STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN __SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 __

• 10 STAKES HIGHLIGHT MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND AT SANTA ANITA • WORK TAB: PROSPECTS FOR NEXT WEEK’S STAKES SLATE TUNE-UP • FRESU WINS 3 SATURDAY, MOVES TO TOP OF JOCKEY’S STANDINGS • SUNDAY’S $1 COAST-TO-COAST PICK 5 STARTS AT 1:23 P.M. PT

10 STAKES HIGHLIGHT MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND AT SANTA ANITA A massive Memorial Day weekend is planned at Santa Anita featuring 10 stakes including two Grade I’s and the 86th running of the historic GII Hollywood Gold Cup.

The stakes action will kick off next Saturday with a quintet of stakes for horses bred or sired in California. The following day, Santa Anita will host both the GII Santa Margarita for older fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on dirt and the GIII Daytona for older horses on the hillside turf course.

On Memorial Day, May 27, the Hollywood Gold Cup will be joined by the GI Shoemaker Mile on turf and the GI Gamely, which is for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

Expected to take a starring role next Saturday is the current king of California-breds, The Chosen Vron. The millionaire gelding, a 16-time stakes winner, is slated to defend his title in the $100,000 Thor’s Echo Stakes for trainer and co-owner Eric Kruljac.

The other stakes next Saturday are the $125,000 Melair for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on dirt, $100,000 Fran’s Valentine at a mile on turf for fillies and mares, $100,000 Crystal Water Stakes at a mile on turf and $125,000 Snow Chief presented by Citi National Bank for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

Entries for next Saturday’s card will be taken on Wednesday.

On Sunday, the Santa Margarita is expected to feature Grade I winner Adare Manor and the top-two finishers from the GII Santa Maria April 21, Coffee in Bed for trainer Richard Mandella and Super Shine for trainer Phil D’Amato.

The 1 ¼-mile Hollywood Gold Cup attracted 13 nominees. They include Subsanador and Reincarnate, who finished second and third, respectively, in the GI Santa Anita Handicap March 3; and lightly raced Judge Miller, who will look to rebound for trainer Mark Glatt after finishing second as the odds-on favorite in the GIII Californian when making his stakes debut April 20 at Santa Anita. Also nominated is last year’s winner There Goes Harvard, who was fifth in the Big ‘Cap for trainer Michael McCarthy.

The Shoemaker Mile attracted an intriguing group of nominees from across the country. Local hopes include last year’s winner, Exaulted for trainer Peter Eurton, and Du Jour, who won the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile here March 3 for trainer Bob Baffert. Trainer Tim Yakteen also nominated Johannes, who on April 4 returned with a vengeance when taking the GIII American in his 4-year-old bow.

Trainer Phil D’Amato’s nominees for the Shoemaker include multiple graded stakes winner Easter, who was second in the Kilroe Mile; and Conclude, who has been off since winning last September’s GII Del Mar Derby.

The Gamely has 16 nominees from across the country led by the one-two punch of Ruby Nell and Linda’s Gift, both multiple graded stakes winners for Mandella. They will both likely have to deal with two-time Grade I winner Anisette, who would be making her first start since winning the GI American Oaks for trainer Leonard Powell Dec. 26.

Entries for next Sunday’s card will be taken on Thursday. The Memorial Day program will be set on Friday.

WORK TAB: PROSPECTS FOR NEXT WEEK’S STAKES SLATE TUNE-UP With a smorgasbord of stakes set for next week at Santa Anita, it was a busy training period Sunday morning at The Great Race Place. In all, there 252 workouts recorded between the main track and training track.

Three horses nominated to the GII Hollywood Gold Cup on Memorial Day, May 27, worked towards potential starts. Last year’s winner, There Goes Harvard, worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 for trainer Michael McCarthy. There Goes Harvard most recently was fifth in the GI Santa Anita Handicap March 4.

Allowance winner Arrowthegreat drilled five furlongs in 1:01.80 for trainer Juan Landeros and Mixto, most recently third in the GIII Californian for trainer Doug O’Neill, worked four furlongs in 48.40 seconds.

Four contenders for the GI Shoemaker Mile on Memorial Day worked: Mi Hermano Ramon (6f, 1:14.60) for trainer Mark Glatt, Air Force Red (5f, 59.80) for trainer Leonard Powell, Almendares (5f, 1:00.00) for trainer Phil D’Amato and Astronomer (4f, 48.00) for trainer Simon Callaghan.

