STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN THURSDAY, OCT. 3, 2024

__• SWEET AZTECA GETS 1 MORE BREEDERS’ CUP PREP • STRAIGHT NO CHASER RETURNS TO TRACK, TARGETS BC SPRINT • SPEAKEASY: SMASH IT TRIES TURF AFTER BIG MAIDEN WIN • FRIDAY’S $2 PICK 6 FEATURES 83K CARRYOVER • OAK TREE DAY: FREE STEIN FEATURES ‘DECADES OF CHAMPIONS’ • NEW WAGER OFFERED SATURDAY FUTURE STARS $1 PICK 5 __

GIII CHILLINGWORTH: SWEET AZTECA GETS 1 MORE BREEDERS’ CUP PREP

Following Sweet Azteca’s blowout win in the GIII Rancho Bernardo Aug. 25 at Del Mar, trainer Michael McCarthy had considered waiting for the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint to run back the Grade I winner. Instead, following a quick five-furlong work in 59.80 seconds last weekend at Santa Anita, Sweet Azteca was entered in Saturday’s GIII, $100,000 Chillingworth Stakes going 6 ½ furlongs at The Great Race Place.

“I had given it some thought, to wait for the Breeders’ Cup,” McCarthy said from his stable office Thursday morning. “But I felt it might be better to let her go ahead and run rather than watch her work in 58 and change, 59 and change week after week.”

In the Rancho Bernardo win, Sweet Azteca set the pace under Flavien Prat and drew off in the stretch to romp by seven lengths. Left in her wake that day were runner-up Chismosa and third-place finisher Anywho, both of whom also return in the Chillingworth.

The Rancho Bernardo was Sweet Azteca’s fourth-straight win, which have come by a combined 34 ¾ lengths. After airing by 12 lengths in an allowance win in February at Santa Anita, she returned to win the GI Beholder Mile five weeks later. In July at Los Alamitos, prior to the Rancho Bernardo, she set a new track record for 6 ½ furlongs when winning the Great Lady M by five lengths in a time of 1:14.33.

In the Chillingworth, Sweet Azteca drew post three in a field of seven. Among the new rivals she’ll have to face are promising 3-year-old Hope Road for Bob Baffert; last year’s Chillingworth winner, Kirstenbosch for trainer John Sadler; and the ascending 3-year-old One Magic Philly, who uncorked a 98 Beyer Speed Figure when winning a 6 ½-furlong allowance Sept. 2 at Del Mar in her third start. She is trained by Phil D’Amato.

Sweet Azteca, a 4-year-old filly by Sharp Azteca, will have the services of Juan Hernandez. He previously rode Sweet Azteca in the Great Lady M. “It’s a decent size field and she’s drawn down towards the inside,” McCarthy said. “I’m expecting the same kind of race we’ve seen from her in the last couple.”

The Chillingworth is one of five stakes Saturday, which is also Oak Tree Day at Santa Anita. Also set to be run are the GI American Pharoah, GII Oak Leaf, GII Rodeo Drive and Speakeasy stakes.

The Chillingworth goes as the seventh race on a 10-race card. First post Saturday is 1 p.m. PT with the Chillingworth set to go at approximately 4 p.m. The field in post position order: Irish Wahine, Kyle Frey (30-1); Hope Road, Kazushi Kimura (4-1); Sweet Azteca, Juan Hernandez (3-5); Anywho, Tyler Baze (20-1); One Magic Philly, Antonio Fresu (5-1); Kirstenbosch, Hector Berrios (10-1); Chismosa, Tiago Pereira (8-1).

STRAIGHT NO CHASER RETURNS TO TRACK, EYES BC SPRINT

Straight No Chaser returned to the track for a light training session Thursday, four days after his eye-catching win in the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship. “He looked great out there,” trainer Dan Blacker said.

Owned by My Racehorse, Straight No Chaser pummeled the competition in the six-furlong Santa Anita Sprint. The 5-year-old Speightster horse went straight to the front under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, completed the opening half mile in a sharp 44.28 seconds and then drew off in the stretch to score by 6 ¼ lengths. The winning time of 1:08.54 earned a 104 Beyer Speed Figure.

Blacker said next up for Straight No Chaser will likely be a start in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint going six furlongs Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

“The Breeders’ Cup is something we can point too,” Blacker said. “I still need to talk to the owners and decide on a plan, but hopefully that’s where we run next.” The Santa Anita Sprint was Straight No Chaser’s first start in 4 ½ months. When previously seen on May 11 at Aqueduct, Straight No Chaser was a troubled fourth in the GIII Runhappy going six furlongs. That day he stumbled at the start, hustled up to get the early lead and then weakened late to be beaten by three lengths.

