SANTA ANITA LEADERS

Through Thursday

Jockeys / Wins

Juan Hernandez / 14

Flavien Prat / 12

Umberto Rispoli / 11

Tiago Pereira / 5

Frankie Dettori / 5

Kazushi Kimura / 5

Trainers / Wins

Bob Baffert / 7

Mark Glatt / 6

Phil D’Amato / 5

Michael McCarthy / 5

Jeff Mullins / 5

UPCOMING STAKES

SANTA ANITA

Saturday

$175,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic, 4-year-olds and up, 1 1/8 miles (turf)

$175,000 California Chrome California Cup Derby, 3-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles

$175,000 Leigh Ann Howard California Cup Oaks, 3-year-old fillies, 1 mile (turf)

$125,000 Don Valpredo California Cup Sprint, 4 and up, 6 furlongs

$125,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint, fillies and mares, 4 and up, about 6 ½ furlongs (turf)

Sunday

$100,000 Grade III La Canada Stakes, fillies and mares, 4 and up, 1 1/16 miles

$100,000 Grade III Las Cienegas Stakes, fillies and mares, 4 and up, about 6 ½ furlongs (turf)

DOWN THE STRETCH

Umberto Rispoli rode three winners as Santa Anita resumed racing Thursday after calling off three cards last week amid the fires. One of Rispoli’s victories came as full-in for Kazushi Kimura, who missed two mounts after a starting-gate mishap but didn’t appear seriously injured. The Arcadia track will run nine out of 11 days because of two added Thursdays and the Martin Luther King holiday card Monday. The California Cup races were pushed back a week to this Saturday and the La Canada Stakes delayed a week to this Sunday.

Horses were re-entered and post positions drawn again for the five Cal Cup races, resulting in some lineup changes. In the Don Valpredo Cal Cup Sprint, unbeaten Smiling Beast (Armando Ayuso riding) gets post 3 after originally having the tricky post 1 but still must overcome Big City Lights (Kimura) and Clovisconnection (William Antongeorgi III). In the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint, Safa (Tiago Pereira) joined the field and rates a chance.

Sunday’s two stakes shape up well for Flavien Prat. Coming off American records for stakes wins (82) and graded-stakes wins (56) in 2024, Prat is the new rider for Alpha Bella in the La Canada and stays with Toupie in the Las Cienegas.

Santa Anita, whose parking lot became a site for charity dropoffs and a base for utility repair crews after the nearby Eaton fire started Jan. 7, is staying in the giving mood by encouraging fans to give. The track is suggesting contributions to the California Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Foundation, Foothill Unity Center Food Bank and Support Services, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, Eaton Fire Relief and Recovery Fund and Pasadena Humane Society, and calling for volunteers for the Hansen Dam Horse Park.

— Kevin Modesti