Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Shutdown at Santa Anita leaves trainers scrambling
Among the numerous impacts of the unprecedented suspension of racing at Santa Anita is that trainers of top Kentucky Derby prospects who were scheduled to run in the Grade 2, $500,000 San Felipe Stakes on Saturday are sorting through options while flying blind as to when racing will resume at Santa Anita.
Most notable among the San Felipe probables were the current one-two members of the Derby Watch top 20, Game Winner and Improbable, who were set for their 3-year-old debuts Saturday. Both are trained by Bob Baffert, who on Wednesday morning, less than 24 hours after trainers learned the San Felipe would not be run Saturday, said he was “still trying to work things out.”
Baffert and two other Hall of Fame trainers, Jerry Hollendorfer and Richard Mandella, had horses set to run in the San Felipe and the Grade 2, $1 million Rebel on March 16 at Santa Anita. There is the possibility additional horses from their barns could be rerouted to the Rebel, especially if Oaklawn were to split the Rebel into two divisions if there are enough entries.
Oaklawn officials on Wednesday said they were discussing that possibility.
If the Rebel is split, the point value would depend on the purse of each division, according to Darren Rogers, the publicist for Churchill Downs, where the Kentucky Derby will be run May 4.
“As our rule states, if the purse remains at its original level for both divisions, points would be distributed at full value for both,” Rogers said Wednesday. “If it was half the original value for both divisions, then each division would be worth half the original point value.”
The Rebel is worth 85 points overall, with 50 to the winner, 20 for second, 10 for third, and 5 for fourth.
Oaklawn had been in touch with Churchill Downs last year when it looked like the Southwest might split. It did not split, but the policy was formulated and subsequently put in writing.
“We would follow that formula from a precedent-setting standpoint,” Rogers said.
The San Felipe also has a similar point value to the Rebel. But whether it is run soon, or at all, was impossible to predict as of Wednesday owing to the fluid nature of the situation at Santa Anita.
Baffert already had Mucho Gusto slated for the Rebel. Whether Improbable and/or Game Winner head there too would likely depend on how quickly Santa Anita is able to be up and running again. Neither colt, both unbeaten, has raced this year, and they need to get going with the Derby now eight weeks away. American Pharoah, Baffert’s 2015 Triple Crown winner, made his first start at 3 in the Rebel.
Hollendorfer had Gunmetal Gray slated for the San Felipe and was desirous of running him in that race. He has Galilean ticketed for the Rebel.
“We’re still waiting to see if they’re going to reschedule the San Felipe,” Hollendorfer said Wednesday.
He said Gunmetal Gray is “nominated to a lot of different races if we get in trouble.”
“I fully expect the Santa Anita folks will get everything back on track as soon as possible. I know they’re actively working at it,” he said.
“Galilean is going to run in Arkansas. I don’t know if that changes anybody else’s plan, but that’s still our plan,” Hollendorfer added.
Hollendorfer said that if the Santa Anita track is not open for training soon, he would ship horses to Los Alamitos for training. He already has sent a number of stakes-class horses to Los Alamitos, including the comebacking 3-year-old colt Rowayton and 3-year-old filly Brill.
Mandella had Extra Hope scheduled to run in the San Felipe and Omaha Beach – a member of the Derby Watch top 20 – slotted for the Rebel.
Like Baffert and Hollendorfer, Mandella on Wednesday was trying to quickly assess the situation and make a plan with Extra Hope.
“I don’t have it all figured out yet,” said Mandella, who said he would be speaking with ownerbreeder Samantha Siegel. “Obviously, we could get on a plane.”
Siegel said later Wednesday that Extra Hope and Omaha Beach, who is owned by Rick Porter, were going to Los Alamitos to train. “Going to see how things shake out for a few days,” she said.
Mandella also was trying to figure out how to keep all his horses in regular training with the Santa Anita main track indefinitely shut.
“I’m in the process of figuring out our options,” he said. “I can’t imagine moving a barn of my size. There aren’t 40 stalls open anywhere that I know of.
“I’m as confused as the little boy who lost his bubble gum in the chicken coop. I couldn’t imagine this in my wildest dreams.”