Santa Anita Stable Notes- By Ed Golden - Saturday, February 19, 2022

LEWIS HAD OPTIONS FOR TWO CALIFORNIA-BREDS
SPRING FEVER COMES EARLY FOR BECCA TAYLOR
HESS EXPECTS A BETTER TRIP FOR CHAOS THEORY
MANDATORY RAINBOW SIX PAYOUT ON SUNDAY
HOLIDAY MONDAY IS DOLLAR DAY AT SANTA ANITA

CRAIG’S CONUMDRUM RESOLVED FOR CAL-BREDS

Craig Lewis was weighing his options.

Three days ago, they packed a preponderance of poundage.

Then the smoke cleared, entries were taken Friday morning and the Los Angeles native, who began his accomplished training career 44 years ago, made his decision on which horses to enter where.

He had two horses nominated to one of Monday’s Presidents’ Day features, the $100,000 Tiznow Stakes, they being Brickyard Ride and Warren’s Showtime.

The Tiznow is part of the lucrative Golden State Series for eligible California-bred or sired horses, restricted to four-year-olds and up at a mile.

“I could run one, maybe both, maybe neither,” Lewis said on Wednesday, two days in front of entry time for Monday’s races while keeping the door wide open for Brickyard Ride, a five-year-old full horse and winner of nine of 19 starts, and Warren’s Showtime, a five-year-old mare, winner of eight of 25 races who would have been making her first start against males.

In the end, Warren’s Showtime was not entered, leaving the Tiznow assignment to the lightning quick Brickyard Ride. “We don’t know if Brickyard Ride can go two turns, so that’s the issue there.

“We’ve been attempting to try it, and we still might, but with Flightline out of the San Carlos (presented by Fan Duel on March 5), that race became more interesting for us, and Brickyard Ride won it decisively last year (by four lengths in typical front-running fashion).”

A chestnut horse owned and bred by Alfred Pais, Brickyard Ride has raced beyond seven furlongs only once, failing to finish at a mile on turf when he ducked through rail late in an overnight race on Jan. 17, 2020.

Owned by Benjamin and Sally Warren, Lewis allowed as to how “Warren’s Showtime is a pretty nice filly and she’d have been running against colts, but I think she’d be competitive in (the Tiznow).

“However, I’m weighing the opportunities for her on March 5, to run in the (Grade II) Buena Vista at a mile on the grass for fillies and mares, or the (Grade I) Beholder (Mile on dirt) for fillies and mares. She has earned more than $800,000 ($843,431) and I’m hoping to make her a millionaire by year’s end.

“I had options for both horses. It’s a nice situation to be in, yet was a bit difficult,” he said, concluding with a Yogi-ism: “You never know if you made the right move until you make it.”

The Tiznow, which goes as race eight Monday with a 12:30 p.m. first post time: Seattle Bold, Umberto Rispoli; Peaceful Transfer, Edwin Maldonado; Wilder Than Most, Flavien Prat; Brickyard Ride, Juan Hernandez; and Touchdown Brown, Kyle Frey.

BECCA TAYLOR TOWERS OVER SWEET LIFE FIELD

Becca Taylor looms one of the shortest-priced betting favorites of the meet–if not the shortest–in Monday’s Presidents’ Day co-feature, the $100,000 Spring Fever Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares four and up at six furlongs.

Two-to-five might be generous.

The four-year-old daughter of the stakes-winning Old Topper trained by the late Noble Threewitt is undefeated in five career races and faces four rivals that were beaten a combined margin of 50 lengths in their last starts.

Becca Taylor, meanwhile, has won her five races by a combined margin of some eight lengths, going favored in her last three starts but not nearly as low as she’ll be in the Spring Fever.

Trained by Steve Miyadi for owner/breeder Nick Alexander, the bay filly has an ideal running style, usually in close proximity to the pace, then wearing down her foes in early or late stretch.

The longtime owner of Nick Alexander (auto) Imports in Los Angeles, Alexander typically names his homebreds for sports figures of years-gone-by, such as Moose Skowron, Cal McLish, Johnny Podres, Pee Wee Reese, etc. In the case of Becca Taylor however, he made an exception and named the 4-year-old bay filly for his niece, who is a recent graduate of UNLV, with a degree in Hotel Management.

