Holiday Fortnight Stakes Beyers

[Kasept]

SA Malibu S (G1): Flightline 118 (Tapit) J. Sadler/F. Prat
SA La Brea S (G1): Kalypso 81 (Brody's Cause) B. Baffert/J. Velazquez
SA San Antonio S (G2): Express Train 97 (Union Rags) J. Shirreffs/V. Espinoza
SA O/T-American Oaks (G1): Queen Goddess 95 (Empire Maker) M. McCarthy/J. Hernandez
SA O/T-Mathis Mile S (G3): Law Professor 95 (Constitution) M. McCarthy/J. Ortiz
SA O/T-San Gabriel S (G3): Bob and Jackie 80 (Twirling Candy) R. Baltas/J. Valdivia
SA Joe Hernandez S (G2): Chewing Gum 95 (Candy Ride-ARG) W. Mott/U. Rispoli
SA Robert J. Frankel S (G3): Luck 95 (Kitten's Joy) R. Baltas/F. Prat
SA La Canada S (G3): As Time Goes By 96 (American Pharoah) B. Baffert/F. Prat
SA Sham S (G3): Newgrange 88 (Violence) B. Baffert/J. Velazquez
SA Eddie Logan S: Cabo Spirit 78 (Pioneerof the Nile) G. Papaprodromou/V. Espinoza
SA Blue Norther S: Bellabel-IRE 77 (Belardo-IRE) P. D'Amato/F. Prat
SA Kalookan Queen S: Edgeway 86 (Competitive Edge) J. Sadler/J. Velazquez

SA 3yo MSW (6.f): Shaaz 105 (Uncle Mo) B. Baffert/J. Velazquez
SA 3yo-F MSW (7f): Distractedprincess 86 (Distorted Humor) B. Baffert/J. Velazquez
SA 3yo-F MSW (6f): Smitten by Kitten 76 (Kitten's Joy) M. Glatt/A. Cedillo
SA 2yo MSW (6.5f): Wharton 70 (Candy Ride) B. Baffert/J. Velazquez
SA 2yo MSW (6.5f): McLaren Vale 66 (Gun Runner) B. Baffert/J. Velazquez
SA 2yo MSW (1m): Flying Drummer 74 (Gun Runner) B. Baffert/J. Velazquez

FG Tenacious S: Chess Chief 95 (Into Mischief) D. Stewart/R. Gutierrez
FG Gun Runner S: Epicenter 87 (Not This Time) S. Asmussen/B. Hernandez
FG Untapable S: North County 78 (Not This Time) B. Walsh/A. Beschizza
FG Richie Scherer S: Just Might 102 (Justin Phillip) M. Lovell/C. Hernandez
FG Blushing K. D. S: Summer in Saratoga 92 (Hard Spun) J. Sharp/C. Lanerie
FG Buddy Diliberto S: Halo Again 91 (Speightstown) S. Asmussen/R. Gutierrez
FG Sugar Bowl S: Chattalot 87 (Midnight Lute) S. Asmussen/R. Gutierrez
FG Letellier Memorial S: Girl With a Dream 76 (Practical Joke) B. Cox/F. Geroux
FG Woodchopper S: Excess Magic 90 (Magician-IRE) W. Calhoun/R. Gutierrez
FG Spanky Broussard S: Audrey's Time 86 (Uncle Mo) N. Pessin/C. Lanerie
FG Pago Hop S: Lovely Ride 84 (Candy Ride-ARG) W. Calhoun/R. Gutierrez
FG Nelson J. Menard S: Elle Z 97 (City Zip) C. Hartman/M. Murrill
FG Louisiana Futurity: Free Like a Girl 75 (El Deal) C. Pomier/P. Cotto
FG Louisiana Futurity: Bron and Brow 79 (Gormley) M. Casse/A. Beschizza
FG 2yo MSW (8.5f): Cyberknife 80 (Gun Runner) B. Cox/F. Geroux
FG 2yo MSW (6f): Gilded Ruler 81 (Into Mischief) B. Cox/F. Geroux
FG 2yo-F MSW (6f): Reagan's Decision 74 (Unified) C. Devaux/B. Hernandez

GP H. Allen Jerkens S: Abaan 92 (Will Take Charge) T. Pletcher/L. Saez
GP Tropical Park Derby: Never Surprised 95 (Constitution) T. Pletcher/L. Saez
GP Tropical Park Oaks: Bipartisanship-GB 92 (Bated Breath-GB) H. Motion/P. Lopez
GP Mucho Macho Man S: Simplification 90 (Not This Time) A. Sano/J. Castellano
GP Ginger Brew S: Alittleloveandluck 78 (Arrogate) M. Dini/P. Lopez
GP Dania Beach S: Grand Sonata 73 (Medaglia d'Oro) T. Pletcher/T. Gaffalione
GP Limehouse S: Lightening Larry 89 (Uncaptured) J. Engler/R. Maragh
GP Cash Run S: Kathleen O. 78 (Upstart) C. McGaughey/J. Castellano
GP Janus S: Carotari 94 (Artie Schiller) B. Lynch/L. Saez
GP Via Borghese S: Always Shopping 89 (Awesome Again) T. Pletcher/T. Gaffalione
GP Abundantia S: Miss J McKay 88 (Hangover Kid) C. Clement/T. Gaffalione
GP 2yo MSW (8.5f): Galt 67 (Medaglia d'Oro) B. Mott/J. Alvarado
GP 2yo MSW (7f): American Icon 74 (Gun Runner) T. Pletcher/L. Saez

