STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

__SUNDAY, MAY 7, 2023 __

- • BEHOLDER’S TEENA ELLA ON THE ASCENT WITH GIII SENORITA SCORE - • ONE IN VERMILLION DOING WELL AFTER LAZ BARRERA UPSET - • APPRENTICE ALSAGOOR HAS FIRST 3-WIN DAY SATURDAY __- • ARABIAN LION, THE CHOSEN VRON AMONG SUNDAY WORKERS __ - • TICKETS FOR BREEDERS’ CUP AT SANTA ANITA NOW ON SALE

BEHOLDER’S TEENA ELLA ON THE ASCENT WITH GIII SENORITA SCORE

Trainer Richard Mandella reported all appeared well with Teena Ella the day after she became the first offspring of Hall of Famer Beholder to win a stakes race.

In Saturday’s GIII Senorita on the hillside turf course, Teena Ella seized the lead near the eighth pole under Edwin Maldonado and gamely held off a late charge from 21-1 longshot Tom’s Regret to win by a neck.

“She showed a lot of courage,” Mandella said Sunday morning. “That horse that ran second ran a hell of a race but she held on.”

By War Front, Teena Ella has now won two of three starts since being switched to the turf. Her lone defeat came in her prior start on March 26 in the Angels Flight down the hill. In that race, Teena Ella lost ground when veering out at the dirt crossing and was beaten just a half-length by Fast and Shiny. They met again on Saturday, with Fast and Shiny flashing her customary early speed as the 2-1 favorite, but this time she faded to fifth in a six-horse field.

All five of Teena Ella’s starts have come sprints. Mandella said he expects she will try longer distances later this year.

“By Del Mar we’ll stretch her out,” said the Hall of Fame trainer.

Teena Ella is the third foal out of Beholder, a four-time champion who last year was elected to the Racing Hall of Fame. Her first two foals, Karin With an I and Q B One, were a combined 0-for-6 while with Mandella at Santa Anita.

Beholder’s fourth foal, an unnamed 2-year-old filly by Bolt d’Oro, arrived at Mandella’s barn on Saturday, the trainer said.

APPRENTICE ALSAGOOR HAS FIRST 3-WIN DAY SATURDAY

Apprentice Abdul Alsagoor, a 22-year-old native of Saudi Arabia, had his first three-win day Saturday at Santa Anita.

Alsagoor won the fourth race above Blue Cheese Olive ($8.60) for trainer Peter Miller, the fifth on Leisurewear ($5.00) for trainer Phil D’Amato and the eighth with Sawasdee ($7.00) for trainer Ron Ellis.

Alsagoor, 22, began race-riding in the fall of 2021. His first winner came in his 18th mount on January 23, 20222 at Santa Anita. He is represented by longtime agent Vincent DeGregory, who turned 90 last August.

“I like his personality and his attitude. He handles my criticism,” DeGregory said from Clocker’s Corner Sunday. “He rode some good horses Saturday and showed what he could do.”

Alsaggor has now won with four of 17 mounts at the Hollywood Meet, a 24 percent win rate. At the Classic Meet that ended April 9, Alsagoor was 9-for-59 (15 percent). As an apprentice, Alsagoor receives a seven-pound weight allowance. DeGregory said he is scheduled to lose his “bug” on June 28.

__ARABIAN LION, SLOW DOWN ANDY AMONG NOTABLE WORKERS SUNDAY __

There were 234 timed workouts on a busy Sunday morning at Santa Anita. Workers of note included Arabian Lion, The Chosen Vron, Straight No Chaser and Henry Q,

Arabian Lion worked for the second time since a narrow half-length loss in the GIII Lexington at Keeneland for trainer Bob Baffert. The Justify colt went five furlongs in 1:01.40.

Straight No Chaser, who was third in the GIII Palos Verdes here on Feb. 5, worked for the third time since a scintillating allowance win at Oaklawn Park on April 1. Trained by Dan Blacker, the 4-year-old Speightster colt went a half mile in 49.00 seconds.

The next major sprint stakes on the calendar at Santa Anita is the GII Triple Bend going seven furlongs on May 27. Blacker said this week Straight No Chaser was unlikely to run. The trainer said at this point he prefers to keep the colt at either six furlongs or 6 ½ furlongs.

The Chosen Vron worked for the second time since earning the 10th stakes win of his career in the March 19 Sensational Star at Santa Anita. The 5-year-old Vronsky colt drilled four furlongs in a bullet 47.60 seconds.

Trainer Eric Kruljac on Sunday said The Chosen Vron was a candidate to run here March 28 in either the Thor’s Echo going six furlongs on dirt or the Crystal Water at a mile on turf.

Henry Q, most recently third in the GIII Sunland Derby on March 26 at Sunland Park, worked for the fourth week in a row for trainer Doug O’Neill. The Blame colt went four five furlongs in 1:02.20. O’Neill said recently Henry Q was possible to run in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 20.

ONE IN VERMILLION DOING WELL AFTER LAZARO BARRERA UPSET

California-bred One in Vermillion was resting comfortably at Santa Anita Sunday morning one day after upsetting the seven-furlong Lazaro Barrera for 3-year-olds.

One in Vermillion’s 5 ¼-length win as the longest shot on the board was his fourth stakes win and first for trainer Eric Kruljac. The Army Mule colt made his first five starts at Turf Paradise and Sunland Park for trainer Esteban Martinez. Last year, he won the Turf Paradise Open Spring Futurity and Lost in the Fog Juvenile, also at Turf Paradise. He returned to win the Riley Allison Derby on Jan. 29 before running fifth in the GIII Sunland Park Derby.

One in Vermillion joined Kruljac’s stable ahead of the GI Santa Anita Derby on April 8 where he ran fifth at 53-1. Cut back to an elongated sprint distance in the Lazaro Barrera, One in Vermillion broke in front under Hector Berrios and was never headed. He extended his lead in the stretch to win by 5 ½ lengths over 2-1 second choice Navy Man.

“He came out of the race in fine fettle. All is good,” Kruljac said Sunday morning from Del Mar.

What’s next for One in Vermillion remains to be determined. He is the first racehorse owned by Jonathan Kalman, who bought the colt for just $26,000 at the 2021 Arizona Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Fall Mixed sale. One in Vermillion has since banked $242,000 with a record of 4-1-0 in seven starts.

Kruljac indicated One in Vermillion could be sent to Canterbury Park in Minnesota for the summer with Turf Paradise’s meet ending Sunday.

“I’m not sure what the owner is going to do, whether he’s going to send him to Minnesota or not,” Kruljac said. “But he would certainly fit well here in the Cal-bred program.”

One in Vermillion added to what’s been a productive weekend for the Kruljac family. On Friday, Eric’s son Ian Kruljac won a statebred allowance with the promising 3-year-old Clouseau. It was the son of Distorted Humor’s third win in four starts since being switched to dirt.

“It’s been a good week for the Kruljacs,” Eric Kruljac said.

FINISH LINES: There are 11 horses are nominated for next Saturday’s GIII San Luis Rey Stakes going 1 ½ miles on turf including graded-stakes winners Offlee Naughty and Midcourt. Entries will be taken on Wednesday… Tickets to this year’s Breeders’ Cup Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita are now on sale. Tickets can be purchased at BreedersCup.com/ticket…Sebastian Piscuskas, Santa Anita Loyalty & Marketing Ambassador, will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50…Condolences to family and friends of retired trainer L.R. (Ross) Fenstermaker, who passed away on April 25 at age 83. Best known for his tremendous work with Fred Hooper’s homebred HOFer Precisionist, Fenstermaker had been in poor health for several years due to the effects of a stroke.