Speech to have Prat aboard for Santa Anita Oaks

Leading rider Flavien Prat will ride Speech in Saturday’s Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks for 3-year-old fillies.

Speech, trained by Michael McCarthy for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, was second in her stakes debut in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes on March 8 at Santa Anita and was later second by a neck in an allowance race with a $100,000 claiming option on May 2 at Oaklawn Park. Both races were at the 1 1/16-mile distance of the Santa Anita Oaks.

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Through Sunday, Prat led all riders at Santa Anita with 66 wins, 11 more than closest pursuer Abel Cedillo.

The Santa Anita Oaks will not have a large field. Trainer Bob Baffert said over the weekend that he plans to start Gingham, who was fifth in the Gardenia Stakes on May 1 at Oaklawn Park, and Merneith, winner of a maiden special weight race at Oaklawn Park by 10 1/2 lengths on April 19.

The Santa Anita Oaks is one of three graded stakes on a rich Saturday program that includes seven stakes.

The Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles is worth $400,000 and is the day’s richest race. The candidates include Anneau d’Or, Authentic, Azul Coast, Honor A. P., Rushie, and Shooters Shoot.

Monday, Shooters Shoot worked five furlongs in 1:02.40 for trainer Peter Eurton. The Santa Anita Derby will be the stakes debut for Shooters Shoot, a winner of 2 of 6 starts.

The Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles is the leading race of the spring at Santa Anita for older horses. The top contenders for the $300,000 Gold Cup are Improbable, Higher Power, and Midcourt.

◗ Fighting Mad, who led throughout Sunday’s Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes, is likely to run next in the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes on Aug. 2 at Del Mar, Baffert said Monday. Laura’s Light, who won Saturday’s Grade 3 Honeymoon Stakes, is a candidate for the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes on July 25 at Del Mar, trainer Peter Miller said.