Horse racing newsletter: Honor A.P. wins the Santa Anita Derby

Hello, my name is John Cherwa, and welcome back to our horse racing newsletter as the bad news keeps coming for Bob Baffert with an injury to Charlatan.

Before we get to a very big day at Santa Anita, a couple of quick headlines.

— Charlatan, Baffert’s highly rated 3-year-old, will miss the Kentucky Derby when a filling was discovered in one of his front legs. It was first reported by the Paulick Report. You can read the story here.

— And Cezanne, the $3.25-million purchase, made his first career start in a maiden race on Saturday. He won but looked a little green. Baffert nominated him for the Kentucky Derby last week.

On to the races.

Santa Anita review

With seven stakes races, let’s not waste any time.

$100,000 Fran’s Valentine Stakes: Yet another masterful ride from Flavien Prat in the six-horse race restricted to Cal-bred fillies and mares going a mile on the turf. He went from last to first with Super Patriot to win by 1 ¾ lengths.

Cordiality went to the lead and was tracked by Sedamar entering the stretch. Sedamar took a slight lead, but Super Patriot kicked late and won easily. Super Patriot paid $5.00, $2.80 and $2.10. Sedamar was second followed by Warren’s Showtime, Pulpit Rider, Cordiality and Hollywood Hills.

“She’s not easy to deal with, but she is special,” winning trainer Richard Baltas told Mike Willman of Santa Anita. “She’s got a great turn of foot. They were walking, but she was off the bridle and looked very comfortable. All I told Flavien was ‘Don’t get her stopped.’ She was inside, then he took her outside. He’s Flavien Prat!”

$75,000 Desert Code Stakes: Since this is a minor stakes for 3-year-olds going 5 ½ furlongs on the turf, we won’t spend much time on it. She’s So Special was able to squeeze between horses in the stretch and win by a half-length. It was the third win on the day for Prat.

She’s So Special paid $4.80, $3.00 and $2.40. El Tigre Terrible was second and Thanks Mr. Eidson was third.

Grade 2 $200,000 Santa Anita Oaks: There were only four horses in this Kentucky Derby Oaks race for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles but the shipper, Swiss Skydiver, was much the best. She went to the lead and never looked back, winning by four lengths.

Swiss Skydiver paid $3.20 and $2.10. There was no show betting. Speech was second, followed by Merneith and Regal Beauty.

Here’s what the winning connections had to say.

Kenny McPeek (winning trainer): “She’s good, just keeps getting better too. I was reluctant to bring her. We thought maybe we ought to wait for the Ashland with a short field and everything. She’s easy to be around, she loves to run. They asked me to bring her vet records, I said, ‘There aren’t any!’ They went 22 and change speed early, which kind of surprised me, but she’s got it in her. She’s getting better too, I think.”

Mike Smith (winning jockey): “In talking to Kenny [McPeek] he said, ‘Mike, you can play either way, just play it off the break, she has plenty of speed if you need it or she’ll sit and settle if you want to.’ So I felt pretty confident then. And just to make myself more confident I reached out to Brian Hernandez and I asked him. He told me, ‘If you want her in the lead she will go to it easily.’ So, I checked all the boxes and then I just stayed on. That’s pretty much all I did.

“When a horse puts their ears forward like that, that means there usually is something left in the tank. They are kind of taking a breather, looking at things. When I tightened the reins up she really accelerated. I kept busy until about the eighth pole and really, she was on cruise control after that. She’s an extremely talented filly.”

$100,000 Crystal Water Stakes: Talk about a big upset, or a race you wish you had an “all” in horizontal wagering. Grinning Tiger won this one mile turf race for Cal-breds or Cal-sired horses at odds of 90-1. The 5-year-old gelding went to the front and stayed there, winning by 1 ¾ lengths.

Grinning Tiger paid an unbelievable $186.00, $48.00 and $19.60. Lieutenant Dan was second and Brandothebartender finished third.

Here’s what the winning connections had to say.

Anthony Saavedera (winning trainer): “I really did think we could get it done. He shuts off so easy, he’s not a runoff. He will just bow that head and do whatever we want him to do. We were dying to try the two turns. I’ve entered this horse five times, but nothing filled. We were going to scratch him at the last minute but we all came together and said he needs to run.

“I put blinkers on for three races trying to get him around the turns but he wouldn’t break with them, he was too nervous in there. We took them back off and went back to where we were at.”

Heriberto Figueroa (winning jockey): “I tried to let him relax, he’s very hyper. You have to keep it quiet and talk to him really nice and easy. He relaxed pretty good [Saturday].”

Grade 1 $400,000 Santa Anita Derby: This 1 1/8 mile Kentucky Derby prep was a testament to the undervalued Honor A.P. He swept into the stretch, disposed of favorite Authentic and won by 2 ¾ lengths. For a longer version of what happened in the race, check out the main story we did for web and print. Just click here.

