Nyquist, Songbird head deep local cast of 3-year-olds in 2016

Nyquist and Songbird – both undefeated, both Breeders’ Cup winners, and both undoubtedly to be named Eclipse Award winners – are the marquee names among the 3-year-olds of 2016 based this winter at Santa Anita, the track where three of the last four Kentucky Derby winners have trained during winter months.

Nyquist is to be pointed toward the Kentucky Derby on May 7, the filly Songbird to the Kentucky Oaks on May 6, and the trainers of both certainly know their way there. Doug O’Neill, who trains Nyquist, won the Derby in 2012 with I’ll Have Another, while Jerry Hollendorfer, the trainer of Songbird, is a three-time winner of the Oaks.

What has made Southern California such an advantage for winter training, though, might prove to be a hindrance this year. Meteorologists for months have been predicting a strong El Niño effect in Southern California, producing rainfall higher than normal. That already has O’Neill making contingency plans for Nyquist. He initially penciled in the Grade 2, $200,000 San Vicente at Santa Anita on Feb. 15 as the 2016 debut for Nyquist but said, “It’s up to El Niño.”

“If it comes, we may have to leave town,” O’Neill said.

The San Vicente is at seven furlongs and is not one of the races for which horses can earn points toward a berth in the Derby. But O’Neill doesn’t have to let points be paramount in the coming months, for Nyquist already has earned 30 points – 20 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and 10 in the FrontRunner – which should be more than enough to get into the Derby field.

O’Neill had a strong 2-year-old contingent, with Nyquist clearly the leader. Ralis, like 2014 Derby winner California Chrome, is set to make his 3-year-old debut in the California Cup Derby on Jan. 30, while Found Money could go in the Grade 3, $100,000 Sham Stakes on Jan. 9. Nearing a debut for O’Neill is the Discreet Cat colt One More Round, who worked five furlongs on Sunday in 58.60 seconds, an uncharacteristically fast time for an O’Neill worker.

Bob Baffert, who has won the Derby four times and swept the Triple Crown this year with American Pharoah, finds Mor Spirit, the Los Alamitos Futurity winner, as his current top prospect, but the likes of Arabian Leopard and Drefong could be late developers.

Keith Desormeaux said that Delta Jackpot winner Exaggerator – who has earned 16 points – is being pointed to the San Vicente. Swipe, the runner-up in the BC Juvenile to Nyquist, is sidelined with an injury and won’t even go back into training until Feb. 1.

Hollendorfer is extremely high on the colt I Will Score, who won his lone start at Los Alamitos in September and then was sidelined with a minor injury. He should race very early at the meet. Hollendorfer also has a promising runner in Mr. Coker, a Candy Ride colt debuting in what looks like a deep maiden race Saturday.

That maiden race, race 5 on Saturday, also includes Danzing Candy, who had a troubled trip in his debut at Del Mar for trainer Cliff Sise, and Curlin Rules, a $375,000 yearling purchase making his debut for John Sadler.

Also worth monitoring is Ziconic, a Tapit colt who is the second foal out of the great mare Zenyatta. He worked five furlongs last week, his second local drill for trainer John Shirreffs after working three times at Belmont Park.

All will be trying to make it to the Grade 1, $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 9.

Among the fillies, the tall, elegant Songbird towers over her contemporaries, both literally and figuratively. She had a brief freshening at WinStar Farm following the BC Juvenile Fillies but has returned to Hollendorfer’s barn at Santa Anita, where she is scheduled, barring weather setbacks, to work Sunday.

Hollendorfer said he is pointing Songbird to the Grade 2, $300,000 Las Virgenes Stakes on Feb. 6 for her 2016 debut, with the ultimate goal at this meet the Grade 1, $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks on April 9.

Hollendorfer said Stays in Vegas, the runner-up in the Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos, is getting a brief freshening. A newcomer worth following is Lily, a daughter of Uncle Mo who cost $310,000 as a yearling and, like Songbird, is owned by Rick Porter’s Fox Hill Farms. She worked five furlongs in 58.80 seconds on Monday.

Phil D’Amato has a strong group headed by Starlet winner Street Fancy, who also is being aimed at the Las Virgenes for her next race. Sutton’s Smile, third in the Starlet, and the maiden winners Bellamentary and Coppa – both expected to return later in the meet – give D’Amato depth.

Del Mar stakes winner Lucky Folie, trained by Richard Mandella, is headed to the Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Ynez Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs Jan. 2. As for stretching her out, Mandella said, “We hope to, but for now, we have sprints in mind.”

Lindeza, an impressive winner of her debut in October at Santa Anita, is on the comeback trail for Sadler. Nearing debuts are Faithfully, a $700,000 yearling by Smart Strike trained by Baffert, and Symbolic Gesture, a Sise-trained Bernardini filly whose dam produced the Breeders’ Cup winners Sweet Catomine and Life Is Sweet.