Brant, Subsanador work toward returns

The Grade 1 winners Brant and Subsanador had workouts at Santa Anita in recent days, the beginning of comebacks for starts in coming months.

Brant, the winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs in September, worked three furlongs in 37.80 seconds on Thursday, his first major exercise since a third-place finish by 1 1/2 lengths as the 8-5 second choice in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar on Oct. 31.

Brant was beaten in the BC Juvenile by Ted Noffey, who is expected to be named the outstanding 2-year-old of 2025 at the Eclipse Awards in Florida on Thursday evening. By Gun Runner, Brant was purchased for $3 million at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale of 2-year-olds in training last March, a record price at the prestigious auction. The colt races for Amr Zedan and trainer Bob Baffert.

Subsanador worked three furlongs in 36.80 seconds on Wednesday, his first workout since a win in the Grade 1 California Crown Stakes at Santa Anita in September 2024. Subsanador was a well-regarded candidate for the BC Classic at Del Mar that fall, but he missed the race after being diagnosed with an ankle injury. His return to training was delayed in 2025 because of complications.

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“He had a problem that was slow to heal,” Subsanador's trainer, Richard Mandella, said on Thursday. “He looks good now. We’ve had him about six or seven weeks.”

The $1 million California Crown is one of two stakes wins in the United States for Subsanador, a 7-year-old Argentine-bred horse. Subsanador won the Grade 3 Iselin Stakes at Monmouth Park in August 2024.

Owned by Wathnan Racing, Subsanador has won 9 of 17 starts in Argentina and the United States. He was a Group 1 winner at a mile on dirt in Argentina.

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