Mullins has strong pair for opening-day stakes

The 3-year-olds River Boyne and Tatters to Riches are both owned by Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal, and each has a strong chance in a graded stakes on opening day of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting on Dec. 26.

River Boyne, a four-time stakes winner this year, figures to be favored in the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile for 3-year-olds on turf.

River Boyne has been the star 3-year-old for the owners and trainer Jeff Mullins this year, winning 5 of 8 starts and $521,718. River Boyne won the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita on Nov. 4, and was second by a half-length to Raging Bull in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar on Dec. 1.

The $200,000 Mathis Brothers is the final turf race of the year limited to 3-year-olds.

“We have to take advantage of those 3-year-old races,” Mullins said.

The race goal on Dec. 26 for Tatters to Riches has yet to be determined, Mullins said on Friday.

Options include the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes, a $300,000 race for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs, or the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes, a $250,000 race at 1 1/8 miles against older horses.

“He can do either one,” Mullins said. “We’ll get a couple of more works in him and decide.”

Tatters to Riches won the Shared Belief Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile at Del Mar in August, but was fifth in the Comma to the Top Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 28. Friday, Tatters to Riches worked six furlongs from the gate in 1:13.60 at Santa Anita.

The Malibu Stakes field is expected to include Copper Bullet, who worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 at Santa Anita on Friday. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Copper Bullet won the Grade 2 Saratoga Special in August 2017 and his only start this year – an allowance race at Churchill Downs on Nov. 23.

There are five stakes on the opening-day program at Santa Anita, including four graded stakes. The Malibu Stakes is one of two Grade 1 races along with the $300,000 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs.

The San Antonio Stakes is designed as a prep for the $9 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 26. The $75,000 Lady of Shamrock Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf will be run for the first time on Dec. 26.

There is a 10-day gap between the final day of the Los Alamitos winter meeting on Sunday and opening day at Santa Anita, the longest such break in the Southern California schedule since 2012.

Weather permitting, there will be many turf races in the opening days of the Santa Anita meeting. Los Alamitos does not have a turf course, meaning there has been no grass racing on the circuit since the final day of the Del Mar autumn meeting on Dec. 2.

Santa Anita is planning a 10-race program on Dec. 26, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Pacific, the track announced on Friday.