santa anita | Horse Racing Free Tips

Baffert Duo Headline Field of Five for Sham

With only a field of five newly turned 3-year-olds signed on, Hall of Famer Bob Baffert will saddle a pair of imposing runners in Saturday's GIII Sham S. going a two-turn mile at Santa Anita.

Rockefeller (Medaglia d'Oro) returns to the West Coast for Baffert after securing a front-running victory in Belmont's one-turn mile GIII Nashua S. Nov. 7. The $750,000 KEESEP yearling was previously fourth behind his unbeaten GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile-winning stablemate Corniche (Quality Road) in the GI American Pharoah S. Oct 1. Rockefeller is the 8-5 morning-line favorite in the Sham.

Baffert will also tighten the girth on sharp six-furlong Del Mar Nov. 28 debut winner Newgrange (Violence). The highly regarded second-place finisher that day Got Thunder (Arrogate) returns to action at Santa Anita Friday evening.

Baffert's most recent of seven Sham winners include: MGISW McKinzie (Street Sense) (2018), Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief) (2020) and GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Life Is Good (Into Mischief) (2021).

A multiple stakes winner on turf and most recently a close third with a rough trip in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Nov. 5, Mackinnon (American Pharoah) returns to dirt. The Del Mar Juvenile Turf S. Sept. 6 and Zuma Beach S. Oct. 3 winner was a well-beaten fourth in his lone prior try on dirt on debut going 4 1/2 furlongs in Arcadia May 9.

A qualifying race for the 2022 GI Kentucky Derby, excluding horses trained by Baffert, the Sham winner will receive 10 qualifying points, with four to second, two to third and one to the fourth-place finisher. Churchill Downs banned Baffert for two years following the well-documented corticosteroid betamethasone positive of the late Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit (Protonico).

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Friday’s Racing Insights: Bevy of Pricey, Well-Bred Runners Squeeze in ’21 Starts

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

2nd-TAM, $26.5K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1m40yds, 1:08 p.m. ET
While their other four competitors are a combined 0-for-37, late-debuting newcomers Aussie Pride (Curlin) and Mint (Bodemeister) sport huge pedigrees and in one case, a massive price tag. The former, who carries the Godolphin blue for trainer Bill Mott, was the second topper at the 2019 Keeneland September sale at a gaudy $4.1 million. He's out of New Zealand champion sprinter Bounding (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}), who is a half to G1 Investec Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Mint's dam Flawless (Mr. Greeley), meanwhile, was a $4.1-million FTKNOV buyback last year one day after her son Authentic (Into Mischief) completed his Horse of the Year campaign with a GI Breeders' Cup Classic score. Arnaud Delacour trains Mint for breeder Peter Blum. TJCIS PPs

7th-GP, $54K, Alw, (S), 2yo, 7f, 3:29 p.m. ET
Repole Stable and St Elias Stable's So Determined (Into Mischief) takes on a couple of stakes-placed runners in his first try against winners. The $875,000 Keeneland September yearling is out of a full-sister to SW Summer House (Tiznow) from the family of MGSW and successful Louisiana-based sire Custom for Carlos (More Than Ready). Second in his local unveiling Oct. 2, he broke through by 4 1/2 lengths going 5 1/2 panels Nov. 14. TJCIS PPs

4th-SA, $67K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 5:00 p.m. ET
This first of two divisions of well-bred sprinting maidens features The Avengers' $625,000 Keeneland September buy McLaren Vale (Gun Runner). A $200,000 KEEJAN in utero seller and $325,000 Keeneland November weanling, the Bob Baffert trainee is out of a half-sister to the dam of Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year Justify. Richard Baltas pupil Balladeer (Distorted Humor), who cost $355,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Showcase, is out of a Galileo (Ire) half-sister to GI Belmont S. and GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Drosselmeyer (Distorted Humor). Several in here show solid running lines, including Doug O'Neill-trained last-out Del Mar third-place finishers Godsend (Midshipman, $80,000 OBSAPR {:20 4/5}); and B Dawk (Gormley, $425,000 FTMMAY {:10 1/5}). TJCIS PPs

6th-SA, $67K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 6:00 p.m. ET
West Point Thoroughbreds and Talla Racing LLC's Got Thunder (Arrogate) will look to go one better here after finishing second at 19-10 to Newgrange (Violence), whose high-profile connections, nicknamed The Avengers, will be represented this time around by Wharton (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Armagnac (Quality Road). Got Thunder was a $155,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $750,000 OBSAPR grad off a :10 flat bullet breeze. He's half to MGISW turfer Heart to Heart (English Channel) and MGSP Lady Traveler (Quality Road). Click for Steve Sherack's 'Second Chances' feature on Got Thunder after his Nov. 28 unveiling at Del Mar.

