Horse racing notes: Newgrange could be destined for Big ‘Cap

SANTA ANITA LEADERS

(Through Thursday)

JOCKEYS / WINS

Juan Hernandez / 27

Edwin Maldonado / 9

Frankie Dettori / 8

Tiago Pereira / 8

Two tied / 7

TRAINERS / WINS

Bob Baffert / 14

Mark Glatt / 9

Doug O’Neill / 9

Steve Knapp / 7

Three tied / 6

WEEKEND STAKES AT SANTA ANITA

Saturday

• $200,000 Grade II Santa Monica Stakes, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, 7 furlongs

• $200,000 Grade III Robert B. Lewis Stakes, 3-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles

• $100,000 Grade III Megahertz Stakes, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up, 1 mile (turf)

• $100,000 Grade III Thunder Road Stakes, 4-year-olds and up, 1 mile (turf)

Sunday

• $200,000 Grade II San Marcos Stakes, 4-year-olds and up, 1 1/4 miles (turf)

• $200,000 Grade III Palos Verdes Stakes, 4-year-olds and up, 6 furlongs

DOWN THE STRETCH

• A pair of Kentucky Derby points races are on tap for Saturday – the $250,000 Grade III Withers Stakes at Aqueduct, which drew a field of six, and the $250,000 Grade III Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park. The Holy Bull attracted a field of eight, including 2-1 morning-line favorite Cyclone Mischief. The Into Mischief colt is trained by Dale Romans and will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione.

• Some tidbits from Victor Ryan of Santa Anita publicity: Management has added a racing card Friday, Feb. 24, to make up for one of the rainouts earlier this year. Also, there will be a mandatory payout of the Rainbow Pick Six on Sunday. A minimum 20-cent wager, there is a Pick 6 carryover of $287,716 heading into Friday’s card. If there are no single-ticket winners Friday or Saturday, track officials predict a Rainbow 6 pool of more than $3 million Sunday. Finally, favorites are winning at a 29.20% clip the first 15 days of the Classic Meet.

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• San Pasqual Stakes winner Newgrange, trained by Philip D’Amato, appears to be bound for the $500,000 Grade I Santa Anita Handicap on March 4 rather than the Dubai World Cup on March 25. He’s now 3 for 3 at Santa Anita, a record that D’Amato has noticed. “We know he likes this racetrack,” D’Amato told Santa Anita publicity. “He’s undefeated here, so it would be tough to pass up a race like that.” Newgrange has won 5 of 8 for earnings of $747,334.

— Art Wilson