SANTA ANITA LEADERS
(Through Thursday)
JOCKEYS / WINS
Juan Hernandez / 23
Flavien Prat / 23
Antonio Fresu / 20
Frankie Dettori / 14
Umberto Rispoli / 12
TRAINERS / WINS
Mark Glatt / 14
Philip D’Amato / 13
Doug O’Neill / 11
Bob Baffert / 10
Steve Knapp / 10
WEEKEND STAKES AT SANTA ANITA
Saturday
• $100,000 Grade III Las Virgenes Stakes, 3-year-old fillies, 1 mile
• $100,000 Grade III San Marcos Stakes, 4-year-olds and up, 1¼ miles (turf)
• $100,000 Grade III Palos Verdes Stakes, 4-year-olds and up, 6 furlongs
Sunday
• $100,000 Sweet Life Stakes, 3-year-old fillies, 6½ furlongs downhill turf course
DOWN THE STRETCH
• An intriguing matchup featuring two of the top 3-year-old fillies in California, Kinza and Kopion, highlight the 5-horse $100,000 Grade III Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday. The Las Virgenes is a major prep for the Santa Anita Oaks (April 6) and Kentucky Oaks (May 3). The Bob Baffert-trained Kinza, who will be making her debut around two turns, is the even-money favorite on the morning line. Kopion, trained by Richard Mandella, is 6-5. Two other $100,000 Grade III stakes – the San Marcos and Palos Verdes – also will be run Saturday.
• Hornblower Jay Cohen, nearly as much a staple at Santa Anita as the late “Shoeshine” Eddie Logan and “Paddock Captain” John Shear, returns to Santa Anita on Saturday after eight months away because of back problems that led to surgery. He says he originally injured his back several years ago, but it flared up on him in June. “They had to put in spacers, plus they had to stabilize the back (with a rod),” Cohen said of the surgery. “The problem there is they cut through the back and they cut in my side. Where they cut through the back, it’s perfectly fine. Where they cut through my side is still a little bit messy. It’s still swollen, but it’s not going to stop me.”
• Tom Ryan, racing manager for co-owner SF Racing, told the Daily Racing Form’s Steve Andersen on Thursday that Preakness and Pegasus World Cup winner National Treasure will run in the $20 million Saudi Cup, the richest horse race ever held that is scheduled for Feb. 24. National Treasure, trained by Baffert, won the Pegasus by a neck over Senor Buscador. American hopefuls White Abarrio, the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, Saudi Crown and Senor Buscador are also scheduled to run in the Saudi Cup. This year’s running at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will be the fifth edition.
— Art Wilson
