STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN __SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2024 __

- • GI GAMELY: ANISETTE SEEKS GI HAT TRICK IN 4-YEAR-OLD BOW - • PRAT, DETTORI, KIMURA ADD STAR POWER TO MEMORIAL DAY CARD __- • RISPOLI WINS 3 FRIDAY AFTER 1ST RACE DISQUALIFICATION __ - • GII SANTA MARGARITA, GIII DAYTONA HEADLINE SUNDAY’S CARD

GI GAMELY: ANISETTE SEEKS GI HAT TRICK IN 4-YEAR-OLD BOW After Anisette bagged her second Grade I win of 2023 in the American Oaks Dec. 26 at Santa Anita, she was sent to Sunshine Farm in nearby Bradbury for 60-days of rest and relaxation.

Anisette’s break officially came to an end April 8 when she had her first work of the year at Santa Anita. She’s breezed every week since for trainer Leonard Powell. On Monday, Anisette makes her much-anticipated 4-year-old bow as the 5-2 morning line favorite in the GI Gamely for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

“We gave her a small vacation that was much deserved,” Powell said Saturday morning. “She’s come back as good, if not better, than before.”

Anisette may need to be better-than-ever to add another Grade I win to the resume. This year’s edition of the Gamely attracted a standout cast of turf distaffers. Four of Anisette’s rivals enter fresh off graded stakes wins, including both Ruby Nell and Linda’s Gift for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella.

In addition, two eastern invaders have come west to Grade I hunt. Olivia Maralda, who was Group 2-placed in England, makes her second U.S. start for trainer William Walden. Olivia Maralda will have top jockey Flavien Prat in the irons. Also, Forever After All made the trip from Kentucky for trainer Brendan Walsh. The 5-year-old Connect mare will have Juan Hernandez aboard, who is a five-time leading rider at Santa Anita.

As for Powell, he is acutely aware of the task facing Anisette following a five-month layoff, but also confident.

“She’s fired fresh before, but this is a Grade I. It’s different circumstances,” Powell noted. “There are some really seasoned performers. But while she’s up against it from that standpoint, she’s up to the challenge.”

Anisette, who also won last year’s GI Del Mar Oaks, will have regular rider Umberto Rispoli in the irons.

Powell’s other stakes starter this holiday weekend is Air Force Red. The 6-year-old ridgling by Air Force Blue is entered in both Sunday’s GIII Daytona sprinting on the hillside turf course and the GI Shoemaker Mile on Monday.

Powell said Air Force Red is most likely to go for the big prize in the Shoemaker Mile.

“He’s doing extremely well. Best form of his career,” Powell said.

The Gamely goes as the ninth race on an outstanding 11-race Memorial Day card, which also includes the GII Hollywood Gold Cup in addition to the Shoemaker Mile. Post time for the Gamely is approximately 5 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Olivia Maralda, Flavien Prat (6-1); Ruby Nell, Edwin Maldonado (3-1); Uncorked, Frankie Dettori (4-1); Nadette, Hector Berrios (10-1); Justique, Antonio Fresu (12-1); Anisette, Umberto Rispoli (5-2); Linda’s Gift, Tiago Pereira (5-1); Yerwanthere, Kazushi Kimura (30-1); Forever After All, Juan Hernandez (15-1).

PRAT, DETTORI, KIMURA ADD STAR POWER TO MEMORIAL DAY CARD Santa Anita’s blockbuster Memorial Day card featuring two Grade Is and the GII Hollywood Gold Cup has brought out the stars, both human and equine.

Returning to ride at Santa Anita Monday is international legend Frankie Dettori; Flavien Prat, who ranks second in North America this year with more than $10.29 million in earnings; and Kazushi Kimura, the reigning three-time Sovereign Award winner as Canada’s outstanding jockey.

Dettori is the only one of the three to also ride Sunday’s card at Santa Anita. The 53-year-old reinsman has four mounts Sunday, including Super Shine (3-1) in the GII Santa Margarita for trainer Phil D’Amato and GIII Daytona on comebacking Whatmakessammyrun (6-1) for trainer Mark Glatt.

