STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 2023

Photo Credit: TOKYO CITY KEIBA

• FUJITA HAS HIGH HOPES FOR MANDARIN HERO IN GI SA DERBY • NATIONAL TREASURE, GEAUX ROCKET RIDE, SKINNER GEARING UP • EURTON GETS 1ST STAKES WIN OF MEET WITH PRINCESS BETTINA • CASTELLANO TO BE HONORED WITH WOOLF AWARD SUNDAY • COAST-TO-COAST PICK 5 RETURNS SUNDAY

FUJITA HAS HIGH HOPES FOR MANDARIN HERO IN GI SANTA ANITA DERBY

Japanese trainer Terunobu Fujita was on hand at Santa Anita getting the lay of the land ahead of his historic participation in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby April 8 with Mandarin Hero.

Fujita, 46, will be the first trainer from Japan’s National Association of Racing to start a horse in the U.S. when Mandarin Hero goes postward for the 1 1/8-mile Runhappy Santa Anita Derby. Japan’s NAR circuit is comprised of regional tracks that race mostly on dirt. It is generally considered to be a notch below that of the more prominent Japan Racing Association, which races mostly on turf.

Mandarin Hero was a perfect 4-for-4 last year as a 2-year-old and in one start this year was a fast-closing second in a 1 1/8-mile stake on Feb. 23. All five of his races were run at Oi Racecourse in Tokyo.

Oi Racecourse and Santa Anita have had a “sister track” relationship going back decades. Each October, Santa Anita partners with Oi to hold a “Japan Family Day” in Arcadia featuring the Grade III Tokyo City Cup. In turn, Oi each November hosts a “Santa Anita Week” with the featured race being the Santa Anita Trophy.

In 2018, a program was implemented where horses at Oi could earn qualifying points for the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby through designated races. Mandarin Hero dominated the series this campaign.

While enjoying the races trackside on Saturday, Fujita said “it was my dream to have a horse run in the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby.

“I knew right after Mandarin Hero’s maiden win I wanted to come to Santa Anita,” he noted.

This was not Fujita’s first trip to Santa Anita. In 2010, just as he was opening his stable in Japan, he spent a week at Santa Anita “to look around and study American racing.”

Mandarin Hero is slated to touch down at LAX on March 29 following a 10-hour direct flight from Tokyo via U.S. Equine. Presuming there are no issues with quarantine, Mandarin Hero should be on the grounds at Santa Anita by noon on March 31.

Owned by Hiroaki Arai, Mandarin Hero is a dark brown colt from the first Japanese crop of Shanghai Bobby, North America’s champion 2-year-old male of 2012. Shanghai Bobby spent his first five seasons at stud in Kentucky before being sold to Japanese interests in 2018.

Fujita said Arai was initially hesitant to send Mandarin Hero to the U.S.

“I asked the owner at the end of last year, ‘Can we go to Santa Anita?’ He didn’t want to come,” Fujita recalled. “But after Mandarin Hero’s last race, he said ‘let’s go.’

“It was big news in Japan,” Fujita added. “I’m very proud of that.”

Through his first five starts, Mandarin Hero’s running style has been to come from off the pace. In the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, Fujita plans to use a jockey from the local colony.

“He has really good acceleration in the final stretch,” Fujita said. “I think he probably cannot handle the early pace, but he really likes to chase down other horses.”

If Mandarin Hero were to finish first or second in the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, he would likely earn enough qualifying points to move on to the Kentucky Derby.

“That would be a dream come true,” Fujita said.

The Runhappy Santa Anita Derby will be part of a blockbuster card on April 8. Also scheduled are the Grade II Santa Anita Oaks, GII Charles Whittingham and both the Echo Eddie and Evening Jewel for Calfornia-breds.

NATIONAL TREASURE, GEAUX ROCKET RIDE, SKINNER GEARING UP

With less than three weeks until the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 8, the contenders are ratcheting up their training.

On Sunday, both National Treasure and Skinner worked five furlongs in preparation for the 1 1/8-mile test that also serves as a final local prep for the Kentucky Derby. A day earlier, Geaux Rocket Ride had his first work since finishing second in the Grade II San Felipe March 4.

National Treasure, who was the morning-line favorite in the San Felipe but was scratched due to a bruised foot, drilled five furlongs in 1:00 for trainer Tim Yakteen. National Treasure returned to the work tab this past Tuesday following the setback with a six-furlong move in 1:11.80.

National Treasure is among a trio of top 3-year-olds trained by Yakteen. On Saturday, stablemates Practical Move and Reincarnate each worked. Following the drills Yakteen said Practical Move, winner of the San Felipe, would most likely stay here and run in the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby. In turn, Reincarnate would probably head back to Oaklawn Park where he won the Grade II Rebel to run in the Grade I Arkansas Derby on April 1.

