Santa Anita Media Poll: Improbable Named Horse Of The Meet

Bob Baffert-trained Improbable, winner of the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes on Sept. 26, heads Santa Anita's 2020 Autumn Meet Media Poll, which recognizes equine and human accomplishments in a variety of categories throughout the 16-day meeting which began on Sept. 25 and concluded Sunday, Oct. 25.

2020 Santa Anita Autumn Media Poll

Horse of Meet: Improbable

Sprinter: C. Z. Rocket

Older Horse: Improbable

Older Filly/Mare: Mucho Unusual

Claimer: Psycho Dar

Grass Horse: United

Grass Filly/Mare: Mucho Unusual

3-Year-Old: Smooth Like Strait

3-Year-Old Filly: Harvest Moon

Trainer: Peter Miller/Bob Baffert (each had 11 wins)

Jockey: Flavien Prat (27 wins)

Apprentice: Alexis Centeno (7 wins)

Race: Santa Anita Sprint Championship

Owner: Reddam Racing, LLC

Achievement: Craig Lewis, 1,000 Career Wins

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Baffert Runners Head BC Works at Santa Anita

Trainer Bob Baffert’s arsenal was on full display Saturday morning at Santa Anita in preparation for their respective Breeders’ Cup engagements at Keeneland Nov. 6 and 7. Heading the charge was GI Kentucky Derby hero Authentic (Into Mischief), who breezed seven furlongs in 1:24.40 (XBTV video) in advance of the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic. In his latest start, the colt finished a neck behind winner Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in the Oct. 3 GI Preakness S.

Undefeated TDN Rising Star Princess Noor (Not This Time) breezed six furlongs in a bullet 1:11.80 in preparation for the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Victorious second time out in the GI Del Mar Debutante Sept. 6, she returned to score in the Sept. 6 GII Chandelier S. Fellow Baffert trainee, Grade I-placed Spielberg (Union Rags), posted a five-furlong move in :59.80 in advance of the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, while Gamine (Into Mischief), winner of the GI Acorn S. and GI Test S. this summer, completed five furlongs in a bullet :58.80 ahead of the GI Breeders’ Cup F & M Sprint. The filly is currently under investigation for a medication positive detected in a sample following a third in the Sept. 4. GI Kentucky Oaks.

Also at Santa Anita Saturday, trainer Richard Mandella sent out GII John Henry Turf Championship S. winner United (Giant’s Causeway) for a mile work in 1:37.80 under Flavien Prat in preparation for the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf, a race in which he finished second in 2019.

“He went very nice,” said Mandella. “I think we have a little better line on him now, more than we ever did, and hopefully, it will pay off at the Breeders’ Cup.”

Mandella also breezed Jolie Olimpica (Brz) (Drosselmeyer) Saturday, indicating the latter “got a little tired” negotiating five furlongs in :59 flat and will bypass the Breeders’ Cup in favor of the Nov. 29 GI Matriarch S. at Del Mar.

Recent GI Rodeo Drive S. scorer Mucho Unusual (Mucho Macho Man), expected to contest the GI Breeders’ Cup F&M Turf, worked five panels for trainer Tim Yakteen in 1:00.60 (XBTV Video), while Sharp Samurai (First Samurai) completed the same distance in a minute flat. The multiple graded stakes winner is expected to make his next start in the GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile or Mile.

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United Takes Flight In Wire-To-Wire John Henry Turf Championship Win

With little early speed in the seven-horse field, jockey Flavien Prat put LNJ Foxwoods' United in front at the start and the 5-year-old Giant's Causeway gelding was never seriously challenged en route to an easy victory as the 3-5 favorite in Saturday's Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Irish-bred Originaire finished second, followed by Another Mystery in third, French-bred Proud Pedro fourth and Irish-bred Oscar Dominguez fifth in the field of seven older horses. Kazan was scratched.

United, produced from the Pulling Punches mare Indy Punch, was bred in Kentucky by Rosemont Farm. He is trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella.

United paid $3.40 to win and covered 1 1/4 miles on firm turf in 1:59.17 after setting fractions of :24.57, :49.07, 1:1;3.20 and 1:36.46. The final time was just over one second faster than Mucho Unusual took to win the G1 Rodeo Drive Stakes for fillies and mares going the same distance.

Mandella indicated the Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland would be next for United, who has now won seven of 16 starts, with four seconds. One of those runner-up performances came in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Turf when second, beaten a head by eventual Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar.

