Skinner was one of five horses to be scratched from this year’s Kentucky Derby. One day before the 1 1/4-mile Classic, following a gallop at Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission issued a statement saying Skinner would be scratched due to an “elevated temperature.

“It was too bad it didn’t work out,” Shirreffs said.

Owned by Lee and Susan Searing’s C R K Stable, Skinner has banked $216,300 with a record of 1-0-3 in six starts. Shirreffs said there are no immediate race plans for the colt.

“We’ll get going with him soon then I’ll look around at our options,” Shirreffs said.

In three starts this year, all at Santa Anita, Skinner broke his maiden on Feb. 12 and came back to be third in both the GII San Felipe and GI Santa Anita Derby on April 8.

ADARE MANOR, DUVET DAY AMONG NOTABLE WORKERS SATURDAY

There were 184 timed workouts Saturday on a beautiful spring morning at Santa Anita. Notable workers included stakes winners Adare Manor and Duvet Day along with the promising sprinter Straight No Chaser.

Adare Manor had her first work since winning the GII Santa Maria here on April 29. The 4-year-old Uncle Mo filly drilled four furlongs in 47.00 seconds. Trained by Bob Baffert, Adare Manor has banked $501,600 for owner Michael Lund Peterson with a record 4-4-0 in 10 starts.

Duvet Day returned to the tab for trainer Michael McCarthy following a second-place finish as the 6-5 favorite in the 1 ½-mile Santa Barbara Stakes on turf here April 30. The 4-year-old Irish-bred filly by Starspangledbanner went four furlongs in 51.60 seconds.

Owned by Richard Schatz, Jane Bacharach and Cedros Racing, Duvet Day earned her first stakes win when taking the 1 ½-mile Astra Stakes on turf here Jan. 21. She has earned $210,313 with a record of 3-4-2 in 15 starts.

Straight No Chaser worked for the fourth time since a smashing 7 ½-length allowance win going six furlongs at Oaklawn Park on April 1. The 4-year-old Speightster colt drilled five furlongs in 1:00.40 on Saturday. The next major sprint stakes at Santa Anita is the GII Triple Bend going seven furlongs on May 27. Trainer Dan Blacker recently said Straight No Chaser was unlikely to run in that race due to the distance. At this point, Blacker prefers to keep Straight No Chaser at either six furlongs or 6 ½ furlongs.

APPRENTICE ABDUL ALSAGOOR IS CLEARED TO RETURN SUNDAY

Promising apprentice Abdul Alsagoor is set to return Sunday one week after being unseated during the running of last Sunday’s ninth race, which was run at one mile on turf.

Alsagoor was aboard Ko Samui for trainer Phil D’Amato when the 4-year-old gelding clipped heels entering the first turn. Agent Vince DeGregrory Saturday morning said Alsagoor had been cleared to ride by both his doctor and the track stewards. Alsagoor, who was out working horses Saturday morning, has four mounts scheduled for Sunday.

“He said he feels good,” DeGregory said. “He was sore in his hip and his shoulder but is doing better now.”

Alsagoor’s spill came one day after he tallied his first three-win day at Santa Anita. The 22-year-old native of Saudi Arabia has been race-riding in California since late 2021 and will become a journeyman rider June 28. He started his riding career in Saudi Arabia before coming to the U.S. where he first served as an exercise rider for Bob Baffert.

At the current Santa Anita Hollywood Meet, Alsagoor has won with four of 15 mounts, a 21 percent strike rate. During the Classic Meet that ended April 8, Alsagoor had nine wins from 59 mounts (15 percent).

FINISH LINES: Jockey Juan Hernandez had three wins on Friday’s eight-race program. He leads the Hollywood Meet with 13 wins from 55 starts, a 24 percent win rate…Congrats to newly arrived jockey Antonio Fresu, who had riding double on Friday’s card, bookending proceedings with Nashoba’s Joy ($11.40) in race one and Signora Minister ($21.20) in race eight. That gives him four wins from 19 mounts (21 percent) at the current meet. Santa Anita simulcast co-host and analyst Millie Ball will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Sunday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m…Favorites are winning at a below-average 29.90 percent clip at the Hollywood Meet…There is a Rainbow 6 Jackpot carryover of $77,209 entering Saturday’s card…Tickets to this year’s Breeders’ Cup Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita are now on sale. Tickets can be purchased at BreedersCup.com/ticket.