santa anita park | Horse Racing Free Tips

High-Priced Hejazi Breaks Maiden At Santa Anita

1st-Santa Anita, $68,000, Msw, 1-15, 3yo, 6 1/2f, 1:14.58, gd,1 1/4 lengths.

HEJAZI (c, 3, Bernardini–G Note, by Medaglia d'Oro), the $3,550,000 EASMAY sale-topper, finally got the monkey off his back Sunday, winning a rescheduled maiden special weight contest at Santa Anita. Bested by SW Classical Cat (Mendelssohn) after a slow start when first seen at Del Mar Aug. 20, it took a track-record setting effort by stablemate and GSW Speed Boat Beach (Bayern) to best him again Sept. 10. Third in a Bob Baffert exacta topped by Cave Rock (Arrogate) in the GI American Pharoah S., Hejazi returned to the favorite's role in an overmatched field Sunday as the 1-2 favorite. Breaking just a half-step slow from the inside gate, Mike Smith allowed his mount to move up to set the tempo with Sully (Uncle Mo) pressuring to his outside. Still in command as he swung for home, Hejazi had enough of a gap built up through the final sixteenth to safely hold off a closing Worcester and win by 1 1/4 lengths.

“We gave him some time, gave him a chance to re-boot,” said winning trainer Bob Baffert. “We wanted to get some weight back on him. We put him through a pretty ambitious (three-race sequence). Mike got him to relax a little bit. Once I saw him out there cruising… We're gonna have fun with him.”

G Note, herself a half-sister to the dams of GSW Un Ojo (Laoban) and SW & GSP Fingal's Cave (Carpe Diem), traces back to MGISW Antespend (Spend a Buck) and GI Florida Derby winner Friends Lake (A.P. Indy). She produced a 2-year-old colt by Practical Joke, a yearling colt by Improbable, and was barren to Rock Your World for 2023. Sales History: $3,550,000 2yo '22 EASMAY. Lifetime Record: GISP, 4-1-2-1, $108,200. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Chester & Mary R. Broman (NY); T-Bob Baffert.

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New Positions For Egan at Santa Anita; Hammerle at 1/ST

Veteran horseman and racing official Jason Egan was promoted as the Director of Racing and Racing Secretary for Santa Anita Park beginning Jan. 27. He served as the track's Racing Coordinator since 2020, and he was named to his new post after Chris Merz announced his desire to take a more expansive operational role in the racing industry.

Additionally, Rick Hammerle will join 1/ST Racing as a consultant. After stops in California, New Jersey and Florida, he was most recently the Racing Coordinator at Oaklawn Park and Director of Racing Operations at Kentucky Downs.

Like Hammerle, Egan is a graduate of the University of Arizona's Racetrack Industry Program. While there, Egan interned with trainer Michael Dickinson and went on to work for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

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Good Magic’s Reincarnate Holds Off Newgate To Win Sham

Topping a Bob Baffert trifecta, REINCARNATE (Good Magic), the co-longest shot on the board at 16-1, held off Newgate (Into Mischief) and favored National Treasure (Quality Road) to steal the GIII Sham S.

Fresh off his maiden-breaking score in just his second start on the dirt following a pair of turf efforts in the fall, Reincarnate, a $775,000 yearling, came in the least heralded of Baffert's trio. Sent right to the front from his middle gate, the roan colt was able to clear National Treasure on his inside for a rail-hugging trip with Spun Intended just to his outside. That duo paced the field through an opening quarter in 22.78 as Packs a Wahlop and National Treasure raced in tandem behind while Newgate brought up the rear.

The field began to bunch up as they approached the far turn and Reincarnate got a bit of breathing room on the front end past the quarter pole. Newgate, who swept by the field on the outside to challenge at the top of the stretch, kept it tight but Reincarnate was game, countering every attack with one of his own and getting the better of his rival close to the wire to win by a neck. National Treasure chased the top pair home and finished three-quarters of a length back in third.

While the top three finishers would normally have been awarded points on a 10-5-3-2-1-scale on the road to the Kentucky Derby, only Packs a Wahlop (Creative Cause) and Spun Intended (Hard Spun) were eligible due to Baffert's ongoing suspension.

“It looks like this horse is getting better with every race, the first couple of starts, he was a little green,” said Juan Hernandez. “Today, he broke really sharp and actually he surprised me. I had come up with a plan to stay behind the speed, make him relax and make one move, but when the gate opened, plans changed.”

“He's the kind of horse that can run all day long,” said Bob Baffert. “He broke great and Juan just kind of let him run away from there. They were all on their own, I didn't give anybody any instructions. I was watching Johnny (Velazquez, aboard National Treasure) and he was in tight the whole way…I think (Reincarnate) showed that distance is not going to be a problem for him once he (gets) the lead. I was surprised he that easy lead and he just kept going.”

Pedigree Note:

The most recent winner for his dam, herself a stakes winner and a half-sister to MGSP Over Emphasize (Overanalyze), Reincarnate has a 2-year-old half-brother by Goldencents and a yearling half-brother by Liam's Map. Allanah went to More than Ready for 2023. By way of the third dam, this is also the female family of Canadian MSW Winning Agenda (Twilight Agenda), who went on to produce two-time champion Peruvian grass horse Zeide Isaac (Freud). That one's half-siblings include SW Dixie Two Star (Dixie Brass) and SP Canta Ke Brave (River Special).