On Sunday, Yakteen, said National Treasure would run in either the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby or Grade I Blue Grass at Keeneland on April 8.

“He had a very nice work this morning, very happy,” Yakteen added.

Skinner’s five-furlong work was completed in 1:01.60 for trainer John Shirreffs, who confirmed Skinner was on track for the Runhappy Satna Anita Derby. The son of Curlin was third in the San Felipe, beaten 3 ¾ lengths by Practical Move.

EURTON GETS 1ST STAKES WIN OF THE MEET WITH PRINCESS BETTINA

While trainer Peter Eurton has won at a solid 16 percent clip at the Classic Meet, it took until day 33 of the stand on Saturday to earn his first stakes win with his 42nd starter, Princess Bettina in the one-mile China Doll on turf.

“I’ve been a little lean with the stakes wins, they’re hard to get,” Eurton said Sunday morning. “But it’s been a good meet and I’m really happy about it.”

Princess Bettina was previously a troubled third under Flavien Prat when rated off the pace in the Feb. 17 Lady of Shamrock also at a mile on turf. She showed a new dimension in the China Doll. With Frankie Dettori taking over in the irons, Princess Bettina broke sharply and found herself on the lead.

“She’s always been precocious, I think Frankie described her as being ‘hot,’ so it wasn’t a big surprise she was running early,” Eurton said. “She broke so well and the lead was there for the taking. Frankie took it.”

Dettori and Princess Bettina clicked off fractions 23.09, 47.89 and 1:12.65 for six furlongs before crossing the wire a dominant 4 ¼-length winner. The winning time was 1:36.19 as Bettina earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 85 over a course listed as “good.”

“I think two turns is the key for her,” Eurton said. Bred in Florida by owner Donald R. Dizney, Princess Bettina is a 3-year-old daughter of Will Take Charge out of the First Dude mare Aiden’s Girl. She made her first two starts on dirt last year before switching to the grass, where she now has two wins in five starts.

Eurton indicated a return to dirt is possible at some point. But for now, he’s eyeing the Grade III Providencia for 3-year-old at a mile on turf on April 29

“She’s by a dirt sire, so I think the opportunity is there for her on dirt. But it’s hard to go back at this point,” Eurton said. “But I’ll talk to Mr. Dizney and we’ll come up with a plan.”

JAVIER CASTELLANO TO BE HONORED WITH WOOLF AWARD SUNDAY

Javier Castellano, a four-time Eclipse Award winning jockey and member of racing’s Hall of Fame, will be accompanied by friends, family members and a number of fellow riders this Sunday at Santa Anita, as he accepts the prestigious George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award Trophy in a Runhappy Winner’s Circle ceremony.

FanDuel TV’s Kurt Hoover will serve as the ceremony’s emcee between the sixth and seventh races in the Runhappy Winner’s Circle.

The Woolf Award has been presented annually by Santa Anita since 1950. The winner is determined by a vote of jockey’s nationwide and is named for one of the greatest big money riders of his era. Other finalists this year were jockeys Daniel Centeno, Terry Houghton, Edwin Maldonado and Willie Martinez.

Entering Thursday, the 45-year-old Castellano had ridden 5,624 winners and banked more than $378 million in purse earnings, which is second all-time behind only John Velazquez ($463 million).

COAST-TO-COAST PICK 5 RETURNS SUNDAY

The $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 with player-friendly 15 percent takeout rate returns Sunday with races from Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park. The sequence, which includes four turf sprints, kicks off at 1:07 p.m. PT with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park.

Gulfstream Park’s eighth race is a $35,000 claimer for 3-year-old turf sprinters. It has a field of nine entered. The sequence continues with the ninth and tenth race from Gulfstream, the fifth race from Santa Anita and concludes at 3:31 p.m. with the seventh race from Santa Anita.

Sunday’s Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 averages 8.8 starters per race before scratches. Last Sunday’s Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 returned $14,912 to 11 winning tickets.

FINISH LINES: Under overcast skies, a total 289 horses had times workouts Sunday on either the main track or training track. Rain is expected to arrive later Sunday and continue through Wednesday…There is a $157,757.27 Rainbow 6 carryover for Sunday’s card. The sequence starts with the sixth race at approximately 3:01 p.m.…The win rate for favorites has ticked up to 35.31 percent entering Sunday’s card… Every Friday during the Classic Meet, on-track patrons will receive free admission and parking, as well as $3 beers and $5 margaritas…