Honor A.P. paid $6.40, $2.60 and $2.20. Authentic was second, followed by Rushie, Anneau d’Or, Shooters Shoot, Friar’s Road and Azul Coast.

Here’s what he winning connections had to say.

John Shirreffs (winning trainer): “He ran great, it was a super effort. I’m just happy for everybody involved, and I can’t thank Mike Smith enough for all that he has done. Whenever I need Mike, he’s always there for me. I really appreciate that.

“We were happy with the way Honor A.P. was training for the race. We knew that he has tactical speed and Mike can put him pretty much where he wants. On the backside, we hoped he would get comfortable to have a nice little kick in the end, and it all worked out well.”

Mike Smith (winning jockey): “The game plan was to jump well and to let him run into that first turn and hopefully I could get him behind Authentic. If not right behind him then just to his outside a little bit and use my horse’s big long stride to his advantage and maybe get a little brave a little early. Which I did, I kind of went a little bit too early, but he was ready [Saturday]. He missed him [Authentic] time and time before and ran a big race when he ran a very good second [in the San Felipe]. It seems the further you go with him the better, he’s just got that big long, beautiful, powerful stride.”

$150,000 Cinema Stakes: This was probably the most competitive of all the stakes, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for 3-year-olds. Hariboux took the lead at the top of the stretch and held gamely between horses to win by a neck. Jeff Mullins was the trainer and Umberto Rispoli rode the winner.

Hariboux paid $3.60, $2.40 and $2.10. K P All Systems Go was second followed by Heywoods Beach, Dominant Soul and Liar Liar.

Grade 1 $300,000 Hollywood Gold Cup: This race, formerly known as the Gold Cup, and previously known as the Hollywood Gold Cup, was all about the colt Improbable. He won the 1 ¼ mile race by 3 ¼ lengths and it could have been more. He went to the front on the far turn and it was all over from there. Improbable was last year’s Kentucky Derby favorite and was placed fourth after the disqualification of Maximum Security.

Improbable paid $4.60, $3.00 and $2.40. Higher Power was second, followed by Tenfold, Brown Storm, Midcourt and Parsimony.

Here’s what the winning connections had to say.

Bob Baffert (winning trainer): “This horse has been training so well. We actually scratched him out of the race at Oaklawn to bring him back here to run in the Gold Cup, so it turned out great. Drayden [Van Dyke] had him in the perfect spot and he had plenty left for the run home. I’m happy for the team. Everyone thought this horse was a turf horse and I thought he needed the dirt. This horse is only going to get better.”

Drayden Van Dyke (winning jockey): “It’s awesome, walking back it’s just kind of getting it into my head, I just won the Hollywood Gold Cup, there’s so much history in that race. To be a part of it, I’m blessed.

“It was how he has been working in the mornings. I worked him several times going seven furlongs and these gallop outs that he would give me were just unbelievable. He was doing unbelievable for this race. He was sitting on a big one and he ran a big one.

“He’s matured, he still has his antics in the gate a little bit. They put some pads in the gate [Saturday]. I think it helped him, also he was comfortable running at his home base When he travels he seems to have more troubles at the gate, [Saturday] he did everything perfect.”

Santa Anita preview

It’s tough to top Saturday’s big card, and Sunday’s doesn’t do it. There are nine races starting at 12:30 p.m. Three of the races are on the turf, there is a pretty good stakes race, and two allowance optional claimers. There are five races that are strictly claimers.

The stakes is the Grade 2 $200,000 Triple Bend for horses going seven furlongs. McKinzie is the standout 3-5 favorite for trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Mike Smith. You’ll remember him for a pretty high-level career with seven wins in 15 starts. Four of those wins were Grade 1s. Baffert is shortening him up to seven furlongs, which he has run twice. He won his maiden at that distance and also the Malibu Stakes. He’s coming off a very poor performance in the Saudi Cup, where he finished 11th. Smith returns as his jockey after two rides by Joel Rosario.

The second favorite, at 5-2, is Flagstaff for John Sadler and Victor Espinoza. He’s coming off a second in a Grade 3 at Oaklawn and one back won the San Carlos at seven furlongs. He is five-for-12 lifetime, spending almost all his career as a sprinter. Post is set for 4:18 p.m.

Here are the field sizes, in order: 8, 7, 6, 6, 11, 6, 10 (1 also eligible), 5, 10.

Ciaran Thornton’s SA pick of the day

RACE FIVE: No. 7 Sapori Girl (15-1)

Sapori Girl makes the second start off a nine-month layoff. Last out trainer Tim Yakteen brought the horse back at this distance up North on grass. Deep stretch from the back of the pack, on the inside path, the horse had to shift five wide and make a powerful late move to run fourth less than three lengths back. Sunday we get Umberto Rispoli for the first time and on deep closers so far this year he has proven to be the win maker on turf for these types of horses. We are getting great value at 15-1. Sapori has the top speed at this distance in the race. Horses over 5-1 have also won this race 30% of the time.

