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Santa Anita Stable Notes Sunday, March 3, 2024
3/3/2024
STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 2024
- SADLER EXPECTS IMPROVED EFFORTS FROMS SCATIFY, SUBSANADOR - D'AMATO HAS MULTIPLE SHOTS IN GI KILROE MILE, GII BUENA VISTA - FREE PARKING AND ADMISSION, DRINK SPECIALS OFFERED MONDAY
SADLER EXPECTS IMPROVED EFFORTS FROM SCATIFY, SUBSANADOR Trainer John Sadler has won three GI Santa Anita Handicaps and twice prevailed in the GII San Felipe Stakes. On Sunday, he’ll look to add to those victory totals with Scatify and Subsanador.
In the San Felipe for 3-year-olds, Scatify is the 9-5 co-second choice on Jon White’s morning line, which was revised following Saturday’s scratch of odds-on favorite Nysos. Subsanador, a Group I winner in his native Argentina, is listed at 5-1 in the 1 ¼-mile Big Cap. The 5-year-old Fortify horse seeks an improved effort after failing to deliver as the favorite in the GII San Antonio going 1 1/16 miles here Dec. 26.
Scatify will be making just his third start in the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe, which is a points-paying prep for the Kentucky Derby. The Justify colt won his debut going six furlongs Dec. 16 at Los Alamitos, then moved straight onto the Kentucky Derby trail. In the GII Robert B. Lewis at a mile here Feb. 3, Scatify had the lead to the quarter pole but proved no match late for eventual winner Nysos. Scatify finished third beaten 8 ¼ lengths, but just three-quarters of a length behind runner-up Wine Me Up.
Wine Me Up is also back in the San Felipe for Bob Baffert. Like Scatify, he’s also 9-5 on the morning line. Sadler came away encouraged with Scatify’s Lewis effort, particularly considering it was just his second start and first around two turns.
“I didn’t think it was a bad effort at all,” Sadler said. “He was giving up experience and had never routed. He also had to miss a work for that race because of the weather. I think if we hadn’t been ducking around the weather he would gotten second.”
Scatify has two works since the Lewis: a sharp four-furlong move in 47.80 seconds Feb. 17 followed by a five-furlong drill in 1:02.40 last Sunday. He will break from the rail with Berrios up in the San Felipe.
Subsanador was bet down to the 6-5 for his U.S. unveiling in the San Antonio. He was was last of five after the opening half mile and ultimately checked in fourth, 3 ½ lengths back of Newgrange, the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the Big Cap.
“He didn’t really get the trip we wanted,” Sadler said of the San Antonio. “He’s comeback to train well. We were thinking about a couple of other races for him but decided to take a shot in the big one.”
Sadler’s three Big Cap wins came in successive seasons from 2018 to 2020. In 2018, Accelerate prevailed for Sadler. Accelerate was followed by Gift Box in 2019 and Combatant in 2020. Sadler’s San Felipe triumphs were with Sidney’s Candy in 2010 and Corby in 1993.
The San Felipe goes as the fourth race Sunday at approximately 3:02 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Scatify, Hector Berrios (9-5); Wine Me Up, Juan Hernandez (9-5); Nysos, Flavien Prat (SCR); McVay, Antonio Fresu (5-1); Imagination, Frankie Dettori (6-1).
The Santa Anita Handicap is the eighth race Sunday. Post time is scheduled for 4:02 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Reincarnate, Juan Hernandez (8-1); Highland Falls, Florent Geroux (3-1); Mixto, Antonio Fresu (6-1); Salesman, Flavien Prat (6-1); Newgate, Frankie Dettori (4-1); Subsanador, Hector Berrios (5-1); Newgrange, Victor Espinoza (5-2).
D'AMATO HAS MULTIPLE SHOTS IN GI KILROE MILE, GII BUENA VISTA Trainer Phil D’Amato has a combined five horses entered in Sunday’s GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile and GII Buena Vista for older fillies and mare at a mile.
A five-time leading trainer at Santa Anita, D’Amato has won the previous two Kilroe Mile’s. Count Again prevailed in 2022 for D’Amato followed by Gold Phoenix last year. The 47-year-old trainer have two chances for a Kilroe “three-peat” with 9-5 morning line favorite Easter and Prince Abama, the 6-1 fourth choice in a nine-horse field.
