Since late December, trainer Jonathan Thomas has won 10 races at Santa Anita, including four stakes. The 4-year-old gelding Hiding in Honduras can add to that list when he starts in the longest race of his brief career in Saturday’s Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita. Hiding in Honduras may be one of Thomas’s best chances for a California stakes win in the near future. Thomas has nine runners at Santa Anita, and has the majority of his stable at Keeneland, including a dozen 2-year-olds who arrived in recent weeks, he said on Thursday. Thomas said he will have most of his stable in Kentucky through early fall before returning to California. Aside from Hiding in Honduras, the California stable include Tirupati, a troubled fourth in the Grade 3 Royal Heroine Stakes at Santa Anita on April 25. Tirupati could start in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes for fillies and mares at Santa Anita on May 25. “The idea is to rebuild and come back out there,” Thomas said. “We were pleased with our winter and we’d like to try to replicate it. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. “We have every intent of coming back in full force in November.” Hiding in Honduras, owned by Robert LaPenta, was the surprise winner of the Grade 2 Mathis Mile for 3-year-olds on turf on Dec. 28 at 9-1. In two subsequent starts in allowance race at 1 1/8 miles on turf, Hiding in Honduras won at Santa Anita in February, and finished fifth by 2 1/2 lengths against a tougher group of runners on April 3. “We found ourselves farther back than expected in the allowance race and left with more to do,” Thomas said. “Hopefully we can lay much closer than his last start.” Hiding in Honduras, who will be ridden by Kazushi Kimura, starts from the inside post in a field of seven that includes The Padre, winner of the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby last August. The Padre was second in the same allowance race as Hiding in Honduras on April 3. Balladeer, winless in 19 starts since the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship at 1 1/4 miles in October 2023, is likely to set the pace. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and track him,” Thomas said. The added distance of the $200,000 Whittingham Stakes is not a concern with Hiding in Honduras, who has won 3 of 5 starts. “We’re intrigued to see if he can handle the extra furlong,” Thomas said. “The way he runs indicates that it shouldn’t be a problem.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.