Consistent Om Ready to Roll in Arcadia

FINISH LINES: Leading rider Rafael Bejarano has been suspended three days (Feb. 21, 25 and 26) for careless riding on All That Heat in Sunday’s first race . . . Prospect Park, winner of the Grade III La Jolla Handicap last August, was scratched from Saturday’s Grade II Arcadia Stakes at one mile on turf to run in an allowance race at a mile and a sixteenth on the main track Sunday in preparation for his major goal, the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap on March 12. “Sunday’s race is ideal for his comeback,” said Cliff Sise Jr., who trains the son of Tapit for owners/breeders Marty and Pam Wygod. “We’re trying to set him up for the Santa Anita Handicap. He’s training well. I don’t want Sunday’s race to take a lot out of him, but I want him to run good, too.” . . . Gary Sherlock has Lost Bus ticketed for the $100,000 Irish O’Brien Stakes at about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course on March 19. “There’s the Grade III Las Flores the next day, but it’s also $100,000, so I may as well run her against Cal-breds for the same purse,” the trainer reasoned . . . Richard Baltas had every confidence Jose Verenzuela could get the job on 7-1 shot Tale of Papa Nick in Thursday’s fifth race, and he was right. The five-year-old California-bred daughter of Papa Clem hadn’t raced since last Aug. 28, but won the $58,000 allowance race at about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course by a comfortable 2 ½ lengths for owner/breeder Nick Cafarchia. “Jose had been working the horse and I told him she had some issues in the gate,” Baltas said. “He did the right thing. You’ve got to ride those hungry guys.” . . . Agent Tony Matos has Martin Garcia booked to ride Sham Stakes winner Collected for Bob Baffert in the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Monday . . . Hall of Fame jockey and three-time Kentucky Derby winner Kent Desormeaux and his wife, 31-year-old jockey Rosie Higgins, have 5,713 career wins between them, thanks to Rosie’s first-ever victory from only her fourth mount in Thursday’s second race aboard favored Blue Law ($4.40) for trainer Bob Hess Jr. “I wasn’t worried,” Rosie said. “I just didn’t want them to close the door on me. Last time, I hung in there and Kent told me, ‘Don’t be hanging there too long,’ but this time, I knew I had enough horse. My very first race, I was stuck back there for a bit, but I knew I had horse this time. He just exploded (winning by three lengths). Hopefully, this helps my career a little bit. I understand that I’m new, still green and what trainers think, too, because I’ve been in that situation. Hopefully, this builds my career and I keep moving up.” Kent, meanwhile, played second fiddle Thursday despite his 5,712 career wins. “Just call me Mr. Higgins,” he said.

Source: Santa Anita Park