Baltas sending stakes runners to Oaklawn, Golden Gate

With no short-term plans for the resumption of racing at Santa Anita, trainer Richard Baltas is making alternative arrangements for some of his stakes horses.

Baltas said on Thursday that the 3-year-old filly Venetian Harbor, the 3-year-old colt Ginobili, and the older gelding Two Thirty Five are likely to be shipped to Oaklawn Park in Arkansas for upcoming races.

Venetian Harbor was the top contender for the Santa Anita Oaks and may start in the Grade 3 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park on May 1. Ginobili, second in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at seven furlongs on Feb. 9, may start at Oaklawn, while Two Thirty Five could run in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on May 2.

Two Thirty Five was entered in the $75,000 Santana Mile at Santa Anita last Sunday before the weekend was canceled at Santa Anita. Baltas had hoped to send Neptune’s Storm to the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile on turf at Golden Gate Fields on April 25, but that track was ordered closed by local county health officials on Thursday because of the outbreak. It was not immediately clear when Golden Gate Fields would resume racing.

“It’s hard for horsemen right now,” Baltas said. “Owners are freaking out. It’s not any fun, all of the things that have happened. Hopefully we weather the storm and everyone comes back better. I want to be positive.

“I’m shipping horses to Oaklawn Park. The races are filling and the horses are ready to run.”

Santa Anita was ordered shut by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on March 27 after the track was deemed a nonessential business during the outbreak. There is no indication when racing will resume.

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Santa Anita announced Tuesday that no racing will be held through Sunday. The Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby and Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks were scheduled for Saturday, but have been postponed to a date to be determined before the season ends on June 21.

On March 27, Baltas was in the receiving barn during the noon hour with the 4-year-old gelding Brix, awaiting the call to proceed to the saddling enclosure for the day’s first race. The call never came. Instead, Baltas and the other horsemen were notified by track officials that racing had been canceled at the last minute after the county health department made its decision.

“We didn’t get out of the receiving barn,” Baltas said. “We went straight back to the barn.”