Walsh sending in Family Way for Rodeo Drive Stakes

Kentucky-based trainer Brendan Walsh had a successful California raid in the spring when Ocean Drive won the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes for fillies and mares on turf at Santa Anita in late May.

California’s second Grade 1 race of the year for the same division is Saturday’s $300,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita. Walsh will be back, this time with Family Way, a 5-year-old mare who won the Grade 3 Orchid Stakes at about 1 1/2 miles on turf at Gulfstream Park in May and has since finished second or third in four graded stakes at Keeneland, Belmont Park, Churchill Downs, and Kentucky Downs.

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Walsh said on Monday that Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith is booked to ride Family Way, who races for Hunter Valley Farm, Debra O’Connor, and Marc Detampel.

The Rodeo Drive Stakes is not expected to have a large field. Going to Vegas, who won the race in 2021, leads the local team along with the multiple stakes winners Going Global and Neige Blanche.

Family Way has yet to win a Grade 1, but was second in the Grade 1 New York Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Belmont Park in June.

“She’s been a model of consistency,” Walsh said. “We’ve had a great run with her. Hopefully, she’s not finished yet.”

The winner of the Rodeo Drive Stakes receives a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 5.

Four other stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday and Sunday have implications for Breeders’ Cup races at Keeneland.

Saturday’s Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles is led by Cave Rock, the undefeated winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs on Sept. 11. Cave Rock, trained by Bob Baffert, will be ridden by Juan Hernandez. Baffert will also start the maiden Hejazi, who will be ridden by Smith, and Newgate, who was fourth in the Del Mar Futurity. Ramon Vazquez has the mount on Newgate, Baffert said on Monday.

And Tell Me Nolies, Home Cooking, and Ice Dancing, the first three finishers of the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 10, are scheduled to start in Saturday’s Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles.

Home Cooking, beaten a head in the Debutante after leading in the stretch, worked five furlongs in 58.60 seconds on Monday.

Sunday’s main races are two Grade 3 races at a mile on turf worth $200,000 each – the Zuma Beach Stakes for 2-year-olds, and the Surfer Girl Stakes for 2-year-old fillies. They could produce runners for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Baffert has a scheduled runner for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in the undefeated Speed Boat Beach, who won Sunday’s $102,000 Speakeasy Stakes at five furlongs on turf for his second win.

Speed Boat Beach won his debut in a maiden special weight race at 5 1/2 furlongs on dirt in track-record time of 1:01.86 at Del Mar on Sept. 10, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 104. Speed Boat Beach was timed in 55.25 seconds in the Speakeasy and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 81.

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