Baltas keeps 2019 momentum rolling

ARCADIA, Calif. – After Saturday’s program at Santa Anita, trainer Richard Baltas sat atop the national trainers’ standings with stable earnings of $255,480.

Baltas took no chances. He memorialized the moment.

“I took of picture of it because it won’t last,” Baltas joked on Sunday morning.

Sure enough, Baltas was overtaken by Bob Baffert on Sunday and was all the way down to second on the national list. While Baltas will not threaten the depth of stables such as those of Steve Asmussen, Baffert, Chad Brown, or Todd Pletcher, he is looking toward the full year with widespread optimism.

Baltas, 58, finished 2019 ranked 14th nationally with a personal best of $7,349,015 in earnings. The 2019 season ended well, and this current year has started well. Baltas won the Grade 1 American Oaks with Lady Prancealot on Dec. 28 and Saturday’s Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes with Desert Stone.

“I’ve got some nice horses,” he said.

In the $201,000 San Gabriel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf, Desert Stone (7-1) closed from last of seven to finish a neck in front of 6-5 favorite Cleopatra’s Strike, the winner of the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship at 1 1/4 miles in September.

The San Gabriel Stakes was Desert Stone’s first start since he finished last of nine in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile here in May. Desert Stone, a 5-year-old owned by Zayat Stables, was turned out following that defeat. The San Gabriel was his first stakes win.

“It was rewarding because we gave him 120 days at the farm,” he said.

Desert Stone was second by a head in the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile in 2018, and is likely to return to that distance in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on March 7.

The Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf on Feb. 1 is too far for Desert Stone, Baltas said.

Baltas plans to run Oscar Dominguez in the San Marcos. Oscar Dominguez won the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup at 1 1/2 miles at Del Mar on Nov. 30.

In the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes on Saturday, Baltas has a candidate in Horologist, the winner of two stakes at Monmouth Park last summer. The $200,000 La Canada Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles will be the California debut for Horologist, who has not raced since finishing ninth in the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes at seven furlongs at Keeneland on Oct. 19.

Sunday at Santa Anita, Horologist worked five furlongs in 1:01.

“She worked like dynamite,” Baltas said.