ARCADIA, Calif. – There was little to celebrate in the career of the filly Ambaya until the stretch run of Sunday’s Grade 1 American Oaks.

Ignored at 12-1 in a field of 11, Ambaya closed from fifth to win by a half-length. Not bad for a filly still eligible for a first-condition allowance race.

While Ambaya was the seventh choice, she was held in high regard by trainer Jonathan Thomas and owner and breeder George Strawbridge Jr.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Antonio Fresu will be sidelined for an undetermined period after suffering a broken toe on his left foot in an incident in Sunday’s seventh race at Santa Anita, according to his agent, Ron Anderson.

Fresu was scheduled to discuss treatment options with doctors on Monday, Anderson said. There is a possibility the injury could require surgery.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Sunday’s opening day of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting drew an announced ontrack crowd of 41,962, the highest since 46,514 attended the first day of the 2016-17 meeting.

Sunday’s figure was slightly higher than the 2024 opening day crowd of 41,562 held on a Thursday. Opening day is typically Dec. 26. Sunday was supposed to be the third day of the current meeting, but the Friday and Saturday programs were canceled over the weekend because of substantial rain last week.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The Nysos show is likely to go international in early 2026, and he may take a talented friend with him.

After a win in the Grade 2 Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita, trainer Bob Baffert said Nysos is on schedule for a start in the $20 million Saudi Cup at 1 1/8 miles on Feb. 14 in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Cup also is a possibility for Nevada Beach, the three-time stakes winner who challenged Nysos through the stretch of the Pincay before losing by a head.

“That was a good prep for both and for something bigger,” Baffert said.

Though Mailata was the 5-2 morning-line favorite in Tuesday’s $75,000 Future Stars Stakes at Parx Racing, his connections also entered him in Saturday’s $150,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct.

Trainer Butch Reid said a decision on where Mailata would run would likely be made sometime Monday, but he sounded as though he preferred the Jerome.

“I like the spot, outside post in a five-horse field going a mile. Seems perfect for me,” Reid said.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Doc Sullivan won his third stakes race of the year and stated a case to be New York-bred champion older dirt male with his victory in the Alex M. Robb Stakes last Friday at Aqueduct.

But that may not have been the most exciting thing to happen for trainer John Ortiz and owner TriStar Farm last week.

In June, apprentice Yedsit Hazlewood’s burgeoning career was put on hold when he and a fellow jockey were involved in a late-night car accident driving back from New York. The 17-year-old rider underwent surgery on his wrist and missed two months. It was a profound wake-up call.

“The accident helped me to be able to understand and be more mature about this,” Hazlewood said through a translator. “To get an opportunity like this, you will never get it again and you don’t want to waste it.”

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.