Trip Notes for Dec. 28, 2019: Runhappy Malibu, American Oaks, La Brea, and more

Santa Anita
San Antonio (race 5)

COMMENT: Gift Box won this race a year ago, and in the spring won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap here before a good second in the Grade 1 Gold Cup here May 27 (to Vino Rosso, who would later win the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic). However, then came a slightly dull run when fourth in the Grade 2 Stephen Foster at Churchill June 15. He was sidelined since but had been working lights-out for this return and took control of the race right from the start, breaking alertly while inside, moving to take the early lead from longshot Fight On to his outside, held a narrow lead over that rival while setting modest early splits, picked up the pace some on the far turn when challenged by that rival, rebuffed that foe into the lane and kept on well, drawing off to win easily. Off this he has all sorts of options, including the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream on Jan. 25 and the rich races in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, or staying here for races like the Grade 2 San Pasqual on Feb. 1 and the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 7. Fight On ran maybe the best race of his career as the $340,000 son of Into Mischief broke well from his far outside post, showed speed to be on the early pace under the wire the first time, relinquished pacesetting duties to favorite Gift Box to his inside, seemed content press that rival, continued in that role to the far turn, tried to launch a more serious bid, couldn’t keep pace with the winner in the lane but kept to his task well to be second well clear of the others. Midcourt, coming into this off four straight wins, the last two being stakes including the Grade 3 Native Diver at Del Mar Nov. 23, was eliminated at the break as he broke very slowly to be last under the wire the first time, remained well back while wide on the first turn, was widest of all on the turn, made some progress down the backstretch while still wide, continued wide on the far turn when asked for run, made some headway to pass a few and get up for third but was never a danger to the winner. Considering his break and the wide trip this was a pretty good effort. Draft Pick, fourth in the Grade 1 Clark at Churchill Nov. 29, broke well between horses, was content to take back and move toward the outside into the first turn, ahead of only Midcourt, bided his time there as Midcourt moved past to his outside, remained last to the far turn while remaining off the rail, was urged to get involved into the far turn, tried to follow Midcourt while wide but was unable to get involved.

Santa Anita
American Oaks (race 6)

COMMENT: Lady Prancelot was one of just two in this field of eight to have ever tried going this far (ran sixth in the 1 3/8-mile Jockey Club Oaks at Belmont on Sept. 7). She was favored here coming off a smart win in the Grade 3 Valley View at Keeneland on Oct. 18 and validated that confidence, though it took a heady ride by her jockey to find a way through. She bided her time early as longshot So Much Happy set a slow pace, remained midpack biding her time while saving ground, advanced on the far turn to be just behind leaders So Much Happy and Vibrance, had to steady as her rider looked for room to get off the inside, was still waiting into the lane when So Much Happy tired on the rail, leaving that lane open, darted to that opening along the rail, came through to engage Mucho Unusual to her outside, fighting to the line to narrowly prevail. She’s effective from a mile to 10 furlongs which gives her all kinds of options. Mucho Unusual broke well, established position on the rail, had to check when pacesetter So Much Happy came over in front of her as the field came into the stretch for the first time, was able to get back into stride, stalked the pace while staying on the rail, came off the inside on the far turn when making her run, went past the leaders to take command into the lane, was soon confronted by Lady Prancelot to her inside, battled gamely to the wire and just missed in a fine try. Pretty Point, stepping up off a nice rallying fourth against optional claimers at Del Mar on Nov. 16, was unhurried early, content to sit last from the start, remained there into the backstretch while saving ground, started to advance while remaining inside into the far turn, rallied to be just behind the eventual winner on the turn, came off the inside looking for room into the lane, pitched widest of all in the lane and finished well, though she was never really a danger to the top two. Giza Goddess, back in with peers after running eighth against top elders in the Grade 1 Matriarch at Del Mar on Dec. 1, stalked while a few lanes off the inside, racing alongside the eventual winner who was to her inside, came with a nice wide run on the far turn to loom a threat, but couldn’t sustain her run enough to challenge the top two in the lane. This distance may be a tad beyond her, at least at this level. Vibrance, the only other one besides Lady Prancelot to have gone this far, coming off a third in the Grade 3 Red Carpet at 1 3/8 miles at Del Mar on Nov. 20, stalked So Much Happy, moved closer down the backstretch while outside that rival, challenged that foe on the far turn, was getting the better of her into the lane but couldn’t sustain her bid.