Straight No Chaser is 8: 4-0-1 with $256,300 in earnings. His only previous stakes win came in last year’s GIII Maryland Sprint on the Preakness Stakes undercard at Pimlico.

SPEAKEASY: SMASH IT TRIES TURF AFTER BIG MAIDEN WIN

Smash It, who broke through with a quick maiden win going 5 ½ furlongs on dirt at Del Mar Sept. 7, switches to turf for trainer Todd Fincher as part of an eight-horse field set for Saturday’s Speakeasy Stakes for 2-year-old going five furlongs on the lawn.

Following three-straight runner up finishes—all to well regarded colts trained by Bob Baffert—Smash It’s graduation win came by a half-length in a front-running fashion. The effort earned a 91 Beyer Speed Figure, which easily tops the Speakeasy field.

A Louisiana-bred gelding by Star Guitar, Smash It is campaigned by breeders Scott Bryant, Clay Cash, George Coleman and partners. He is out of multiple stakes winner Hennesey Smash. All six of Hennesey Smash’s foals have reached the Winner’s Circle, but none on turf.

Smash It will have regular rider Umberto Rispoli in the irons. Looming as a major threat to Smash It is eastern invader Dreamaway, a filly, for trainer Wesley Ward. The daughter of Flameaway won her debut going 4 ½ furlongs on dirt at Keeneland in April, then rolled to a five-length score going five furlongs on turf in the Colleen Stakes at Monmouth Park July 28. A homebred for John Oxley, Dreamaway has lured the services of top rider Juan Hernandez for her California debut.

Kale’s Angel, trained by Peter Miller, enters off a sharp maiden win going five furlongs on turf at Del Mar in her second start Aug. 2. The Complexity colt was a bit slow out of the blocks that day but rallied to seize control and drew clear to win by two lengths. Owned by Tom Kagele and Ernest Marchosky, Kale’s Angel will be ridden by Antonio Fresu for the first time.

The Speakeasy, which is a potential launching pad to the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Nov.1 at Del Mar, goes as the fourth race Saturday. Post time is approximately 2:30 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: Snowdonia, Hector Berrios (30-1); Kale’s Angel, Antonio Fresu (6-1); Pali Kitten, Kazushi Kimura (20-1); I’m a Bad Boy, Ricky Gonzalez (8-1); Dreamaway, Juan Hernandez (6-5); Smash It, Umberto Rispoli (7-5); Timty, Kyle Frey (SCR); Tiz Happy, Edwin Maldonado (20-1).

FRIDAY’S $2 PICK 6 FEATURES AN $83K CARRYOVER

A carryover of $83,939.94 in the $2 Pick Six awaits horseplayers Friday on a nine-race card. The total pool is expected to approach $500,000.

Friday’s carryover is the result of there being no perfect tickets in Sunday’s Pick Six. Helping to trigger the carryover were a pair of longshots—#1 Commander ($40) in the sixth with Hector Berrios up for trainer Hector Palma and #2 Hacking It Up ($55.80) in the eighth, ridden by John Velazquez and trained by George Papaprodromou.

First post Friday is 1 p.m. PT. The Pick Six kicks off with the fourth race at approximately 2:30 p.m. After early scratches, the Pick Six sequence averages 8.2 starters per race.

FINISH LINES: Saturday is Oak Tree Day at Santa Anita. On-track patrons will receive a free Oak Tree stein commemorating ‘Decades of Champions’ who ran at the fall Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita from 1969 through 2010. Featured on the stein are legendary Oak Tree/Santa Anita performers Ancient Title, John Henry, Best Pal, Tiznow and Zenyatta. All five are enshrined in the Racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y…A new wager will be offered Saturday, the Future Stars Pick 5 featuring five 2-year-old Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ stakes races. The $1 minimum wager with 15 percent takeout starts at 12:17 p.m. PT with the Frizette from Aqueduct and also includes the Champagne from Aqueduct, Breeders’ Futurity from Keeneland and both the Oak Leaf and American Pharoah from Santa Anita…Trainer George Papaprodomou capped off a big opening weekend at the Santa Anita Autumn Meet with three more winners on Sunday. He won the third race with Why Behave ($14), eighth race with Hacking It Up ($55.50) and 10th race with Sneaker ($15.60). Papaprodromou finished the week with six wins including the California Crown John Henry on Saturday with longshot Cabo Spirit…Trainer Hector Palma saddled a pair of winners Sunday. He won the second race with Magic Account ($6.40) and the sixth race with Commander ($40)…Jockeys John Velazquez, Hector Berrios and Tyler Baze each rode two winners Sunday.. This Sunday’s card at Santa Anita will feature the Zuma Beach Stakes for 2-year-olds at a mile on turf, Surfer Girl Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at a mile on turf and GIII Tokyo City Cup at 1 ½ miles on dirt. Sunday’s full card will be set later Thursday.