SANTA ANITA LEADERS
Through Thursday
JOCKEYS / WINS
Ramon Vazquez / 18
Juan Hernandez / 14
Umberto Rispoli / 12
Hector Berrios / 8
Edwin Maldonado / 8
TRAINERS / WINS
Peter Miller / 12
Philip D’Amato / 8
Jeff Mullins / 8
Doug O’Neill / 8
Bob Baffert / 7
WEEKEND STAKES (SANTA ANITA)
Saturday
• $200,000 Grade II Twilight Derby, 3-year-olds, 1-1/8 miles (turf)
• $200,000 Grade II Goldikova Stakes, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, 1 mile (turf)
• $100,000 Grade III Autumn Miss Stakes, 3-year-old fillies, 1 mile (turf)
• $100,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes, fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, 6½ furlongs downhill turf course
• $175,000 Golden State Juvenile, 2-year-olds bred in California, 7 furlongs
• $175,000 Golden State Fillies Juvenile, 2-year-old fillies bred in California, 7 furlongs
• $80,000 Lure Stakes, 3-year-olds and up, 1 mile (turf)
DOWN THE STRETCH
• While Life Is Good is Todd Pletcher’s best shot in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland on Nov. 5, the Hall of Fame trainer doesn’t think his other entrant, come-from-behind specialist Happy Saver, is without a chance. “He’s a super competitive horse and he always gives us a good effort,” Pletcher said. “The obvious thing that would be in his benefit would be if there’s a strong pace up front and they kinda soften one another up front. That could set things up for someone to come from off the pace.”
• John Sadler on Flightline’s place among the all-time greats like Secretariat and Spectacular Bid despite having only five races under his belt: “Everybody’s gonna have an opinion on that, (but) you certainly have to rate his race in the Pacific Classic as one of the great performances any thoroughbred’s ever run. Whether you pick Secretariat’s Belmont or any of those really great races that Spectacular Bid ran or whatever your favorite horse was of all time. His performance was, in that race, one of the best ever.”
• Santa Anita’s 10-race card Saturday is loaded with seven stakes, including two Grade II events –the Goldikova and the Twilight Derby – and a Grade III in the Autumn Miss Stakes. There are also two 2-year-old stakes for horses bred or sired in California – the Golden State Juvenile and the Golden State Fillies Juvenile. Both races will be run at 7 furlongs over the main track. In addition, a $1 million bonus will be given out if there is a single-ticket winner in the Rainbow Pick Six that day. The first post is 1 p.m.
— Art Wilson
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