SANTA ANITA LEADERS

(Final standings for Classic Meet)

Jockeys / Wins

Juan Hernandez / 53

Flavien Prat / 42

Umberto Rispoli / 38

Hector Berrios / 37

Antonio Fresu / 29

Trainers / Wins

Mark Glatt / 31

Bob Baffert / 26

Michael McCarthy / 24

Jeff Mullins / 23

Doug O’Neill / 20

UPCOMING STAKES

SANTA ANITA

Saturday

$200,000 Grade II Santa Maria Stakes, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, 1 1/16 miles

Sunday

$100,000 Grade III American Stakes, 4 and up, 1 mile on turf

DOWN THE STRETCH

Bob Baffert-trained Richi (Antonio Fresu riding) should be favored over stablemate Splendora (Juan Hernandez) and four other fillies and mares in the Grade II Santa Maria Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday. Five-year-old Richi, a Grade I winner in her native Chile, ran a good second to Baffert’s unbeaten Cavalieri in the Grade I Beholder Mile last month. Four-year-old Splendora tries a route for the first time after chasing Kopion in the Grade I La Brea in December. Of Baffert’s six Santa Maria winners since 2002, the past four (Vale Dori, Fighting Mad, As Time Goes By and Adare Manor) went on to Grade I wins.

Santa Anita returns from a week off to open the nine-week Hollywood Meet portion of its winter-spring season Friday. The meet’s highlight is May 26, Memorial Day Monday, with the Grade II Hollywood Gold Cup and Grade I Shoemaker Mile on turf and Grade I Gamely Stakes for fillies and mares on grass.

Los Alamitos quarter-horse racing Saturday and Sunday nights features trials Friday for the Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity for 2-year-olds on May 11.

Baeza, second in the Santa Anita Derby for jockey Hector Berrios and trainer John Shirreffs, was fourth on the waiting list for the May 3 Kentucky Derby as of Thursday morning. Four horses ahead of him were dropped from consideration in the past week, before the connections of Owen Almighty annoyingly indicated Wednesday he’s dropping back in. Locked into the field of 20 are Michael McCarthy’s Journalism and Baffert’s Rodriguez, Citizen Bull and Madaket Road.

Thorpedo Anna tightened her grip on No. 1 in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association rankings with a 4¼-length stroll under Brian Hernandez Jr. in the Apple Blossom Handicap for fillies and mares at Oaklawn Park on Saturday. The 2024 Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old filly is 2 for 2 in 2025 and 10 for 12 overall. Six of those wins are Grade I stakes, including the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

Will Santa Anita’s selection as site of 2028 Olympic Games equestrian events affect racing at the track? Santa Anita owner 1/ST replied in a statement attributed to Santa Anita senior vice president and GM Nate Newby: “Our goal as we work with the LA28 team over the coming months and years is to minimize any potential disruption to racing operations while maximizing exposure for SAP (Santa Anita Park). The return of the Summer Olympic Games in 2028 represents a thrilling and prestigious moment, underscoring SAP’s versatility as a world-class sport and entertainment venue, and as a vital pillar of Southern California’s horse sport culture.”

— Kevin Modesti