Santa Anita
La Brea (race 7)

COMMENT: Hard Not to Love had won three of her first four, the lone loss coming in a stakes here last May. This would easily be the toughest test for this $400,000 daughter of Hard Spun and she passed it with flying colors. She broke slowly and was content to sit last, well behind pacesetting favorite Bellafina, remained there down the backstretch, started to advance while wide going into the far turn, picked up momentum, swung wider still into the lane and finished resolutely to roll past leaders Bellafina and Mother Mother in the final half-furlong, drawing clear to win comfortably. Trainer John Shirreffs said he wants to get her to two turns, saying the Grade 1 Beholder Mile here March 14 may be her next target. She has only one eye and anxiety issues (she was even a bit reluctant to get going in the post parade) so they’ve been careful with their handling of her. Obviously, it’s paying off. Bellafina, an $800,000 daughter of Quality Road and the heavy favorite off a super second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint here Nov. 2, broke well, went right to the lead between horses, set a sharp pace (faster than males went in the Malibu later) under some pressure from Mother Mother to her outside, continued on sharply as that rival dogged her to the top of the lane, was asked for run, was getting away from Mother Mother in the lane but had no answer when the winner came storming past to her outside. It was still a good run, particularly considering how fast she went up front. She’ll reportedly get a bit of a break and return with the Grade 1 Madison at Keeneland April 4 at this same seven furlongs as a possible target. Mother Mother, a $450,000 daughter of Pioneerof the Nile making her first start since fading to sixth in the Grade 2 Eight Belles at Churchill last May 3, broke well from her far outside post, dogged Bellafina to her inside through brisk splits, moved up to challenge that rival turning for home but couldn’t quite keep pace with her in the lane and was no match when the winner surged past to her outside. First Star, second in the Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland on Oct. 19, broke decently from her rail slot, sat back some while saving ground, moved closer going to the far turn while staying on the fence, briefly had to wait for room on the turn, found a seam between horses turning for home, moved through, went back to the rail and finished decently though was never a threat to the top trio. Bell’s the One, who invaded off that win in the aforementioned Raven Run, sat well back from the start, ahead of only the eventual winner, started advancing heading for the far turn, came with a smart wide run on the turn as if poised to make a run at the leaders, had the eventual winner blow past to her outside, moved toward the inside in the lane but couldn’t sustain her run.

Santa Anita
Robert J. Frankel (race 8)

COMMENT: Mirth has usually relied on her speed (won the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive here in wire-to-wire fashion, set the pace in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf here before finishing sixth). She wasn’t as eager early but her class brought her through, if only by a nostril. From her outside post she broke well but was content to take back, sitting midpack as longshot Harmless set a modest pace under pressure from Ms Peintour. She remained midpack while a few lanes off the rail, still had work to do going into the far turn, started a smart run there, surged into contention into the lane, grabbed the lead in the stretch as if ready to go on to victory as she moved to the rail, only to have Tiny Tina surge up alongside to her outside to challenge, looked in trouble when ‘Tina put her head in front but rerallied gamely along the rail to get the win. She could come back quickly for the Grade 3 Astra at 1 1/2 miles here on Jan. 19. The Grade 2 Santa Ana at 1 1/4 miles March 28 is a target whether she goes in the Astra or not. Tiny Tina, a stablemate of the winner, ran too good to lose as from her rail slot she sat last early after breaking from the rail, remained toward the back while a couple lanes off the rail, came out further into the far turn, swung wide into the lane to launch her challenge, looked like the winner when she passed her stablemate in midstretch only to have that rival rerally to her inside and snatch away the victory. Excellent Sunset, coming off a couple near-misses at Del Mar in November, was quite unlucky as she sat midpack while staying on the rail, continued to the top of the lane, was boxed in behind rivals to midstretch, finally found room, came off the inside and finished well just outside the top two. Curlin’s Journey, a rallying second in the Grade 3 Red Carpet at Del Mar on Nov. 30, stalked while in the clear, loomed a big threat turning for home toward the outside but couldn’t sustain her run enough to challenge in the final half-furlong.