Sunday, Santa Anita Park
SHAM S.-GIII, $100,000, Santa Anita, 1-8, 3yo, 1m, 1:35.87, ft.
1–REINCARNATE, 120, c, 3, by Good Magic
                1st Dam: Allanah (SW), by Scat Daddy
                2nd Dam: Star in the Corner, by Holy Bull
                3rd Dam: Stubborn Star, by Star Choice
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($775,000
Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket
Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay
Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine
Donovan; B-Woods Edge Farm, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan
Hernandez. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 5-2-3-0, $142,400.
Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross
pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Newgate, 120, c, 3, Into Mischief–Majestic Presence, by
Majestic Warrior. 'TDN Rising Star'. ($850,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-SF Racing LLC,
Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson,
Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge
Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Town & Country Horse
Farms, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $20,000.
3–National Treasure, 120, c, 3, Quality Road–Treasure, by
Medaglia d'Oro. ($500,000 Ylg '21 FTSAUG). O-SF Racing LLC,
Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson,
Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge
Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Peter E. Blum
Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $12,000.
Margins: NK, 3/4, 23. Odds: 16.50, 5.20, 0.60.
Also Ran: Packs a Wahlop, Spun Intended. Scratched: Speed Boat Beach.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Ice Dancing Skates Clear Late To Take Santa Ynez

Finally out from under And Tell Me Nolies's (Arrogate) shadow, ICE DANCING (Frosted) broke through for her first graded-stakes win in two prior tries and earned 10 points on the road to the Kentucky Oaks with a 3 1/4-length closing performance in the rescheduled GIII Santa Ynez S. Third behind the daughter of Arrogate when debuted at Del Mar Aug. 14, she rebounded with another third second-time out in the GI TVG Del Mar Debutante S. but had to settle for fourth in her first try at the Great Race Place in the GII Chandelier S. Brought back to Del Mar Nov. 25, Ice Dancing led gate-to-wire to break her maiden in maiden special weight company before returning to Arcadia, CA for the Santa Ynez.

The 1-2 post-time favorite given the Friday scratch of 'TDN Rising Star' Justique (Justify), Ice Dancing, breaking widest of the field, took back to let a trio of horses from the Bob Baffert barn go by on her inside. Paced up the backstretch run by a dueling Parody (Distorted Humor) and Fast and Shiny (Bernardini), the grey sat two and then three wide up the backstretch run. Fast and Shiny, already on the lead, kicked on into the far turn, gaining separation from Parody as the remaining quartet grouped up behind her. Ice Dancing, still three wide, loomed from last and came with a sweeping move to engage the pacesetter past the quarter pole. The top pair turned for home together but Ice Dancing had more to give and overtook her rival with a furlong to run. Satin Doll, the longest shot on the board at 12-1, ran up the rail to pass Parody for second but Ice Dancing was already home.

“She jumped well out of there and it felt like the pace was really strong, so I kind of kept myself off of the pace a little bit and it felt like she was traveling well,” said winning jockey Favien Prat, who was aboard for the maiden win at Del Mar. “She responded well when I asked her to make her move.”

“She's a big, strong filly, so the GIII Las Virgenes is a big possibility,” said trainer Richard Mandella when asked about her next engagement. “More than likely…We'll have a look.”

Pedigree Note:
With Sunday's victory, Ice Dancing becomes the fifth graded winner for her sire, MGISW Frosted. A half-sister to MGSP Fredericksburg (Speightstown), SW Dancing To Town (Speightstown) and GSP Goliad (War Front), dual stakes winning Welcome Dance failed to produce a live foal in the last two seasons.

Sunday, Santa Anita
SANTA YNEZ S.-GIII, $200,000, Santa Anita, 1-8, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:22.78, ft.
1–ICE DANCING, 120, f, 3, by Frosted
              1st Dam: Welcome Dance (MSW, $164,442),
                                by Henny Hughes
              2nd Dam: Choreograph, by Dynaformer
              3rd Dam: Dance for Vanny, by Sovereign Dancer
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Perry R
Bass II & Ramona Bass; B-Bass Stables, LLC (KY); T-Richard E.
Mandella; J-Flavien Prat. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 5-2-0-2,
$219,600. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk
   Nick Rating: A.
   Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Satin Doll, 120, f, 3, Congrats–Cliff's Secret, by The Cliff's
Edge. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($60,000 Ylg
'21 KEESEP). O-The Del Mar Group; B-Upson Downs Farm (KY);
T-Doug F. O'Neill. $40,000.
3–Fast and Shiny, 120, f, 3, Bernardini–Spotted Heart, by Lion
Hearted. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($150,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Michael Pegram, Karl Watson &
Paul Weitman; B-Douglas Scharbauer (KY); T-Bob Baffert.
$24,000.
Margins: 3 1/4, HD, 7. Odds: 0.50, 12.50, 11.10.
Also Ran: Parody, Huntingcoco. Scratched: Justique.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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