Imperative, Beholder work on busy Saturday morning

ARCADIA, Calif. – Saturday was an exciting and somewhat hectic morning of workouts at Santa Anita. Stables scurried to complete final major exercises for leading runners before graded stakes races next weekend and an expected rainstorm that is likely to curtail main-track training Sunday and possibly Monday.

From older horses preparing for the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap on March 12 to 3-year-olds scheduled to start in the $400,000 San Felipe Stakes on the same day to a champion mare months from a start, there were plenty of notable names among the 357 recorded workouts on the main track and training track.

Imperative, a leading contender for the Big Cap and second by a nose in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes on Feb. 6, worked five furlongs in 59.80 seconds. Imperative worked in company with a stablemate a day earlier than scheduled, trainer Richard Baltas said. Jockey Santiago Gonzalez, who has the mount for the Big Cap, rode Imperative on Saturday.

“I moved up the work because of the rain,” Baltas said. “He did it super easy. I let them finish up together.”

Imperative is part of an expected field of seven in the Big Cap, along with Cyrus Alexander, Donworth, Effinex, General a Rod, Hard Aces, and Melatonin.

On Saturday, Cyrus Alexander worked seven furlongs in 1:25.20, the fastest of seven recorded works at the distance. Hard Aces worked six furlongs in 1:12.20.

Cyrus Alexander, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, was sixth in the San Antonio Stakes. The Big Cap will be his Grade 1 debut. Hard Aces won the Gold Cup at Santa Anita last June. Trained by John Sadler, Hard Aces was fifth in the San Antonio Stakes.

Mor Spirit, Bob Baffert’s leading hope for the Triple Crown, worked six furlongs in 1:12.20 in company for an expected start in the San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. Mor Spirit started the workout behind his stablemate and finished in front on the outside.

“Everything looks good for next week,” Baffert said.

Shortly after 9 a.m. Saturday, three leading contenders for the San Felipe were on the track at the same time. A few minutes before Mor Spirit had his workout, Danzing Candy worked five furlongs in 1:01 under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith. The San Felipe will be the stakes debut for Danzing Candy, who is trained by Clifford Sise.

Sise timed Danzing Candy galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.

A few minutes later, the unbeaten California-bred Smokey Image worked a half-mile in 48.60 seconds. Trainer Carla Gaines timed Smokey Image in 59.20 seconds for five furlongs. Smokey Image was ridden in the workout by Victor Espinoza, who was aboard the colt for a win in the California Cup Derby on Jan. 30.

“He’s pretty good right now,” Espinoza said. “From the first time I worked him to now, I think he’s improved a lot in the morning. I’m excited. It will be interesting to see how he runs.”

Two other contenders for the San Felipe were in action. Exaggerator, second in the San Vicente Stakes on Feb. 15, worked five furlongs in 1:00.40. Uncle Lino, second to Mor Spirit in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes on Feb. 6, went the same distance in 59.60 seconds.

There are four graded stakes on the March 12 program, including the $400,000 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf and the $300,000 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs.

Bolo, the winner of the Grade 2 Arcadia Stakes on turf Feb. 13, worked five furlongs in 1:02 in preparation for the Grade 1 Kilroe. Midnight Storm, unraced since winning the Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar in November, worked six furlongs in 1:12.

Other candidates for the Kilroe Mile are Bal a Bali, Om, and What a View.

Wild Dude, the winner of the 2015 San Carlos, worked seven furlongs in 1:26. He has not started since finishing sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland in October.

Of the 357 horses with recorded workouts on Saturday, there was only one three-time champion, Beholder, whose most recent title was champion older female of 2015. Beholder was the only horse with a workout Saturday described by clockers as “breezing.” The rest were given the designation of having worked “handily,” or more vigorously, by California standards.

Beholder is not scheduled to start until the spring. On Saturday, she breezed three furlongs in 36.80 seconds. Beholder, 6, has not raced since winning the Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes here last September.

Beholder wanted to do more Saturday, trainer Richard Mandella said.

“We’re holding her down,” Mandella said. “I moved it up a little to avoid a rainy track. She’s doing great.”

In other works, Taris, the winner of the La Canada Stakes in January, worked five furlongs in 59.20 seconds, the fastest of 129 works at the distance. Taris is a candidate for the $500,000 Santa Margarita Stakes on March 19.

Tara’s Tango, who won the Santa Maria Stakes on Feb. 13, worked five furlongs in 59.80 seconds for the Santa Margarita.

Swipe, second to champion Nyquist in the BC Juvenile at Keeneland in October, worked five furlongs in 1:02.20. Swipe was out of training in early winter after undergoing surgery to have a bone chip removed from an ankle in November.

Flamboyant, a winner of two turf stakes at this meeting, worked seven furlongs in 1:26.80. He is a candidate for the $6 million Dubai Turf at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates on March 26.