santa anita | Horse Racing Free Tips

Friday’s Insights: Centennial Debuts Empire Maker Colt

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

5th-Aqueduct, $80K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, post time: 3:25 p.m. ET
ROYAL REALM (Empire Maker) gets his career underway for Centennial Farms and trainer Jimmy Jerkens. A $250,000 Keeneland September acquisiton, the Triple Crown-nominated dark bay is out of an unraced daughter of Golden Sheba (Coronado's Quest), the dam of Godolphin's two-time GISW Wedding Toast (Street Sense), whose son Ya Hayati (Dubawi {Ire}) won the Listed Zabeel Turf at Meydan last month. The colt's third dam includes the recently deceased MGISW Congaree (Arazi) and SW/GISP Sangaree (Awesome Again). TJCIS PPs

A Frosted Firster for the Williamsons…
6th-Santa Anita, $61K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, post time: 6:12 p.m. ET
MARZANNA (Frosted) makes her first trip to the races in the orange-and-yellow colors of her breeder Williamson Racing LLC. The gray is out of Cal-bred SW Excessive Blend (In Excess {Ire}), a daughter of GSW Blending Element (Ire) (Great Commotion), whose other produce include GSW Tiz Elemental (Cee's Tizzy); former 'TDN Rising Star' and GSW Texas Ryano (Curlin); SW & GSP Holladay Road (Street Cry {Ire}); and SW Tiz A Blend (Cee's Tizzy). Just Distorted (Distorted Humor) cost Tommy Town Thoroughbreds $400,000 at KEESEP in 2019 and is out of a Smart Strike half-sister to multiple Canadian GSW Seductively (Thunder Gulch), GSP Pulling G's (Curlin) and MSP Prophetically (Pulpit). TJCIS PPs

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Sharp Maiden Winner Rock Your World Tests Stakes Company In Pasadena

Fresh off a big first-out maiden score sprinting, John Sadler's Rock Your World stretches out and rates top billing among six sophomores going one mile on turf in Saturday's $100,000 Pasadena Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Proven at the distance, Phil D'Amato's rapidly improving Irish-bred Cathkin Peak, a winner of the one mile turf Eddie Logan Stakes Dec. 27, and John Shirreffs' Red Flag, a disappointing fourth in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 19, both rate huge chances and figure to be well backed in a short but very competitive field.

A $650,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, Rock Your World exploded off the turn for home in his maiden victory and went on to win in-hand under turf ace Umberto Rispoli, who's back aboard in the Pasadena. Owned by Hronis Racing, LLC and David Michael Talla, Rock Your World, a Kentucky-bred colt by Candy Ride, out of Charm the Maker, by Empire Maker, was bred by Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally and his wife Deborah.

Off as the 2-1 favorite in a field of 12 on Jan. 1, Rock Your World won in eye catching fashion and appears to be a colt with any kind of future.

A respectable fourth in his five furlong turf debut over soft ground in his native Ireland on Aug. 29, Cathkin Peak was purchased privately and made his U.S. debut for D'Amato at Del Mar on Nov. 29, rallying to take a one mile turf maiden special weight by three quarters of a length versus 11 horses. Subsequently off at 4-1 in the seven-horse Eddie Logan, he hesitated a bit at the break but was handled confidently by Flavien Prat as he rallied for a one length victory.

With leading man Prat back aboard for the third consecutive time, Cathkin Peak will be well supported as he bids for his third consecutive win at a mile on grass.

The biggest question mark in Saturday's Pasadena would appear to be the John Shirreffs-trained Red Flag. Well beaten first time out on dirt Sept. 6 at Del Mar, he rallied to break his maiden by a neck going 5 ½ furlongs on turf at Santa Anita Oct. 10. Dismissed at 10-1 in the G3 Bob Hope Stakes at seven furlongs on dirt Nov. 15, he responded with a freakish 7 ¼ length victory.