OP Smarty Jones S: Dash Attack 82 (Munnings) K. McPeek/D. Cohen

AQU Jerome S: Courvoisier 73 (Tapit) K. Breen/J. Ortiz
AQU La Verdad S: Bank Sting 85 (Central Banker) J. Terranova/D. Davis
AQU Alex M. Robb S: Sea Foam 84 (Medaglia d'Oro) M. Giangiulio/K. Carmouche

LRL Dave's Friend S: Threes Over Deuces 88 (Flat Out) G. Capuano/V. Rosales
LRL Heft S: Shake Em Loose 70 (Shakin It Up) R. Sanchez-Salomon/Y. Ortiz
LRL Carousel S: Miss Leslie 91 (Paynter) C. Gonzalez/A. Cruz
LRL Robert T. Manfuso S: Cordmaker 102 (Curlin) R. Jenkins/V. Carrasco
LRL Gin Talking S: Buy the Best 76 (Tapiture) C. Lynch/J. Rodriguez
LRL Willa On the Move S: Kaylasaurus 68 (Munnings) T. Kreiser/H. Karamanos

PRX Mrs. Claus S: Jakarta 93 (Bustin Stones) M. Trombetta/M. Sanchez
PRX Blitzen S: Dreams Untold 94 (Smarty Jones) J. Servis/F. Pennington
PRX Kris Kringle S: Why Why Paul Why 94 (Archarcharch) P. Pearce/K. Carmouche
PRX Parx Futurity: Stand Up Comic 62 (Practical Joke) R. Reid/F. Pennington
PRX Parx Juvenile S: Dance Code 62 (Honor Code) J. Vazquez/N. Juarez

TP Holiday Cheer S: Sir Alfred James 103 (Munnings) N. Cash/J. McKee
TP Gowell S: Marissa's Lady 85 (Violence) W. Morey/R. Bejarano

DED Lookout S: Strummer 67 (Star Guitar) S. Gelner/G. Melancon
DED B-Connected S: Izzy's Baby Boy 78 (Shackleford) S. Gelner/T. Pompell

SUN Racing Commission H: Lemon Drop Gold 72 (Mr. Gold Mover) J. Gonzalez/F. Reyes
SUN KLAQ H: Competitive Idea 83 (Competitive Edge) B. Hone/L. Negron

[Dahoss]

118 for Flightline

WOW

[freddymo]

Did they announce the stallion deal for Shaaz?

[cakes44]

That was one sorry La Brea.

[RolloTomasi]

How in the holy hell did the Graded Stakes committee reinstate the rankings for the Mathis Mile and the American Oaks?

The Mathis Mile, a silly race made up a few years back to honor a horse that did very little in his career aside from upsetting Mr. Purple and Serena's Song in the Big Cap (Sir Beaufort) and that has been so puffed up by the geniuses at Santa Anita that it now ruins the once fairly important San Gabriel (the only one of the 3 turf races on opening day that WAS downgraded) by siphoning off the good turf 3yos that should be taking on their elders by now...

This year's Mathis Mile featured 4 winners of graded turf stakes so I suppose it was a legit grade 2...on turf. But that's moot; the race moved to the main track. It featured exactly NO graded stakes winners on the dirt. It featured only 2 horses that had even ever started in a graded stakes on dirt. Their collective record in those races? 3-0-1-0.

To be fair, the 1-2 finishers did each own one of the few dirt wins in the entire field, those coming in maiden special weight races at Santa Anita earlier in the year.

Law Professor won his MSW in March just before being pummeled by the great turf...er...dirt horse Rock Your World in the SA Derby. That MSW ended up pretty strong, too; collectively aside from the Mathis Mile win there has been 11 victories from the members of that MSW field. Of course, 9 of the 11 victories came on the turf...

Beyond Brilliant also broke his maiden in a MSW, back in June in a 5-horse field. None of the other horses has won back although I think one did hit the board in a subsequent race...and it was even on dirt.

The lesson? Maiden Special Weights at Santa Anita are comparable to Grade 3 races...and Maiden Special Weights originally scheduled for the turf are at the very least similar to Listed Stakes.

I won't bore you with the details of the Grade 1 American Oaks aside from the unimportant fact that the collective dirt record of the entire field was 4-1-0-1. There was not a single horse that started in a graded stakes on the main track.

The only thing I can come up with that justifies the race remaining a Grade 1 is that the sires Honor Code, American Pharoah, Lemon Drop Kid, Medaglia d'Oro, and Empire Maker were represented by offspring in that race and THEY all had won Grade 1 dirt races during their own racing careers.

Either that, or Mike McCarthy has compromising photos of some of the members of the Graded Stakes Committee...

[blackthroatedwind]

Wait, the American Oaks, which shouldn't even be a Grade 1 anymore on turf, was still kept as a Grade 1 when it was switched? Here I thought the Canadian ratings making the Natalma and Summer Grade 1s was an embarrassment. I guess, once again, we eclipsed them in ridiculousness.