STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN __SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2024 __

Photo: Ernie Belmonte

• ‘IT’S GREAT TO BE BACK’: TALAMO RETURNS TO SANTA ANITA • WORKS: GI WINNER SWEET AZTECA BACK ON THE TAB FOR MCCARTHY • SATURDAY’S $1 COAST-TO-COAST PICK 5 STARTS AT 2:18 P.M. PT • KNAPP SNAPS COLD SPELL WITH NATURAL HAT TRICK FRIDAY

‘IT’S GREAT TO BE BACK’: TALAMO RETURNS TO SANTA ANITA The return of jockey Joe Talamo to Santa Anita became official Friday when he rode 24-1 longshot Ringtone in the first race. While the result reflected Ringtone’s odds, a no-threat seventh, Talamo had no shortage of well-wishers after dismounting.

“It’s great to be back. I rode most of my career here since I was 17,” said Talamo, now 34 and married with two sons. “I have some great memories of this place.”

Talamo, a native of Louisiana, first arrived at Santa Anita in April 2007. He was fresh off becoming the first apprentice jockey to win a riding title at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. Talamo would finish 2007 with 250 wins from 1,472 mounts and an Eclipse Award as North America’s outstanding apprentice jockey.

Talamo would ride the next 12-plus years Santa Anita before relocating to the Midwest in January 2020. During his first stint at Santa Anita, Talamo won 14 Grade I’s, five times finished in the top five of the jockey’s standings at the Winter-Spring Meet, and four times finished in the top five at the Autumn Meet, which includes a riding title in 2012.

In 2010, Talamo won the GI Santa Anita Derby with Sidney’s Candy. He also won both the GI Santa Anita Handicap and GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita in 2016 with Melatonin. Additionally, Talamo’s only Breeders’ Cup win came at Santa Anita in the 2009 Turf Sprint with California Flag.

When business began to slow towards the end of the last decade, Talamo decided to return to his Midwest roots. He finished 2020 with 134 wins and $8,019,234 in earnings. But then Talamo’s numbers began to dwindle.

“This past winter was really slow for me,” Talamo said. “I decided to ride at Turfway Park to stay close to my family in Louisville. That turned out to be a bad decision. I just didn’t get many opportunities like I thought I would have.”

Talamo said he first considered returning to Southern California last summer but decided against it. He pulled the trigger earlier this month.

“We’re going to be here for some time,” said Talamo, who is represented by agent Rene Amescua. “I was thinking of waiting for Del Mar, but instead of waiting another month I decided to come early and try to build up as much business as I can.”

Talamo gets his first stakes opportunities this weekend. Trainer Phil D’Amato named Talamo on Adaay in Asia (6-1) in Saturday’s $100,000 Mizdirection Stakes and Sorrento Sky (6-1) in Sunday’s Desert Code Stakes. Both are at about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course.

“My plan is to ride here as much as I can and to win,” Talamo said.

Entering Saturday, Talamo has 2,334 career victories and $130,906,099 in earnings.

WORKS: GI WINNER SWEET AZTECA BACK ON THE TAB, THE CHOSEN VRON DRILLS Sweet Azteca, winner of the GI B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile March 9 at Santa Anita, worked for the first time in five weeks Saturday for trainer Michael McCarthy. Also working towards a potential stakes engagement next week was California-bred ace The Chosen Vron for trainer and co-owner Eric Kruljac.

Sweet Azteca drilled four furlongs in 49.0 seconds. Following her win in the Beholder Mile, which came by three-quarters of a length over subsequent Grade I winner Adare Manor, Sweet Azteca worked three times with the last coming on April 12.

A homebred for Pamela Cee Zeibarth, Sweet Azteca is a 4-year-old filly by Sharp Azteca. Her win in the Beholder Mile came in just her fourth start.

The Chosen Vron, most recently winner of the Kona Gold Stakes April 27 at Santa Anita, worked four furlongs in 49.00 seconds. The 6-year-old Vronsky gelding, a 16-time stakes winner and earner of more than $1.35 million, is nominated to two statebred stakes next Saturday at Santa Anita—the $100,000 Thor’s Echo at six furlongs on dirt and $100,000 Crystal Water Stakes at a mile on turf. Last year, The Chosen Vron won the Thor’s Echo.

Working towards an expected start in the GI Gamely Stakes on Memorial Day, May 27, was Anisette for trainer Leonard Powell. She drilled five furlongs in 1:02.40 on the main track. A 4-year-old Awtaad filly, Anisette has been off since winning the GI American Oaks Dec. 26 at Santa Anita. Also last year she won the GI Del Mar Oaks and GII San Clemente, both at Del Mar.

SATURDAY’S $1 COAST-TO-COAST PICK 5 STARTS AT 2:18 P.M. PT The $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 on Saturday kicks off at 2:18 p.m. PT with the ninth race from Gulfstream Park. Also in the sequence is the 11th from Gulfstream and races seven, nine and 10 from Santa Anita.

Gulfstream’s ninth is a maiden race for 3-year-olds at one mile on turf. An overflow field of 16 is entered with 12 in the main body of the field. The tepid 3-1 favorite on the morning line is Monopoly of Honor, who will be ridden by Sonny Leon for trainer George Weaver.

Gulfstream’s 11th is the Roar Stakes for 3-year-olds at five furlongs on turf. In a field of nine, Crimson Advocate is the 8-5 favorite for Weaver. He will be ridden by Edwin Gonzalez.

The seventh from Santa Anita is the Mizdirection Stakes for older fillies and mares on the hillside turf course. The Wild Grazer with Geovanni Franco is a lukewarm 3-1 favorite for trainer Jeff Mullins.

Santa Anita’s ninth is a starter/optional claimer at 1 1/16 miles on dirt. With the early scratch of My Ransom, a field of seven is set to go postward. De’ Medici with Tyler Baze is the 9-5 favorite for trainer Michael McCarthy.

The anchor leg, Santa Anita’s 10th, is a maiden race for fillies and mares at a mile on turf. A full field of is 12 signed up led by 9-5 favorite Runamileinmyshoes, who will be ridden by Juan Hernandez for Mullins.

The Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 features a player-friendly 15 percent takeout rate. It is offered every Friday and Saturday through the end of the Santa Anita Hollywood Meet June 16.

FINISH LINES: Trainer Steve Knapp won the first three races Friday to snap a 1-for-31 cold streak at the Hollywood Meet. Knapp scored with Big Drinker ($9.20) in the opener, Shangrilama ($12.80) in the second and favorite Dark Marcus ($3.40) in the third…Jockey Jeremy Laprida and trainers Keith Craigmyle, George Lopez and Victor Garcia each won their first races at the Hollywood Meet Friday. Laprida scored in the eighth with Strikingly ($11.80) for trainer Marcelo Polanco. Garcia won the fourth with Awesome Rhythm ($11.80). Lopez won the sixth with Please Focus ($27.40) and Craigmyle scored with favorite Keychain Girl ($4) in the seventh…With just two winning favorites on Friday’s card, the $1 Pick 6 returned $16,055.70 for six winning tickets…Friday’s $3 All-Turf Pick 3 paid $2,315.10 for three winning tickets…Sunday’s feature is the $100,000 Desert Code Stakes for 3-year-olds on the hillside turf course.