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Field Of Five Sophomores Go Forward For Sunday’s Los Alamitos Derby

Runner-up behind the talented California bred The Chosen Vron in the Affirmed June 13, Defunded will try for his first stakes success in the $150,000-guaranteed Los Alamitos Derby Sunday.

Restricted to 3-year-olds and scheduled for 1 1/8 miles, the Grade 3 will go as the fourth of nine races. Post time Sunday is 1 p.m. Scheduled post time for the main event is 2:28 p.m.

Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman and trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Defunded has a win in five starts and earnings of $140,700. He had the lead in the stretch in the Grade 3 Affirmed, but was unable to withstand the closing surge of The Chosen Vron while finishing 11 lengths of the rest of the field.

A gelded son of Dialed In and the Touch Gold mare Wind Caper, Defunded will be trying to give Baffert his fifth consecutive victory in the Los Alamitos Derby and his sixth in the last seven years. His half-dozen wins in the race since 2014 include Gimme Da Lute (2015), West Coast (2017), Once On Whiskey (2018), Game Winner (2019) and Uncle Chuck (2020).

Baffert also entered Classier, a distant third as the 7-5 favorite in the Affirmed.

Owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm LLC and Robert Masterson, the Empire Maker colt out of the Bernardini mare Class Will Tell has one win in three starts and has earned $65,000.

Trained by Bob Hess, Jr. for Doug Gans, Gary Jacobs, Larry Katz and Kevin Riggs, It's My House returns to California after being eased over a sloppy surface in the $300,000 Texas Derby May 31 at Lone Star Park.

A son of Anthony's Cross and the Grand Reward mare Gerry's Reward, It's My House has won twice in six starts and banked $60,760. A second-out maiden winner Jan. 31 at Golden Gate Fields when trained by Jamey Thomas, the Florida bred cashed as the favorite in the Turf Paradise Derby March 12 for his other win in his initial race for Hess.

Owned by the Clarke M. Cooper Family Trust, Mia Familia Racing Stable and Wade Jacobsen and trained by John Sadler, who won the 2016 Los Alamitos Derby with Accelerate, Back Ring Luck will be seeking his first on the board finish in California.

The Malibu Moon gelding out of the Rahy mare Patti O'Rahy was eased in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby April 3, then was fourth and fifth in a pair of optional claimers May 15 and June 5 with the latter effort coming on turf.

Back Ring Luck won twice in five starts before shipping to this coast. He defeated $30,000 maidens at Churchill Downs last Nov. 13 when trained by W. Bret Calhoun, then won an optional claimer for trainer Al Cates March 5 at Oaklawn Park after being claimed out of his initial win.

A close fourth in the Snow Chief Stakes on turf June 19, Ingest will switch to the main track for owners Grant Alvernaz and Steve Ribeiro and trainer Doug O'Neill.

A son of Square Eddie and the Rock Hard Ten mare Octogarian, the gelding is 1-for-9 with a bankroll of $58,180. His lone win came at eight furlongs on turf last Sept. 26. He's yet to hit the board in three attempts on dirt.

From inside out, the field for the Los Alamitos Derby: Classier, Mike Smith rides, 122 pounds; It's My House, Edwin Maldonado, 122; Defunded, Abel Cedillo, 122; Back Ring Luck, Tyler Baze, 122 and Ingest, Juan Hernandez, 122.

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Maiden Hudson Ridge Overcomes Trouble To Win Santa Anita’s Cinema

Despite a tumultuous start, longshot maiden Hudson Ridge ran like a short-priced favorite in Sunday's $100,000 Cinema Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., as the son of Bob Baffert's 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah overhauled pacesetting Jimmy Irish turning for home and then outran recent stakes winner Sword Zorro to the wire, winning by 1 ¼ lengths. Trained by Baffert and ridden by Abel Cedillo, Hudson Ridge got 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:49.06.

With American Pharoah's As Time Goes By victorious in Saturday's Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes, the white haired training wonder rolls on, as Hudson Ridge thus provided Kentucky-based “Pharoah” with his second stakes winner of the weekend.

Breaking from post position three in a field of five sophomores, Jimmy Irish, with Victor Espinoza up, appeared to bobble shortly after the break and then veered sharply outward, slamming favored Hubris to his immediate outside, who then swerved outward into the path of Hudson Ridge.

“I gotta give Abel's agent, Tom Knust, the credit for this one,” said Baffert. “I nominated for the race, but I wasn't planning on running here and he said we should, that the horse had trouble last time and that he'd fit well with these horses. The break, I don't know what happened. It was crazy.

“I didn't know who caused it…After that, Abel did a great job, he didn't panic, he got him in a smooth (rhythm)…Then down the backside the four (Hubris) was out of it and turning for home…He's a horse that hadn't really shown us that much, but it's a big weekend for American Pharoah.”

Winless in four starts and a troubled second versus maidens going a flat mile on turf here May 1, Hudson Ridge, who is out of the Galileo mare Shell House, was off at 5-1 and paid $13.60, $6.20 and $3.20 while providing Baffert with his meet-leading 15^th stakes victory.