Subsequently sent off as the 4-5 favorite in the G2 Los Alamitos Futurity at 1 1/16 miles Dec. 19, this colt by the Speightstown stallion Tamarkuz was never a factor while finishing fourth, beaten 8 ½ lengths. Owned by Jerry and Tina Moss, Red Flag, who will be making his fifth career start, will be ridden back by apprentice Ricky Gonzalez.

$100,000 PASADENA STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS
IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

Mac Daddy Too—Abel Cedillo—124
Cathkin Peak—Flavien Prat—124
Red Flag—Ricardo Gonzalez—120
Commander Khai—Juan Hernandez—120
Rock Your World—Umberto Rispoli—120
Harlan Estate—Ruben Fuentes—120

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com.

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Big Weekend, Milestone Net Flavien Prat Jockey Of The Week Honors

Jockey Flavien Prat had a very good week. In addition to winning all three stakes races at Santa Anita he also registered his 1,000th North American victory. The accomplishments earned Prat the Jockey of the Week award for Feb. 15 through Feb. 21. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

Riding for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella in the Wishing Well Stakes, the feature on Presidents' Day, Prat guided Superstition to a 1-1/2 furlong victory in 1:14.22 over 6-1/2 furlongs on the turf.

On Saturday, trainer Phil D'Amato tapped Prat to ride Charmaine's Mia for the first time in the Grade 2 Buena Vista a one mile turf test. Stretching out for the first time, Charmaine's Mia got the distance in 1:33.93.

“She broke sharp,” said Prat. “She's really fast out of the gate and I wanted to be on the lead, but the inside horse (Bohemian Bourbon) was pulling very hard, so we were in second, which was a good place to be. When we made the lead at the quarter pole, she got a good breather and from there, she finished really well.”

Prat was given a leg up on Bella Vita by trainer Simon Callaghan in the Spring Fever Stakes on Sunday. Heavily favored in the field of six, Bella Vita was in control the entire trip making short work of her rivals as she powered to a 4-1/2 length win.

“I thought I was on the best horse and I was,” said Prat. She broke well and we got a good position up close. She was push button and she did it on her own.”

French-born Prat, Santa Anita's reigning Winter/Spring Champion Jockey and current meet leader, registered his 1,000th North American victory on Feb. 19. In a remarkable span of about six years, he has collected 11 Southern California riding titles and is currently tied for 13th with retired Hall of Famer Donald Pierce on Santa Anita's all-time Winter/Spring stakes won list with 99 to date.

“It means a lot, it's a big achievement,” said Prat. “(Looking to the future) I hope to do as good as I have done. I don't want to be satisfied with what I've done, I want to try to improve. I've been lucky to have been on a lot of good horses…They all have a place in my heart.”

Prat's weekly stats included 12 wins from 26 mounts for a win percentage of 46% and 73% in-the-money percentage. He led all jockeys in purses won with $553,440.

He out polled fellow jockeys Eric Cancel with a stakes victory, Isaias Enriquez with two stakes victories, Horacio Karamanos with a graded stakes win and Sheldon Russell with two stakes victories.

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Report: Fans Could Be Allowed Back At Santa Anita This Spring

The Daily Racing Form reports that executive at Santa Anita are working on protocols to allow a limited number of paying customers back to the track sometime this spring.

Nothing has been finalized yet, and any plans would be contingent on a continued improvement of COVID-19 statistics in the area. Los Angeles County, where Santa Anita is located, has had one of the worst outbreaks in the area and is currently classified by state government as having the tightest level of restrictions on business openings and gatherings based on its current COVID-19 figures.

Santa Anita management was encouraged to learn management for the Los Angeles Dodgers is in discussions with state health officials to allow fans to the team's home games, and Disneyland has also been working on a reopening date.

Since last summer, owners with horses entered on a card have been permitted to watch the races in person at the track, but the facility has otherwise been closed to the public.