Rescheduled opening-day card loaded with stakes winners

Two days later than scheduled, Santa Anita begins its winter-spring meeting on Sunday with an 11-race program that includes 29 stakes winners.

The number of stakes winners could grow by late Sunday afternoon, considering there are six stakes spread across the program, which starts at 11 a.m. Pacific.

Santa Anita intended to open Friday, but a forecast of extensive rain from Tuesday through Friday in Southern California led to the postponement. The track has added two racing days on Monday, Dec. 29, and Wednesday, Dec. 31, to make up for the loss of the Friday and Saturday programs this weekend.

There will be five days of racing from Dec. 31-Jan. 4 to mark the end of the holiday period.

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Sunday’s program is led by three Grade 1 races for 3-year-olds worth $300,000 – the American Oaks at 1 1/4 miles on turf, the La Brea Stakes for fillies at seven furlongs on dirt, and the Malibu Stakes at seven furlongs on dirt.

There are two Grade 2 races worth $200,000 – the Mathis Mile for 3-year-olds on turf and the Laffit Pincay, Jr. Stakes for 3-year-olds and older horses at 1 1/16 miles on dirt. The program finishes with an intriguing 50-cent late pick four consisting of the La Brea, the Grade 3 San Gabriel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf, the Malibu, and the American Oaks.

The most recognizable name racing on Sunday is Nysos, winner of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Nysos, a winner of 6 of 7 starts, drew the inside post in a field of seven in the Pincay Stakes and is the 3-5 favorite on the morning line. He is one of two Grade 1 winners in the field along with Nevada Beach, who won the Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita in September.

Nysos and Nevada Beach are trained by Bob Baffert, who trains half of the 10 runners in the Malibu Stakes, including the two-time stakes winner Barnes. Baffert also has three of the 11 fillies in the La Brea Stakes.

The $100,000 San Gabriel Stakes drew a field of 11, seven of which are stakes winners. Stay Hot, winner of the Texas Turf Classic at Lone Star Park in July, is a slight favorite at 4-1 on the morning line.

Suchet, a 4-year-old French-bred gelding, is one of the San Gabriel runners who has yet to win a stakes. He will start on the strength of a win in a $178,000 allowance at 1 1/16 miles on turf on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Suchet closed from seventh in a field of 11 to win by 3 1/4 lengths, his first victory in his fourth start in the United States. Joel Rosario was aboard for the win.

Suchet remains eligible for a second-condition allowance race, but owners Hronis Racing and trainer John Sadler have elected to run Suchet in the San Gabriel after learning that Rosario, who is based at Oaklawn Park this winter, would ride at Santa Anita on Sunday.

“We found out the rider was here and he really rode him beautifully,” Sadler said.

Rosario is booked in seven of the 11 races on Sunday, including all six stakes.

In the American Oaks, Rosario will rode As Catch Can, who won the $253,000 Old Dominion Oaks at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Colonial Downs in Virginia in her last start Sept. 6. As Catch Can, owned by Augustin Stable and trained by Jonathan Thomas, closed from fifth to win the Old Dominion Oaks by three-quarters of a length at 16-1.

The American Oaks, one of six turf races on Sunday, drew a field of 11. It will be the stakes debut for the promising Cliffs, an allowance winner Nov. 7 at Churchill Downs for trainer Cherie DeVaux.

Atsila, a late scratch from the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar last month on veterinary advice, will be favored in her American debut in the American Oaks.

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