Santa Anita
Runhappy Malibu (race 9)

COMMENT: Omaha Beach showed what the fuss was all about. There had been ravings as to how the son of War Front had been working since his second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile here on Nov. 2, and there were concerns, too, that he didn’t show his customary speed in the Breeders’ Cup. Well, Omaha Beach put any concern to rest as he dismantled a talented field. From his outside post he broke well and had the speed to stalk (something he did not do in the Breeders’ Cup, though rider Mike Smith blamed a poor start) as Much Better rushed up the rail to take a clear early lead. He bided his time in fourth, a few lengths off Much Better’s solid pace (wasn’t quite as fast as what Bellafina did earlier in the La Brea) while staying wide and in the clear, moved up easily without being asked to make it four across into the far turn with Manny Wah to his immediate inside, Complexity to his inside and Much Better along the rail, took the lead while still in cruise control, opened up into the lane without being asked and strolled home to win in a romp without being asked at any point, never really breaking a sweat. It’s worth noting his time was actually a bit slower than what Hard Not to Love did about an hour earlier(1:22.33/1:22.17), though surely had Omaha Beach been asked for anything he would have gone much faster. The plan has always been for this race, then the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream on Jan. 25, then off to make little Omaha Beaches. Too bad we don’t get a summit between he and Maximum Security at Gulfstream, as that runner is now reportedly skipping the Pegasus to go to Saudi Arabia at the end of February instead. Roadster, a $525,000 son of Quality Road, was a sharp second in the Damascus at this distance here on Nov. 2 before dullish run when fourth in the Grade 3 Native Diver at Del Mar on Nov. 23. Back to sprinting here he got back on track, sitting last early, well behind the field, biding his time there to the far turn when he started hit run to get in touch with the field, swung out in the lane, gamely chased the winner, was no match but ran on well for second. Manny Wah broke sharply, was content to pull back and stalk after Much Better rushed up along the rail to make the running, sat third with Complexity just ahead of him to his inside, moved up to challenge on the far turn when Omaha Beach came up alongside, was no match for that rival into the lane, got the better of Complexity to his inside, stayed on gamely but couldn’t outfinish Roadster to his outside for the place. Complexity, coming off a big optional claiming win at Aqueduct on Nov. 20, his first start in 5 1/2 months, broke well, was content to sit second as Much Better surged through to his inside to take up the early running, remained there with Manny Wah on his outside hip and Omaha Beach further out, moved up to challenge Much Better with those two rivals to his outside on the far turn but couldn’t keep up into the lane and thereafter.

Santa Anita
Mathis Brothers Mile (race 10)

COMMENT: The 3-year-old turf division seemed up for grabs for some time but Mo Forza has taken control of the division as he notched his fourth straight win and did so in impressive fashion. The son of juvenile male champ Uncle Mo, coming off smart wins in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby here on Nov. 2 and Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar on Nov. 30, didn’t break all that well, got shuffled toward the back of the pack as Never Easy set a strong pace under pressure from Neptune’s Storm, remained toward the back going into the backstretch, commenced a smart run going to the far turn while very wide, continued it on the turn while still quite wide, swooping to the lead by the top of the lane before edging clear in the final furlong. This could lead to a shot at the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream on Jan. 25, though obviously he’ll be facing tougher elders there. Originaire, who ran on for sixth in the Hollywood Derby after being far back early, wasn’t nearly as far back this time. In fact, he was ahead of the eventual winner early as he stalked the pace while saving ground, didn’t accelerate as early or as strongly as Mo Forza on the far turn as he remained inside, had to wait a bit for room into the lane but found a seam, found his top gear by midstretch, came through between horses and finished well for second. Neptune’s Storm, third in the Twilight Derby and second in the Hollywood Derby, had the speed to press early pacesetter Never Easy, made his run at the lead into the lane, took a short lead between rivals in the stretch but couldn’t go with the top two who stormed past to his outside. Barristan the Bold, making his first start in the U.S. after racing in England, lagged well back early, started to advance into the far turn, pitched very wide into the lane and finished with good energy, though he was never a danger to the top two. Kingly, fifth in the Twilight Derby after setting the pace, didn’t show as much speed this time as he stalked in fourth between horses, was still in the hunt turning for home but was one-paced in the lane and unable to threaten.