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    Horse racing notes: Kentucky Derby field still doesn’t include Baeza
    • April 24, 2025

    SANTA ANITA LEADERS

    (Through Sunday)

    Jockeys / Wins

    Juan Hernandez / 6

    Umberto Rispoli / 4

    Hector Berrios / 3

    Antonio Fresu / 3

    Ricardo Gonzalez / 2

    Geovanni Franco / 2

    Trainers / Wins

    Bob Baffert / 4

    John Sadler / 4

    Phil D’Amato / 4

    (17 tied) / 1

    UPCOMING STAKES

    SANTA ANITA

    Saturday

    • $100,000, Grade III Royal Heroine Stakes, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, 1 mile on turf

    Sunday

    • $100,000, Grade III Senorita Stakes, 3-year-old fillies, about 6½ furlongs on turf

    LOS ALAMITOS

    Saturday

    • $40,000 Kaweah Bar Handicap, quarter horses, 3 and up, 350 yards

    DOWN THE STRETCH

    • Post positions and morning-line odds for the Kentucky Derby field of up to 20 horses – plus two also-eligibles — will be set Saturday in Louisville. Three California-based horses are in: likely favorite Journalism and the Bob Baffert-trained duo of Citizen Bull and Rodriguez. Baffert decided last Friday to switch Madaket Road to the Pat Day Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard. As of Thursday morning, Baeza, second to Journalism in the Santa Anita Derby, needed three horses to drop out to make it into the Run for the Roses.

    • Smarty Jones, the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, will be one of this year’s seven new members of the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame, it was announced Thursday. Smarty Jones was the only candidate chosen by Hall of Fame voters from the “contemporary” category. Also elected were 1950s sprinter Decathlon, early-1900s star Hermis, trainer George Conway (best known for War Admiral), owner-breeder Arthur B. Hancock III (Sunday Silence), 1800s owner and racing promoter Richard Ten Broeck (Lexington) and racing journalist and historian Ed Bowen. Induction ceremonies are Aug. 1 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Nominees this year included California horses Blind Luck, Game On Dude, Kona Gold and Rags to Riches and trainers Doug O’Neill, John Sadler and John Shirreffs.

    • Tirupati (Umberto Rispoli riding) goes for a second consecutive Grade III victory when the 4-year-old filly trained by Jonathan Thomas heads the crowded Royal Heroine Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday. Co-leading trainer Phil D’Amato has 2024 Royal Heroine winner Uncorked (Mike Smith), improving Public Assembly (Antonio Fresu), Sun Of Hill (Tiago Pereira) and Eternal Reign (Reylu Gutierrez). If all 13 entrants run, it will be the largest stakes field at Santa Anita, Los Alamitos or Del Mar – outside of the two days of the Breeders’ Cup – since Artislas beat 12 opponents in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes on Sept. 8.

    • Quarter horses Beyond Repair and jockey Ruben Lozano and Beuteeful and Jose Nicasio posted the fastest times, 15.681 and 15.771 for 300 yards, in Saturday’s trials for the May 11 Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity at Los Alamitos.

    • Two horses died in training at Santa Anita in the past week, both fatalities attributed to musculoskeletal injuries by the California Horse Racing Board website. The 5-year-old filly Blushing, a two-time winner in France, died April 18, and the 3-year-old colt Ivan the Great, a maiden winner at Del Mar, died Sunday. Six horses have died in racing and training at Santa Anita since the season opened Dec. 26, down from eight and seven in the same span the past two years. A total of 12 horses have died at Santa Anita and Los Alamitos since Dec. 26, down from 15 and 13 the past two years. Those counts are unofficial.

    • Santa Anita stewards ordered Ms Brightside disqualified to last from a victory at the optional-claiming level Jan. 1 at Santa Anita because the 4-year-old filly tested positive for the anti-ulcer medication omeprazole. Owner Paul Gange, trainer Phil D’Amato and jockey Umberto Rispoli were stripped of their shares of the $20,400 winner’s purse. Ms Brightside is a contender in Santa Anita’s seventh race Friday.

    • Los Alamitos announced the schedule for three stakes at its June 20-July 6 afternoon thoroughbred season. The $100,000 Bertrando Stakes at 1 mile on June 21, the $100,000 Los Alamitos Derby at 1⅛ miles on June 28, and the $200,000, Grade II Great Lady M. Stakes for fillies and mares at 6½ furlongs on July 5.

    — Kevin Modesti

    ​ Orange County Register 

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