Wharton was a $475,000 September buy and is out of GISW sprinter Her Smile (Include), making him half to MGSW Pink Sands (Tapit). Armagnac, who cost $210,000 at the same auction, is out of turf stakes winner Kitty Wine (Lemon Drop Kid), who also set a track record on the Keeneland Polytrack over the Beard Course. TJCIS PPs

8th-OP, $120K, Alw, 2yo, f, 1m, 6:00 p.m. ET
Muddy Waters Stables LLC's Hypersport (Blame) stretches out off a super-sharp and head-turning second-out score here Dec. 3 that earned an 87 Beyer Speed Figure and surely some phone calls to her connections. The $100,000 September yearling was previously runner-up at Keeneland Oct . 21. Three other fillies already own black-type: Brad Cox-trained Goldolphin homebred Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile) was second in Churchill's Fern Creek S. last time Nov. 27; Benedict Canyon (Midnight Lute) was third in Santa Anita's Anoakia S. Oct. 24 and makes the move from Bob Baffert to Steve Asmussen off a fifth-place run in the GI Starlet S.; and value buy Red Hot Mess (Shackleford), upset winner of the White Clay Creek S. at Delaware Oct. 13, comes in off a far-back finish in Belmont's Tempted S. TJCIS PPs

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‘Off Turf’ American Oaks Retains Grade 1 Status; AGS Committee Alters Grading Schedule for 2022

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association's American Graded Stakes Committee said the Dec. 26 American Oaks – taken off turf and run on dirt because of wet conditions at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. – would have its Grade 1 standing reinstated. Under the AGS Committee's rules, races run on a different surface than that originally scheduled are automatically downgraded and reviewed for possible reinstatement.

The American Oaks, won by Queen Goddess, drew 11 entries. Only one original entry was scratched from the race, and it was not surface-related.

The committee also reinstated the Grade 2 standing for the Santa Anita Mathis Mile Stakes, run the same day as the American Oaks. Law Professor won the race in a field of eight. One horse, Zoffarelli, scratched because of the surface change.

A third stakes run Dec. 26, the San Gabriel, will remain a Grade 3 race for 2021 after automatically being downgraded from Grade 2 when it was taken off the turf. Three of the original seven entries were scratched after the surface change, including morning line favorite Hit the Road.

The AGS Committee will meet Jan. 26-27 to assign grades for 2022. The timing is a departure from previous years when the committee would meet in early December, assessing races run after the previous year's Breeders' Cup through the current year's Breeders' Cup.

The new schedule permits the committee to assess races for the entire calendar year.

Andy Schweigardt, TOBA's senior director of industry relations and development and the secretary of the AGS Committee, said, “The committee made the change to a calendar year for its statistical measurements so that the important Grade 1 and Grade 2 races conducted after the Breeders' Cup and before Dec. 31 could be included in the grading session workbooks in a timelier manner. Under the former Breeders' Cup to Breeders' Cup statistical year, a race run Thanksgiving weekend and the stats earned by the horses in it would not be reflected in the workbooks until a year later.”

Schweigardt said the 2022 grades are expected to be announced Jan. 28 and will cover the period from Feb. 1, 2022, through Jan. 31, 2023.

For more information on how the grading process works, click here.

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American Oaks Grade I Status Reinstated

Automatically downgraded to a Grade II after coming off the turf and being contested on Santa Anita's main track Dec. 26, the GI American Oaks was reinstated to Grade I status after its review by TOBA-directed American Graded Stakes Committee Thursday. Queen Goddess (Empire Maker) won the 1 1/4-mile test for sophomore fillies.

Also reinstated by the committee is the GII Santa Anita Mathis Mile S., also run last Sunday. Conversely, the third turf test of the afternoon, the GII San Gabriel S., was automatically downgraded to Grade III status and will not be reinstated to a Grade II for the 2021 renewal.

It is the policy of the American Graded Stakes Committee that a race that is scheduled for the turf, however, is moved to the dirt after the closing of nominations because of unsuitable turf conditions, is automatically downgraded for that running only. It is at the committee's discretion to reinstate its former status.

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