United has won four of five starts in 2020, all of the wins coming in G2 races: the San Marcos in February, Charles Whittingham in May,  Eddie Read in July and now the John Henry in September. His only defeat this year came in his most recent outing when second, beaten a head by Red King, in the G2 Del Mar Handicap on Aug. 22.

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United Seeks Rebound In Saturday’s John Henry Turf Championship

A winner of three out of his last four starts and no worse than third in his last nine, Richard Mandella's classy United heads up a field of eight 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/4 miles over the Santa Anita Turf in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 John Henry Turf Championship.

Most recently second, beaten a diminishing head at 3-5 in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap, United will again use the John Henry as a springboard to the Grade 1, 1 1/2-mile Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland, a race in which he was a close second to eventual Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar last year at Santa Anita.

The Richard Baltas-trained Next Shares, a late running Grade 1 stakes winner, BG Stables' Originaire, who charged from far back to be a close third in the Del Mar Handicap and fellow Irish-bred Oscar Dominguez, a close fifth in the same race, lend considerable depth to the John Henry field.

The John Henry is named in honor of the legendary gelding who garnered seven Eclipse Awards and was voted America's Horse of the Year in 1981 and 1984. A Kentucky-bred gelding by Ole Bob Bowers, John Henry was trained by Hall of Famer Ron McAnally and was retired at age nine in 1984.

UNITED

Owner: LNJ Foxwoods

Trainer: Richard Mandella

Third in last year's John Henry, this 5-year-old Giant's Causeway gelding was subsequently a massive second, beaten a head by Bricks and Mortar at odds of 51-1 in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Turf, a race that he's once again prepping for. Although he was flying at the finish of the Aug. 22 Del Mar Handicap, the winner, Red King, had made an early run and was able to just prevail. A winner of three out of his four starts this year, United is in top form with an overall mark of 15-6-4-1 and earnings of $1,293,549.

NEXT SHARES

Owner: Richard & Debby Baltas and Michael Iavarone

Trainer: Richard Baltas

Back from Kentucky following a pair of unplaced starts in one mile turf stakes, including a 10th place finish two races back in the Grade I Makers Mark Mile at Keeneland July 10, Next Shares is a classy 7-year-old gelding that would appreciate a fast early pace. A solid second, beaten 2 ¼ lengths three starts back in the Grade I Shoemaker Mile (turf) here on May 25, he rallied well to be third, beaten a neck four starts back in the Grade I Frank E. Kilroe Mile (turf) on March 7. Although winless in five starts this year and “o-fer” in two tries at the mile and one quarter distance, Next Shares will hope to rebound on his home ground and will be ridden for the first time by top eastern rider Luis Saez. The leading money earner in the field with $1,808,571, he'll be making his 35th career start.

ORIGINAIRE

Owner: BG Stables

Trainer: Jeff Mullins

In what will be his fourth consecutive confrontation with United, this 4-year-old Irish-bred colt rates a legitimate upset chance. Most recently a fast finishing third, beaten a half length by United in the Del Mar Handicap, he was much closer to the pace in both the Grade II Eddie Read on July 26 and the Grade II Charles Whittingham Stakes here on May 23, races in which he was beaten 2 ¼ lengths and a half length by United, respectively. With Abel Cedillo set to ride him back for the second time, it would seem that Originaire's best chance for victory would be if he could again lag far off of a fast early pace.

OSCAR DOMINGUEZ

Owner: Nancy Messineo & Bruce Sands

Trainer: Richard Baltas

Another deep closer, “Oscar” was most recently a fast finishing fifth from far off the pace in the Del Mar Handicap Aug. 22, this 7-year-old Irish-bred gelding is winless in four graded starts this year, with his last win coming five races back in the Grade II, mile and one half Hollywood Turf Cup on Dec. 1, 2019. A winner of six out of his 41 career starts, he'll be ridden for the first time Jose Valdivia, Jr.

THE GRADE II JOHN HENRY WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS ON POST POSITION ORDER

Race 9 of 11 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

1. Proud Pedro—Juan Hernandez—122
2. Originaire—Abel Cedillo—122
3. United—Flavien Prat—126
4. Another Mystery—Drayden Van Dyke—122
5. Salvator Mundi—Umberto Rispoli—122
6. Kazan—Tiago Pereira—122
7. Next Shares—Luis Saez—124
8. Oscar Dominguez—Jose Valdivia, Jr.—124

First post time for an 11-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. Although there is no public admittance, fans can follow a live video stream, free of charge, at santaanita.com

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