Month: October 2020

Closing-Day Santa Anita Pick 6 Pool Tops $2 Million: 29 Tickets Win $56,656

Santa Anita's 16-day Autumn Meet finished on a high note Sunday in Arcadia, Calif., as the 20-cent Single Ticket Rainbow Pick 6 Jackpot pool totaling $2,070,790 fueled a $56,656 payout on 29 winning tickets.

With a Jackpot carryover from Saturday of $149,743 added to $1,921,047 in new money wagered, the total pool of more than $2 million was established by sixth race post time.

Beginning with Sunday's sixth race, here are the Rainbow Jackpot winning numbers and payoffs:  R6, #3 Mongolian Window, $16.00, R7, #10 Sheza Girly Girl, $13.60, R8, #1 Rain Diva, $8.20, R9, #2 Maxim Rate, $6.80, R10, #4 Loud Mouth, $23.40 and R11, #1 Miss Addie Pray, $11.80.

Live racing will return to Santa Anita Park for the track's traditional Winter/Spring opener on Saturday, Dec. 26.  For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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Baffert Said He Can’t Separate His Classic Triple Threat

Authentic, Improbable and Maximum Security had important workouts over the weekend at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., two weeks before their engagement for trainer Bob Baffert in the $6-million, Grade 1  Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

Authentic, winner of the G1 Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5 and second most recently to the filly Swiss Skydiver in the G1 Preakness on Oct. 3, worked Saturday, going seven furlongs in a blazing 1:24.40.

On Sunday, Improbable, who goes into the Nov. 7 Classic off three consecutive Grade 1 victories – most recently defeating Maximum Security in the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 26 – worked seven furlongs in 1:25 flat. Maximum Security, the reigning champion 3-year-old male of 2019 when trained by Jason Servis, went five furlongs in :59.80 for Baffert. Authentic and Improbable were the only horses working seven furlongs each day, but Maximum Security's breeze was the fastest of 72 horses working five furlongs at Santa Anita on Sunday.

Juan Ochoa was aboard for all three workouts.

XBTV VIDEO: Authentic work. Improbable work. Maximum Security work.

Baffert goes into the Classic with one of the strongest hands ever seen in a Breeders' Cup race, with Improbable likely to be favored over his stablemates and the top guns from the East Coast: Florida Derby, Belmont Stakes and Travers (all G1) winner Tiz the Law; G2 Stephen Foster winner Tom's d'Etat; and multiple G2 winner By My Standards.

The Hall of Fame trainer said he couldn't separate the three – all with different owners.

“I'm not being politically correct, but all three of these horses are at the top of their game right now,” Baffert said. “Authentic looks just as good as he did going into the Kentucky Derby. Maximum Security is doing the best he's ever done for me, and Improbable is also doing very well.”

Baffert said he worked Maximum Security a shorter distance and in company because the 4-year-old colt by New Year's Day “is only going to give you so much. I don't want to overtrain him. He's a big, heavy, strong horse, but one thing I've noticed is I have to train him differently. His lung capacity is pretty big. He never blows when he comes back.”

Luis Saez is scheduled to ride Maximum Security, with Irad Ortiz Jr. taking the call on Improbable (he rode the City Zip 4-year-old colt to a two-length victory over By My Standards and Tom's d'Etat in the G1 Whitney at Saratoga on Aug. 1). John Velazquez will be back aboard Authentic, a 3-year-old by Into Mischief.

“They are a triple threat,” Baffert said. “It may come down to post position or the trip they get.”

They'll have one more work at Santa Anita next weekend before departing for Kentucky.

In other news, Baffert said he is not going to run the highly touted $1-million yearling purchase Spielberg in the Juvenile and will instead look for a maiden race after the horse finished second and third, respectively, in the G1 Del Mar Futurity and G1 American Pharoah Stakes.

Baffert said he will pre-enter Classier in the Juvenile. The Empire Maker colt won a maiden race on Saturday by four lengths at Santa Anita. He will also have unbeaten Princess Noor in the G1 Juvenile Fillies and Gamine in the G1 Filly & Mare Sprint.

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Maxim Rate Overpowers Competitition In Goldikova Stakes

A menacing presence a quarter mile from home, trainer Simon Callaghan's Maxim Rate cruised to the lead from there and marched to an emphatic 2 1/2-length win in Sunday's Grade 2, $200,000 Goldikova Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.  Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, the 4-year-old daughter of Exchange Rate got one mile on turf in 1:33.85.

Ridden to a pair of wins by Rispoli this past summer at Del Mar, Maxim Rate was most recently second in the G1 Rodeo Drive Stakes at a mile and one quarter on the Santa Anita turf Sept. 26 when ridden by Luis Saez.  With Rispoli back aboard today, she was into the bridle while third, about 1 1/2 lengths off the lead coming to the quarter pole, wheeled three-wide turning for home and went on to win in a fashion that indicated she could've prevailed at any distance.

“I think she has no problem with the distance,” said Rispoli.  “I think Simon knows what he is doing.  We know that she can go further…and that's why I wasn't afraid to go a mile and three-wide.  Everybody knows I like to save ground, but that was not the case (today).  I knew that she could go further and she responded really well.  When she took the lead, she kind of pulled herself up a little bit, but she's definitely improving and I think she still can improve.”

With pacesetter Raymundos Secret dominating the wagering, Maxim Rate, who had been installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite, was a considerable overlay at 2-1 in a field of seven fillies and mares and paid $6.80, $4.00 and $2.40.

“She was always a very good filly, won her first time out and then she just plateaued a little bit as a 3-year-old, so we gave her some time off,” said Callaghan.  “Thankfully the owners were really patient with her and that really helped her develop.  I think she definitely is a better filly now, but I honestly think there's more scope for improvement.  Obviously a very exciting filly for the future…

“I'm thinking the Matriarch (G1, one mile turf on Nov. 29) at Del Mar.  That was actually our initial plan.  After her last race I sat down with all the owners and that was the plan.  She came out of her last race so well so I said, 'To be honest, we kinda need to run this filly because she is doing great.'  Thankfully it worked out.  It was a great win today.”

Owned by Nick Cosato's Slam Dunk Racing and James D. Branham, Maxim Rate, a G3 turf stakes winner at age 3, notched her second graded victory and her fifth win from 13 overall starts.  Out of the Unbridled's Song mare Catch My Eye, Maxim Rate picked up $120,000 for the win, increasing her earnings to $402,185.

Next to last after the first half mile, Zee Drop rallied well to outfinish Tonahutu by one length under Mario Gutierrez.  Off at 21-1, Zee Drop paid $14.20 and $6.00.

Irish-bred Tonahutu, who laid a close second to Raymundos Secret heading to the quarter pole and proved third-best, finishing a half length in front of “Raymundo.”  Off at 6-1 with Abel Cedillo up, Tonahutu paid $4.60 to show.

In search of her third consecutive win under Flavien Prat, Raymundos Secret had no apparent excuses in a disappointing effort at even money.

Fractions on the race were 22.79, 46.20, 1:09.92 and 1:21.91.

Live racing will resume at Santa Anita with the track's traditional Winter/Spring opener on Saturday, Dec. 26.  For more information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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