The Spring Fever, race five of eight with a 12:30 p.m. first post time: Governor Goteven, Tyler Baze; Omg It’s Jessica, Victor Espinoza; Smiling Shirlee, Kyle Frey; and Super Game, Drayden Van Dyke.

HESS HOPES FOR LESS ‘CHAOS’ IN SAN SIMEON

Chaos Theory has been a useful if somewhat unfortunate campaigner in five races since being claimed for $62,500 just over a year ago, on Feb. 13, 2021.

The seven-year-old gelded son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin had a nightmarish journey in the restricted Clockers’ Corner Jan. 22 while breaking from the rail.

Trainer Bob Hess Jr. expects a vastly improved performance in Sunday’s Grade III San Simeon Stakes despite drawing the number one post again.

“He had a horrible trip last time out,” Hess said of the chestnut, referring to the Clockers’ Corner when he broke slow, steadied at the 3/8 marker and finished sixth by 9 ½ lengths.

“I think he should have been third, but he had a brutal trip,” continued Hess by phone from Louisiana, where he saddles 15-1 morning line chance Miss Mattie B ridden by Mike Smith in today’s Grade II Rachel Alexandra Stakes at Fair Grounds.

“It was just kind of bad luck that he got pinned down on the rail, although he’ll run inside, so I don’t really mind the post (number one again). He just needs to be able to get through at the right time.”

Hess has enjoyed considerable success of late with Edwin Maldonado, who is represented by veteran agent Tony Matos, and will be on Chaos Theory in a race for the first time Sunday.

“Horses run for Edwin, he’s working hard in the mornings and he’s a good, versatile rider, so I have no problem using him on any horse,” Hess said of the 39-year-old Ohio native.

The San Simeon, race eight of nine with a 12:30 p.m. first post time: Chaos Theory, Edwin Maldonado, 10-1; Commander, Umberto Rispoli, 6-1; Barrazza, John Velazquez, 2-1; Beer Can Man, Flavien Prat, 5-2; Guildsman, Drayden Van Dyke, 20-1; Bran, Joe Bravo, 6-1; Bombard, Juan Hernandez, 4-1; and Indian Peak, Abel Cedillo, 15-1.

$5 MILLION POOL LOOMS, MANDATORY RAINBOW SIX PAYOUT SUNDAY

With the likelihood of a $5 million pool, Santa Anita’s popular 20 cent Single Ticket Rainbow Pick Six Jackpot will offer players a mandatory payout on Sunday. First post time for a nine-race card is at 12:30 p.m. and Sunday’s main event is the Grade III, $100,000 San Simeon Stakes for older horses at about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course.

There is a Single Ticket Jackpot carryover into Saturday of $614,141 and providing there is no Single Ticket winner on Saturday, track officials project Sunday’s total Rainbow Six pool will exceed the $5 million mark.

With nine races carded on Sunday, approximate post time for race four, the beginning of the Rainbow Six, is 2:05 p.m. PT.

With the San Simeon slotted as race eight, a total of 52 horses have been entered in races four through nine, creating average Rainbow Six field size on Sunday of 8.6 runners per race.

FINISH LINES: There is special holiday racing on Monday, Presidents’ Day. It will also be Dollar Beer and Soda Day, with hot dogs available for $2 . . . There were 151 recorded workouts at Santa Anita Saturday, including a four-furlong move in 48.60 for trainer Michael McCarthy‘s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint champion Ce Ce, and a bullet six-furlong drill in 1:11.80 by Bob Baffert‘s multiple graded stakes winner As Time Goes By . . . Leggs Galore, winner of the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint presented by John Deere on Jan. 15, will stretch out against open company in the Grade II Buena Vista Stakes at a mile on turf March 5, according to Phil D’Amato, Santa Anita’s second-leading trainer who is but one behind front-running Baffert at 20-19, although Baffert has a higher win percentage at 38 to 22, and greater purse earnings at $1,777,380 to $1,230,572. A five-year-old gray daughter of 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Bayern, Leggs Galore is owned and was bred by William Sims

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