Stevens high on two juveniles

ARCADIA, Calif. – At 55, Gary Stevens has a list of 2-year-old mounts that could make for an interesting next few weeks at Santa Anita.

Stevens will ride Del Mar May for the first time in the Grade 1 Chandelier Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on Sept. 29. On Oct. 8, Stevens is booked to ride King of Speed in the $100,000 Zuma Beach Stakes for 2-yearolds on turf.

Those races will determine if those 2-year-olds are sent to Churchill Downs for Breeders’ Cup races on Nov. 2.

Del Mar May, owned by Calvin Nguyen, is winless after two starts – second place finishes in a maiden race at Del Mar on July 18 and the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes on Aug. 5.

Stevens has worked Del Mar May for trainer Richard Baltas, including six furlongs in 1:14.20 on Sept. 13.

“She’s very intelligent,” Stevens said. “She shows me some tendencies of some 2-yearolds that have become nice 3-year-old fillies.”

Remarkably, Hall of Famer Stevens has never won the Chandelier, which was run as the Oak Leaf Stakes through 2011. He has multiple wins in many stakes at Santa Anita, including a record nine victories in the Santa Anita Derby.

Baltas considered running Del Mar May in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 1, but opted to skip the race in favor of the Chandelier. The winner of the Chandelier will receive a fees-paid berth in the BC Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 2. Bellafina, winner of the Del Mar Debutante, will be favored in the Chandelier.

The Chandelier is one of seven graded stakes at Santa Anita over Sept. 28-30 that will lead to Breeders’ Cup races. Santa Anita opens its autumn meeting on Sept. 28.

King of Speed, trained by Jeff Bonde, won for the first time in his fifth start in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf, closing from ninth in a field of 10 to win by three-quarters of a length at 15-1. King of Speed was fourth in two maiden races for sprinters before switching to turf, where he was third and second in maiden races before the stakes win.

“When I first worked him, I thought, ‘This is my Del Mar Futurity horse,’ ” Stevens said. “He would come running, but he’s a Baby Huey, a slow learner.

“I talked with Jeff and I said, ‘The only races they’re running long are on turf. Let’s give it a go.’ ”

King of Speed, who is owned by David and John Del Secco, could start in the BC Juvenile Turf on Nov. 2. Stevens thinks the colt may have a future in dirt stakes, even though the recent success was on turf.

“I’m not convinced he can’t do both,” Stevens said. “That’s something we’re still talking about.”

Anonymity targets BC

The fast filly Anonymity is Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella’s best chance for success at the Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs in early November.

Anonymity, second in the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Stakes for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 12, is scheduled to start in the Grade 3 L.A. Woman Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 7 in what could be a prep for the BC Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 3.

Mandella considered the Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Sept. 30 for Anonymity, but has opted to wait a week for the $100,000 L.A. Woman Stakes.

“Going short is the future plan,” Mandella said.

Mandella downplayed the Filly and Mare Sprint until he sees how Anonymity performs in the L.A. Woman Stakes.

“That’s as far as I’m going,” he said.

In Mandella-speak, that’s code for optimism regarding the 4-year-old filly’s autumn campaign. Owned by Larry Roth’s LNJ Foxwoods, Anonymity has won 3 of 5 starts and earned $142,200.

Mandella said that Bombard, the winner of the Siren Lure Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in June, has a bone chip in a knee and is being rested. Bombard was second in the Wickerr Stakes at Del Mar on July 22.

West Coast works 6 furlongs

West Coast, the champion 3-year-old colt of 2017, worked six furlongs from the gate in 1:12.60 at Santa Anita on Thursday.

Unraced since a second-place finish in the Dubai World Cup in March, West Coast has had five workouts since he returned to training in California during the summer. Thursday’s workout was his first at six furlongs since his return.

“I have no races in mind,” trainer Bob Baffert said.

Owned by Gary and Mary West, West Coast has won 6 of 11 starts and earned $5,683,800. West Coast was third in the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar last November and second to 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner in the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in January.

BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON West Coast, unraced since March, worked six furlongs Thursday at Santa Anita, although trainer Bob Baffert says he has ‘no races in mind.’