Saturday’s result: Sedamar was bet down to 7-2 and looked every bit of it. Tracking perfectly in second, Sedamar took the lead in the stretch but was caught on the line to run second to the favorite.

Ciaran Thornton is the handicapper for Californiapick4.com, which offers daily full card picks, long shots of the day, best bets of the day.

Big races review

A look at graded stakes or races worth $100,000 or more on Saturday.

Woodbine (4): $123,200 maiden special weight, fillies and mares 3 and up, 6 furlongs. Winner: Fairywren ($12.10)

Gulfstream (6): $100,000 Soldier’s Dancer Stakes, Fla-breds 3 and up, 1 1/16 miles on turf. Winner: Muggsamatic ($7.40)

Santa Anita (1): $100,000 Fran’s Valentine Stakes, Cal-bred fillies and mares 3 and up, 1 mile on turf. Winner: Super Patriot ($5.00)

Gulfstream (8): $100,000 Ginger Punch Stakes, Fla-bred fillies and mares 3 and up, 1 1/16 miles on turf. Winner: Kelsey’s Cross ($7.80)

Woodbine (6): $108,700 allowance optional claiming, 3 and up, 5 furlongs. Winner: Not So Quiet ($10.00)

Belmont (6): Grade 2 $150,000 Fort Marcy Stakes, 4 and up, 1 1/8 miles on turf. Winner: Instilled Regard ($6.40)

Belmont (7): Grade 3 $100,000 Westchester Stakes, 4 and up, 1 1/16 miles. Winner: Code of Honor ($4.50)

Churchill (8): $100,000 Aristides Stakes, 4 and up, 6 furlongs. Winner: Volatile ($3.00)

Belmont (8): Grade 3 $100,000 Intercontinental Stakes, fillies and mares 4 and up, 7 furlongs on turf. Winner: Newspaperofrecord ($4.70)

Woodbine (9): $112,500 allowance, fillies and mares 3 and up, 7 ½ furlongs on the turf. Winner: Another Time ($15.30)

Santa Anita (5): Grade 2 $200,000 Santa Anita Oaks, fillies 3-years-old, 1 1/16 miles. Winner: Swiss Skydiver ($3.20)

Belmont (9): $250,000 Grade 1 $250,000 Carter Handicap, 3 and up, 7 furlongs. Winner: Vekoma ($5.30)

Churchill (10): Grade 3 $100,000 Dogwood Stakes, fillies 3-years-old, 7 furlongs. Winner: Four Graces ($6.60)

Woodbine (10): $101,200 allowance, fillies and mares 3 and up, 5 furlongs. Winner: Artie’s Princess ($3.00)

Santa Anita (7): $100,000 Crystal Water Stakes, Cal-breds 3 and up, 1 mile on turf. Winner: Winning Tiger ($186.00)

Santa Anita (8): Grade 1 $400,000 Santa Anita Derby, 3-year-olds, 1 1/8 miles. Winner: Honor A.P. ($6.40)

Santa Anita (9): $150,000 Cinema Stakes, 3-year-olds, 1 1/18 miles on turf. Winner: Hariboux ($3.60)

Santa Anita (10): Grade 1 $300,000 Hollywood Gold Cup, 3 and up, 1 ¼ miles. Winner: Improbable ($4.60)

Big races preview

A look at graded stakes or races worth $100,000 or more on Sunday. All times PDT.

10:39 Woodbine (4): $123,200 maiden special weight, 3 and up, 6 furlongs. Favorite: Casanova Kitten (3-1)

1:21 Woodbine (7): $108,700 allowance optional claimer, fillies and mares 3 and up, 5 furlongs. Favorite: Foxxy Belle (8-5)

1:53 Woodbine (8): $101,200 allowance, 3 and up, 5 furlongs. Favorite: Muskoka Son (3-1)

4:18 Santa Anita (8): Grade 2 $200,000 Triple Bend Stakes, 3 and up, 7 furlongs. Favorite: McKinzie (3-5)

Chris Wade’s LA pick of the day

RACE FOUR: No. 9 Watch Over Bella (5-1)

This first-time gelding finished a much better than looked third in his career debut 37 nights ago as the public choice after prepping very strongly in the morning hours. The son of One Famous Eagle leaned back at the gate opening and then threw his head around to lose over a length of ground to a perfect tripped winner. He went on to finish strongly to garner a trifecta placing followed by a solid gallop out past the wire. For this race, he should love the change in post position, and I believe he will be a strong contender to win this Ed Burke Million Futurity trial.

And now the stars of the show, Saturday’s results and Sunday’s entries.