STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

SUNDAY, MARCH 5, 2023

• STILLETO BOY HEADED HOME AFTER BIG CAP BREAKTHROUGH • PRACTICAL MOVE DOING WELL AFTER GII SAN FELIPE WIN • COAST-TO-COAST PICK 5 RETURNS SUNDAY • RAINBOW 6 MANDATORY PAYOUT PAYS $208,011.84 • LIVE RACING THIS THURSDAY WITH FIRST POST AT 12:30 P.M.

STILLETO BOY HEADED HOME AFTER BIG CAP BREAKTHROUGH

Stilleto Boy was doing well and on his way back to Golden Gate Fields one day after earning his first Grade I victory in the Santa Anita Handicap, trainer Ed Moger Jr. reported Sunday.

“Everything’s great; couldn’t be doing better,” Moger said via cell phone at around 8 a.m. “He’s here with me on the van and we’re about halfway home.”

Stilleto Boy earned $300,000 for his neck victory in the Big Cap under Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux, pushing his career bankroll to $1,711,675. In eight previous Grade I attempts, Stilleto Boy finished in the top-four on five separate occasions without a win. In last year’s Big Cap he was third.

For Moger, the Big Cap was the second Grade I win in a career that’s nearing five decades. His previous Grade I win came in the 2015 Matriarch Stakes with Stormy Lucy.

“I thought we had a really good chance going in,” Moger said of the Big Cap. “I’ve been training for 47 years and never thought I’d be in that position to have a top contender for the Santa Anita Handicap much less win it.”

While Stilleto Boy was the 5-1 fourth choice on the morning line, he floated up to 13-1 and paid $29.80 as the fourth-longest shot in a field reduced to nine with the scratches of longshots Parnelli and Scarlet Fusion.

Stilleto Boy is owned by Moger’s brother, Steve Moger. They are already thinking about what’s next for the 5-year-old gelding by Shackleford. According to Ed Moger, Stilleto Boy will likely be making another trip outside of California. Earlier this year on Jan. 28 Stilleto Boy went to Gulfstream Park and ran third in the Grade I Pegasus World Cup. Moger said both the Grade II, $1 million Oaklawn Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on April 22 and/or the Grade I, $1 million Metropolitan Handicap going a mile at Belmont Park on June 10 are under consideration.

PRACTICAL MOVE DOING WELL AFTER SHARP WIN IN GII IN SAN FELIPE

Trainer Tim Yakteen reported on Sunday that Practical Move was in good order following his victory in the Grade II San Felipe.

“He’s doing great. Everything checked out,” said Yakteen, who also on Saturday won a statebred allowance with the highly promising 3-year-old Kangaroo Court.

Practical Move, who earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure yesterday, was one of five horses entered by Yakteen in the San Felipe. National Treasure, the morning-line favorite, had to be scratched the morning of the race due to a bruised foot. Yakteen said the injury had been treated and “he’s doing much better this morning. We’re all good.” He did not indicate when and where National Treasure could resurface.

Yakteen’s other San Felipe starters – fourth-place finisher Hejazi, fifth-place finisher Fort Bragg and sixth-place finisher Mr Fisk – all emerged no worse for wear, the trainer said.

As for Practical Move, he earned 50 more qualifying points towards this year’s Kentucky Derby for his 2 ½-length win in the San Felipe under Ramon Vazquez. Combined with the 10 points he earned for winning Grade II Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 17, he now ranks second on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 60 points total. Forte, a smashing winner of Saturday’s Grade II Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park for trainer Todd Pletcher, earned a lofty 100 Beyer and leads all 3-year-olds with 90 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

Practical Move likely already has enough points to qualify for the Kentucky Derby on May 6, but Yakteen said the plan is for him to have one more start prior to the 1 ¼-mile classic at Churchill Downs. It will likely be the Grade I Santa Anita Derby on April 8, which awards Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a scale of 100-40-30-20-10 to the top-five finishers.

Yakteen’s other winner Saturday, Kangaroo Court, could not have been more impressive when sizzling six furlongs in 1:08.79 under Abel Cedillo. The Dads Caps gelding, who earned a 95 Beyer, was making his first start since a smashing 14 ¼-length maiden win at Del Mar on Aug. 20.

Yakteen said Kangaroo Court “will probably stay around one turn for now.” He mentioned the $150,000 Echo Eddie for 3-year-old statebreds going 6 ½ furlongs on April 8 as a potential next start.

“That seems like a logical step,” Yakteen said.

Yakteen, a former assistant to Bob Baffert, now has 278 wins in a career that dates back to 2004. He acknowledged Saturday’s success was among the highlights of his time as a trainer.

“Those 3-year-old races are always highlights, that’s what we’re in the game for,” Yakteen said. “Everybody wants to win the Kentucky Derby.”

COAST-TO-COAST PICK 5 RETURNS SUNDAY The Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 on Sunday consists of two races from Gulfstream Park and a trio of stakes from Santa Anita: the Grade III Santa Ysabel, which kicks off the sequence at 1:31; Grade III San Simeon on the hillside turf course and Baffle Stakes, also on the hillside turf course.

The Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 is a $1 minimum wager with player-friendly 15 percent takeout. Before scratches, average field size for the sequence is 9.6 starters per race.

Saturday’s Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 paid $11,057.00.

FINISH LINES: Saturday’s mandatory payout of the Rainbow Pick 6 paid $208,011.84 for nine winning tickets…Entries are being taken this morning for live racing on Thursday with first post time at 12:30 p.m. As is also the case each Friday, on-track patrons on Thursday will receive free admission and parking, as well as $3 beers and $5 margaritas…Three graded stakes are on tap next weekend: the Grade I Beholder Mile, Grade II San Carlos and Grade III Santa Ana...Santa Anita will host a Cornhole Festival on Saturday, March 18 from noon to 6 p.m…