“Last time, I should have won the race, but in the stretch, I got in a little trouble,” said Cedillo. “My agent told Bob there was a stake coming up and to let me ride him back. I think (the start) affected my horse a little because that took me a little wide, but thank God, I put him in a perfect position. I just followed the speed (Jimmy Irish) and in the stretch I had a lot of horse.”

Owned by Double L Racing and Natalie Baffert, Hudson Ridge, who has run on turf in four out of his five starts, banked $60,000, increasing his earnings to $75,140.

Irish-bred Sword Zorro, the second choice in the wagering at 9-5, was free of any trouble at the break, as he was positioned inside of the erratic Jimmy Irish. From there, he fell into what appeared to be a perfect trip, as he loomed three-wide and full of run turning for home, but was no match for the winner. Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Sword Zorro, who finished 2 ¼ lengths in front of Airman, paid $3.60 and $2.40.

Airman, who broke from the rail with Juan Hernandez, was off at 4-1 and paid $2.60 to show while a tiring Jimmy Irish finished fourth, 2 ¾ lengths in arears.

Hubris, the 8-5 favorite with Flavien Prat, was slammed hard at the break and although he was second into the first turn, back up readily as the field turn up the backside and was eased five furlongs from home.

Fractions on the race were 23.49, 48.07, 1:13.50 and 1:37.66.

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Victor Espinoza Tabs Tom Knust As New Agent

Victor Espinoza has hired Tom Knust as his new agent.

The Hall of Fame member and three-time Kentucky Derby winner who celebrates his 49^th birthday May 23 parted company last Saturday with Brian Beach after a historic eight-year run.

For more than three years, Beach's priority has been maintaining vigilance on his wife Lotta's recovery from an accident on a horse, which in part diminished his time representing Espinoza, who opted for a full-time on-track presence now that he's fully healthy and life is returning to a degree of normalcy with the pandemic on the wane.

“Victor came to me and I thought he would fit well with Abel (Cedillo, whom the agent also represents),” said Knust.

“They're both great riders who hope to pick up promising 2-year-olds and stakes horses. I spoke with Abel and he wasn't hesitant at all. He was fine with it so we decided to give it a try.”

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‘I’ll Take A Barnful Like Her’: Mucho Unusual Does It All For Team Yakteen

If Mucho Unusual were human, she'd be considered an ideal employee. She's industrious, productive, honest and earns her keep.

Not much more one could ask for from an equine or a human.

A 5-year-old California-bred mare owned and bred by George Krikorian, Mucho Unusual lives up to her name as she has won sprinting on dirt and routing on grass, running her last 13 races in stakes competition, 12 in open company, including her most noteworthy triumph in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes last September.

Next up: Saturday's Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita Park, a race in which she was second last February. Victory would be worth $120,000, drawing her closer to millionaire status at $942,715.

“She's doing great,” said Tim Yakteen, who trains the bay for longtime client Krikorian. “She's in good form so we're good to go.”

Joel Rosario, who has ridden Mucho Unusual six times previously, winning three, pilots Knicks Go against Charlatan in the $20 million Saudi Cup Saturday, so Abel Cedillo rides her for the first time in the Buena Vista.

“It's been great working with an operation like George's,” said Yakteen, 56, the son of a German mother and a Lebanese-born father who joined the U.S. Army which earned him an assignment in Nuremberg, where Tim was born.

Krikorian built a career in real estate and commercial development before founding Kirkorian Premiere Theaters in 1984, but never lost sight of horses. His father, George Sr., trained horses in the 1960s and '70s.

Once asked what his father taught him, Krikorian quipped, “Well, he tried to teach me not to buy any horses, but I didn't listen.”

His steadfastness has paid off.

“George always puts the horse first and it's great working with someone like that,” observed Yakteen, who was assistant to Bob Baffert from 1988 through 1991 before working with another Hall of Fame trainer, the late Charlie Whittingham, for six years. Yakteen rejoined Baffert in 1997 and remained through 2004 before going on his own.

He is married to Millie Ball, a horsewoman in her native England and thus a knowledgeable TV commentator with XBTV.

“George raises fantastic horses,” Yakteen noted. “A number of them have been sold at auction and done exceptionally well. Honor A.P.is one. (The Honor Code colt sold for $850,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton July sale and would go to win last year's Runhappy Santa Anita Derby). They are horses you want to get up for in the morning.”

Mucho Unusual is in that category, worth waking before sunrise.

“I'll take a barnful like her,” Yakteen said.

The Buena Vista, race seven of nine with a 12:30 p.m. first post time: Bohemian Bourbon, Jose Valdivia Jr., 20-1; Mucho Unusual, Abel Cedillo, 7-2; Warren's Showtime, Juan Hernandez, 5-1; Nasty, Ricardo Gonzalez, 6-1; Red Lark, Drayden Van Dyke, 8-1; Sedamar, Ruben Fuentes, 8-1; Going to Vegas, Mario Gutierrez, 6-1; Charmaine's Mia, Flavien Prat, 3-1; Sloane Garden, Tiago Pereira, 12-1; and Heathers Grey, Jessica Pyfer, 20-1.

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