Easter, a 6-year-old France-bred gelding by Exosphere, joined D’Amato’s barn last fall after previously being based in the east with trainer Graham Motion. He is riding a three-race win streak with the last two victories coming for D’Amato. Easter won the GII Seabiscuit at 1 1/16 miles Nov. 25 at Del Mar followed by the GII San Gabriel at 1 1/8 miles here Dec. 26.
“We’ve been pointing to this race for a while,” D’Amato said. “He’s been training very well. This is a nice field, there are a couple of really nice horses in good form. It should be a good race.”
Easter will be ridden by Antonio Fresu, who has been aboard for both local wins.
Prince Abama has not raced since last February when he won the GIII San Marcos going 1 ¼ miles at Santa Anita. He was entered to return in the GIII Thunder Road at mile here Feb. 3, but D’Amato ultimately elected to scratch.
“Coming off the bench, I didn’t really like how his training was interrupted because of the wet weather. I elected to take a step back and make sure everything was lined up for him to run well of the bench,” D’Amato said.
Prince Abama will be ridden for the first time by Frankie Dettori Sunday.
“He’s a competitor,” D’Amato said of Prince Abama. “He’s won at the distance, he’ll be fresh and should ready to go. I think he’s a classy enough horse to have a shot in here.”
In the Buena Vista, D’Amato will saddle 4-1 second choice Bellabel, Lakota Spirit (6-1) and longshot Lucky Girl (12-1).
Bellabel returned from a 3 ½-month layoff to win the GIII Megahertz at a mile here Feb. 3. It was the 5-year-old Belardo mare’s second graded stakes tally and third stakes win overall since arriving from her native Ireland.
“I liked what I saw in her comeback,” D’Amato said. “She set slow fractions, nobody really wanted the lead, but she flew home late. That showed me the turn of foot she showed as a 3-year-old. I think second time off the layoff she should be even better.”
Lakota Spirit tried the 1 ½-mile Astra Stakes here Feb. 3 and checked in fourth, 4 ¼-lengths adrift of winner Linda’s Gift.
“She’ll come running late,” D’Amato said of Lakota Spirit. “I think I ran her too long last time and it kind of took the punch away from her. Running her a little shorter I think we’ll see a better turn of foot late.”
Lucky Girl has been off since finishing sixth in the GII Goldikova at a mile here Nov. 5.
“It’s a good starting point for her,” D’Amato said. “We gave her a little time off and freshened her up. This should be a good step toward the Wilshire later this month.”
The GIII Wilshire at mile will be run March 30 at Santa Anita.
D’Amato previously won the Buena Vista in 2022 with Leggs Galore, 2021 with Charmaine’s Mia and 2018 with Fault.
The Kilroe Mile goes as the seventh race Sunday at approximately 3:32 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Prince Abama, Frankie Dettori (6-1); Easter, Antonio Fresu (9-5); Dandy Man Shines, Umberto Rispoli (8-1); Irideo, Jeremy Laprida (8-1); Ah Jeez, Hector Berrios (30-1); Du Jour, Flavien Prat (3-1); Mackinnon, Juan Hernandez (20-1); Goliad, Kazushi Kimura (4-1); First Peace, Mike Smith (10-1).
The Buena Vista goes as the tenth and final at approximately 5:02 p.m. The field in post position order: Be Your Best, Umberto Rispoli (8-1); Thirty Carats, Victor Espinoza (SCR); Lucky Girl, Antonio Fresu (12-1); Bellabel, Flavien Prat (4-1); Kissed by Fire, Tiago Pereira (SCR); Ruby Nell, Edwin Maldonado (7-2); Justique, Mike Smith (5-1); Closing Remarks, Juan Hernandez (5-1); Lakota Spirit, Kazushi Kimura (6-1); Nadette, Hector Berrios (12-1); Mouffy, Frankie Dettori (5-1).
FINISH LINES: Hall of Fame jockey Corey Nakatani, a three-time winner of the Santa Anita Handicap, will present this year’s Big Cap trophy…Santa Anita will host a nine-race card Monday starting at 12:30 p.m. PT. On-track fans will receive free parking and admission plus $3 beers and $5 margaritas…Jack Carava, former trainer current agent for jockeys Geovanni Franco and Kyle Frey, will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Monday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:20 a.m. PT.