On Monday, Dettori rides nine of the 11 races. His stakes mounts are Uncorked (4-1) in the GI Gamely for D’Amato, Judge Miller (5-2) in the GII Hollywood Gold Cup for Glatt and Funtastic Again (8-1) in the GI Shoemaker Mile for trainer Wesley Ward.

On GI Santa Anita Derby day April 6, Dettori tied a Santa Anita record when winning six consecutive races. The only other jockey to win six races in a row at Santa Anita? Prat, on March 12, 2021. The Santa Anita record for most wins in a single day is seven by Hall of Famer Laffit Pincay Jr. in 1987.

Prat has seven mounts on Monday. In the three stakes, he’ll be aboard Olivia Maralda (6-1) in the Gamely for trainer William Walden, Subsanador (5-2) in the Hollywood Gold Cup for trainer Richard Mandella and Du Jour (3-1) in the Shoemaker for trainer Bob Baffert.

Kimura, who like Prat and Dettori rode this winter at Santa Anita, returns with six mounts Monday. His stakes engagements include riding longshot Yerwanthere (30-1) in the Gamely for trainer Patrick Gallagher, Mr Fisk in the Hollywood Gold Cup (2-1) for Baffert and Dominican Pioneer (20-1) in the Shoemaker for trainer Wesley Ward.

First post Monday is 1 p.m. PT.

RISPOLI WINS 3 FRIDAY AFTER 1st RACE DISQUALIFICATION With three wins Friday at Santa Anita, it was a good day at the office for jockey Umberto Rispoli. It could have been even better.

In the first race, a $50,000 maiden-claimer at 6 ½ furlongs on turf, Rispoli was aboard first-time starter Crazy Cavalier, who went off at 7-1 for trainer Richard Baltas. Rispoli and Crazy Cavalier stalked the early pace before rallying along the inside and crossing the wire 1 ¼ lengths in front.

It wasn’t long before the inquiry sign was lit. Rispoli and Crazy Cavalier came out slightly at the sixteenth pole when passing the leader and favorite Quintecents, causing Kyle Frey on Quintecents to take up momentarily. Without Borders, a 17-1 longshot with Diego Herrera aboard, would wind up edging Quintecents by a half-length for second.

Stewards reviewed the stretch drive and disqualified Crazy Cavalier, ruling the incident cost Quintecents second place. Crazy Cavalier was demoted to third with Without Borders inheriting the win for trainer Peter Miller.

The tough start to the day certainly didn’t deter Rispoli. The 35-year-old Italian would come back to win with three of his next four mounts. He scored with Refocus ($11) in the third for trainer Doug O’Neill, Port Ellen ($8.60) for Baltas in the seventh, and Uncle Reg ($6.60) first-off-the-claim for Baltas in the ninth and final.

Rispoli now has 15 wins at the Hollywood Meet, which is tied for second behind leader Antonio Fresu (17) in the jockey’s race. Rispoli has six mounts Saturday with four coming in statebred stakes on California Gold Rush Day. Rispoli has two stakes mounts for Miller on Size Does Matter (6-1) in the Snow Chief Stakes and Only One America (5-1) in the Melair Stakes. He also rides Moose Mitchell (6-1) in the Thor’s Echo Stakes for trainer George Papaprodromou and Oubabe (15-1) in the Crystal Water Stakes for Baltas.

FINISH LINES: Sunday’s features on Gold Cup Weekend are the GII Santa Margarita featuring Adare Manor and the GIII Daytona on the hillside turf course led by tepid 4-1 morning line favorite First Peace for trainer Mark Glatt…The only winning favorite Friday on a nine-race card was Highlands ($5.40), who took the fifth under Juan Hernandez for trainer Peter Miller… Favorites have won at a below-average 30.9 percent clip at the Hollywood Meet entering Saturday…With just the lone winning favorite, Friday’s $1 Pick Six returned $23,918.90 for three winning tickets…Trainer Karen Headley won her first race of the year from her 11th starter in Friday’s fourth with Blazing Bardot ($15.40), who was ridden by Edwin Maldonado…Memorial Day Monday is Dollar Day at Santa Anita featuring $1 beers and sodas and $2 hot dogs…Clocker Toby Turrell, publisher of the Winner’s Card, will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Sunday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m. PT.