STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2023

- • SA DERBY WINNER PRACTICAL MOVE IS BACK FROM KENTUCKY - • DR. SCHIVEL, 2021 BC SPRINT RUNNER-UP, RETURNS SATURDAY - • PALMA HAS TWO HOMEBREDS IN FIRST OPEN JUVENILE RACE FRIDAY - • GI WINNER AMERICAN THEOREM HAS 1ST WORK SINCE BREEDERS’ CUP - • TICKETS FOR BREEDERS’ CUP AT SANTA ANITA NOW ON SALE

SANTA ANITA DERBY WINNER PRACTICAL MOVE RETURNS FROM KENTUCKY

Grade I Santa Anita Derby winner Practical Move, who was scratched from last Saturday’s Kentucky Derby due to a fever, returned to Santa Anita from Churchill Downs on Wednesday night.

Practical Move was withdrawn from the 149th Kentucky Derby last Thursday when he was found to have an elevated temperature after a morning jog. Trainer Tim Yakteen said this morning “everything is good” with the colt but there is no timetable when he will return to training.

“We’ll just play it by ear,” Yakteen said. “We’re good, but first we’ll let him get his feet underneath him. We’ll come up with a plan when he’s back in a regular training routine.”

Joining Practical Move on the return trip from Kentucky were four other horses Yakteen started on the Kentucky Derby undercard: Kangaroo Court, Johannes, Fort Bragg and Reincarnate. Yakteen reported all were doing well Thursday morning.

Kangaroo Court finished a disappointing 11th as the slight 4-1 favorite in the GII Pat Day Mile when trying open stakes company for the first time. Breaking from the rail under John Velazquez, he was just a head back after the opening half mile but then quickly faded out of contention.

“He just didn’t fire. No excuse,” Yakteen said. “We’ll regroup and figure it out. He was absolutely doing fantastic going into the race. He’s a headscratcher for us.”

Meanwhile, Fort Bragg nearly won the Pat Day Mile when being beaten only a neck by General Jim for “Shug” McGaughey. He is back at Santa Anita and has been reunited with Bob Baffert, Yakteen said.

Also back with Baffert is Reincarnate. The Good Magic colt, with Velazquez up, was forwardly placed in the Derby before faltering to a 13th-place finish.

Johannes suffered his first loss on turf when a troubled fifth in the GII American Turf. With Umberto Rispoli in the irons, he was stuck behind a wall of horses at the rear of the field. Despite a moderate pace, the Nyquist colt was finally able to launch a rail rally in the stretch to be beaten just over two lengths.

“He ran an amazing race,” Yakteen said. “When you’re that far back on a pedestrian pace, it’s almost impossible to make up that kind of ground.”

DR. SCHIVEL, 2021 BC SPRINT RUNNER-UP, RETURNS FROM LAYOFF SATURDAY

Dr. Schivel, the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Sprint runner-up who has not started since last year’s GI Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 26, is set to return Saturday in a six-furlong classified allowance at Santa Anita.

Dr. Schivel will face four rivals in his long-awaited comeback including C Z Rocket, the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Sprint runner-up at Keeneland. Santa Anita leading rider Juan Hernandez has the call on Dr. Schivel.

Trained by Mark Glatt, Dr. Schivel has been working at Santa Anita since early February. Following a series of rainstorms at Santa Anita that wreaked havoc on training schedules, Dr. Schivel has since been on a once-a-week work pattern. Most recently, he worked six furlongs in 1:12.20 on May 1 and returned with a five-furlong move in 1:01.20 on Monday.

Glatt had considered sending Dr. Schivel to Pimlico for a try in the GIII Maryland Sprint on the Preakness undercard but the decision was ultimately made to stay home.

“When a horse has been off that long, you want to make it as easy as you can. But they’re never easy,” Glatt noted. “We’re trying to get a race under his belt and see where he’s at off this layoff.”

A 5-year-old full horse by Violence, Dr. Schivel has a record of 5-2-2 in 10 starts with earnings of $1,076,500. As a 3-year-old, he won the GI Bing Crosby at Del Mar and GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship before a heartbreaking nose defeat to Aloha West in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar.

Dr. Schivel’s only start last year was a third in the Dubai Golden Shaheen in the Middle East. Glatt said his charge returned from the trip with bone bruising and he was ultimately given the rest of the year off.

“He’s doing well. He seems to be about the same as he was as a 4-year-old,” Glatt said. “He’s certainly fresh for Saturday.”

C Z Rocket was entered in last Saturday’s GI Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard but was scratched. An earner of just under $2 million, C Z Rocket has not started since finishing eighth in this year’s Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 25. He will be ridden on Saturday by Ramon Vazquez.

PALMA HAS 2 HOMEBREDS IN FIRST OPEN JUVENILE RACE OF SEASON FRIDAY Longtime California horseman Hector Palma will take two shots at winning the first open juvenile race of the Santa Anita season on Friday.

Palma, 85, is the trainer and co-breeder of the California-bred colts Midnight Love and Spot D’Oro, who will break from the two inside stalls in the 4 ½-furlong dash.

Midnight Love is by Midnight Lute out of the Dixie Union mare Magical Band. He has worked seven times for his debut. Midnight Love is the sixth foal out of Magical Band. As Palma noted Thursday morning from Clocker’s Corner, all three of her previous foals to make the races have won.

Spot D’Oro is by Gato Del Oro out of the Papa Clem mare Magical Spot. Gato Del Oro, by Medaglia d’Oro, was a three-time winner and graded-stakes placed for trainer Richard Baltas. Palma said he is an owner of Gato Del Oro, who stands for $2,000 at BG Thoroughbred Farm in Hemet.

Gato Del Oro had a single 2-year-old in his first crop last year—Storm d’Oro, who won a maiden-claimer here on March 31.

“I think he’s going to make a good stallion,” Palma said of Gato Del Oro.

As for Saturday’s race, Palma said Spot D’Oro might have the better chance of his two starters.

“Midnight Love has probably a little more speed but has to deal with the rail in her first start. I think the other one, Spot D’Oro, is the more likely winner,” Palma said.

All indications are the horse to beat on Friday is the filly She’s My Niece, the 8-5 morning-line favorite for trainer Doug O’Neill. The daughter of Hard Spun out of the stakes-placed Afleet Alex mare Anydayismyday has a pair of bullets on the tab and has worked three-straight times from the gate entering her debut.

Post time is scheduled for 2:04 p.m.

FINISH LINES: Grade I winner American Theorem had his first work Monday since an eighth-place finish in the Nov. 5 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland. He went four furlongs in 49.40 seconds for trainer George Papaprodromou…Santa Anita-based Henry Q, who was under consideration for next week’s Preakness for trainer Doug O’Neill, is entered in Saturday’s GIII Peter Pan for 3-year-old going 1 1/8 miles at Belmont Park. Henry Q is owned in part by UCLA football coach Chip Kelly and UCLA men’s basketball coach Mick Cronin… …Saturday’s late Pick 5 at Santa Anita returned a cool $86,062 to four winning tickets…Favorites are winning at a 29.12% clip at the Hollywood Meet…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.