Working towards a potential start in the GI Gamely on Memorial Day was Uncorked for trainer Phil D’Amato. Winner of the GIII Royal Heroine in her first start for D’Amato April 27, the formerly eastern-based mare worked a bullet on the training track when completing five furlongs in 1:00.00.

Working towards potential starts in the GII Santa Margarita next Sunday were Adare Manor, Coffee in Bed and Gila. Grade I winner Adare Manor worked four furlongs in 48.20 seconds for trainer Bob Baffert. Coffee in Bed went four furlongs in 48.60 seconds for trainer Richard Mandella and Gila drilled four furlongs in 48.40 seconds for trainer Bob Hess. Jr.

FRESU WINS 3 SATURDAY, MOVES TO TOP OF JOCKEY’S STANDINGS Antonio Fresu now tops the Hollywood Meet jockey’s standings after bagging three wins on Saturday’s 10-race card.

Fresu, 32, won the second race aboard Aventapp ($11.20) for trainer Mark Glatt, the fourth on Magic Account ($6.40) for trainer Hector Palma and the seventh, the Mizdirection Stakes, on Miss Lizzy ($12) for trainer Doug O’Neill.

Fresu now has 15 wins from 76 mounts (20 percent) at the stand to lead Kyle Frey (14) by a single victory. Juan Hernandez, who topped the Classic Meet for his fifth Santa Anita riding title, is next with 13 wins. Umberto Rispoli, Edwin Maldonado and Hector Berrios are tied for fourth with 11 wins at the meet.

Fresu is set to ride eight of the nine races on Sunday’s card. In the featured Desert Code Stakes, which goes as the fifth at 3:07 p.m. PT, he will be aboard favorite King of Gosford (9-5) for trainer Phil D’Amato.

SUNDAY’S $1 COAST-TO-COAST PICK 5 STARTS AT 1:23 P.M. PT The $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 Sunday starts at 1:23 p.m. PT with the seventh race from Gulfstream Park. Also part of the sequence are the eighth and ninth from Gulfstream and the third and fifth races from Santa Anita.

Saturday’s Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 paid $11,216.50 for nine winning tickets.

Sunday’s first leg is an allowance/optional claimer at 7 ½ furlongs on turf. Boomin’ Belle with jockey Jose Morelos is the 2-1 favorite for trainer Mark Casse in a nine-horse field. The eighth from Gulfstream is an allowance at seven furlongs on dirt. In a field of 10, Etendre with jockey Edwin Gonzalez is the 2-1 favorite for trainer Carlos Davis.

The ninth from Gulfstream is a $35,000 maiden-claimer for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf. Luna Love with jockey Sonny Leon is the 5-2 favorite for trainer Antonio Sano.

Santa Anita’s third is a statebred allowance/optional claimer at a mile on turf. Red Cross Knight with jockey Edwin Maldonado is the 5-2 favorite for trainer John Sadler in a field of seven.

The fifth from Santa Anita is the $100,000 Desert Code for 3-year-olds on the hillside turf course. In a field of six, King of Gosford with jockey Joe Talamo is the 9-5 favorite for trainer Phil D’Amato.

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

FINISH LINES: Saturday’s $1 Pick Six paid $49,262.40 to a single winning ticket. The winners in the sequence, which included two favorites, were #8 Dr. Soulfire ($4.40), #7 Bolt d’Vine ($8.80), #7 Miss Lizzy ($12), #8 Mc Vay ($5), #4 Dual Threat ($21.80) and #3 Ashleys Sandcastle ($11.20)…Santa Anita-based Balnikhov and Frankie Dettori won Saturday’s GIII Dinner Party Stakes for trainer Phil D’Amato on the Preakness Stakes undercard at Pimlico. He paid $12.80 as the third choice in the wagering…Trainer Hector Palma and BG Stables won back-to-back races Saturday with Instinct D’Oro ($5.60) in the third and the fourth with Magic Account ($6.40), which BG Stables co-owns with Palma’s Royalty Stable…Favorite are winning at a below-average rate of 29.8 percent at the Hollywood Meet…Following Sunday’s nine-race card, live racing will resume Friday with first post at 1 p.m….Every Friday during the Hollywood Meet, on-track patrons receive free parking and admission plus $3 beers and $5 margaritas.