ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Michael McCarthy won his third stakes at Santa Anita this month with Mondego in the Grade 3 San Marcos Stakes on Saturday. The stable could add to that tally soon. This Sunday, McCarthy will be represented in the $100,000 Pasadena Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on turf by Stark Contrast, who leads the division in California. Mondego recorded a slight upset at 9-1, closing from fourth of eight to win by a length over 47-1 Flashiest. The $101,500 San Marcos was the first stakes win for Mondego, who joined McCarthy’s stable in the spring of 2025. Mondego has won 4 of 19 starts and earned $407.047. Mondego, a 6-year-old British-bred gelding owned by Cheyenne Stable, was beaten in four turf stakes in California from late August to late December, including a third-place finish by 1 3/4 lengths in the Grade 3 San Gabriel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Dec. 28 in which he closed from seventh in a field of 11. :: Santa Anita Classic Meet! Get DRF Past Performances, Clocker Reports, and more. “I think he had a couple of races that were better than looked,” McCarthy said. “All of the pieces seemed to come together. “We changed our tactics a little bit. He was closer to the front” on Saturday. McCarthy said Mondego may start in the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes, a $100,000 race at 1 1/2 miles on turf on March 21. On Feb. 8, McCarthy had two stakes wins at Santa Anita – Yellow Card in the Clocker’s Corner Stakes for turf sprinters and Meaning in the Las Virgenes Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile. Meaning is under consideration for the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 8, or the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on April 4. McCarthy has not ruled out having multiple starters in the Pasadena. Of the 14 nominees, McCarthy has four, including Army Man, Bust Out, and Smoovin Saturday. Stark Contrast, owned by John and Jerry Amerman, won the Grade 3 Zuma Beach Stakes at Santa Anita in his third start last October. Later that month, Stark Contrast finished second by three-quarters of a length to Gstaad in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar. In his lone start this year, Stark Contrast won the Eddie Logan Stakes at a mile on turf as the 3-10 favorite. Journalism, the leading runner in McCarthy’s stable and one of the nation’s leading 3-year-olds of 2025, is nearing his first official workout of the year. On Saturday at Santa Anita, Journalism “ran through the lane a little bit,” McCarthy said on Sunday. On Sunday, Journalism had a one-mile gallop. Journalism, best known for winning the Preakness Stakes last May, could have a workout in coming days, depending on the number of days he can train on the main track this week. “If we have a good week that would be the plan,” McCarthy said. The main track was closed on Monday because of rain. Similar disruptions are possible through the week. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.