Native Diver winner Extra Hope works for San Antonio

Extra Hope, a 4-year-old colt who has won his last two starts, has a chance to enhance his position among California’s older horses with an expected appearance in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.

Extra Hope worked a half-mile in 48.60 seconds at Santa Anita on Monday, his first workout since a win in the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes against three rivals at Del Mar on Nov. 21.

The $200,000 San Antonio Stakes, run at 1 1/16 miles on the track’s opening day, will dictate how ambitiously owner Samantha Siegel and trainer Richard Mandella are with Extra Hope in early 2021.

“He worked a nice half-mile,” Mandella said. “We’ll watch him a little closer.”

Looking into January, Mandella said the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 23 is “a little bit” on his mind.

Extra Hope has won 4 of 14 starts. He won an allowance race at Santa Anita on Sept. 26 and the Native Diver, the first time Extra Hope has won consecutive races.

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There were several notable workouts at Santa Anita on Sunday and Monday for horses being prepared for stakes at Los Alamitos and Santa Anita.

Sunday, Sharp Samurai, third in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland on Nov. 7, worked five furlongs in 1:00.60, while Midcourt, second in the Native Diver, worked five furlongs in 1:01.20. They are candidates for the San Antonio.

Monday, Mandella worked Jolie Olimpica a half-mile in 49.40 seconds. A two-time graded stakes winner this year, both wins in turf sprints, Jolie Olimpica has not started since a second in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland in July. The 4-year-old filly has been plagued by minor injuries and an illness in recent months, but is under consideration for the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes at six furlongs on turf on Jan. 9.

Bred and initially raced in Brazil, Jolie Olimpica won the 2020 Las Cienegas in her American debut last January.

Charlatan, unraced since finishing first in a division of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on May 2, worked six furlongs in 1:13.80 on Monday for the Grade 1 Runhappy Malibu Stakes at seven furlongs on Dec. 26.

“He was strong the whole way,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “He did it within himself.”

Charlatan was disqualified from the Arkansas Derby for a medication violation.

Baffert also worked the 2-year-old Spielberg, who went a half-mile in 49 seconds on Monday and is under consideration for the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 19.

“I’ll work him next week and decide whether to run him in the futurity,” Baffert said.

Back-to-back four-day weeks

Los Alamitos begins two four-day racing weeks on Thursday. The meeting continues through Dec. 20 before the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting starts on Dec. 26.

There is only one stakes this week at Los Alamitos – the $100,000 Soviet Problem Stakes for 2-year-olds California-bred fillies at a mile on Saturday.

The race drew 12 nominations, including I’m So Anna, who won the Pike Place Dancer Stakes on turf at Golden Gate Fields on Oct. 31, and Governor Goteven, who won two stakes for statebred fillies at the Del Mar summer meeting. Governor Goteven was beaten for the first time when fourth by a neck in her fourth career start in the Golden State Juvenile Fillies there on Nov. 6.