Santa Anita roundup: Non Compliant is among stakes winners

After a debut win going six furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 31, Non Compliant added a graded-stakes win to her resume Saturday when prevailing as the even-money favorite in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Oak Leaf Stakes.

The victory provides Non Compliant, trained by Bob Baffert, with an automatic berth in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Breaking from the outside post under Juan Hernandez, Non Compliant found herself hung wide on the first turn as Nooni, also trained by Baffert, set the pace under Martin Garcia. Non Compliant maintained a stalking position while well off the rail as Nooni carved fractions of 23.42 seconds, 47.22 and 1:11.65 for six furlongs.

Non Compliant began to rally on the second turn, surged past Nooni in mid-stretch and raced under the wire 2 1/4 lengths the best. Nooni held second, 8 1/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Tenma, the Del Mar Debutante (G1) winner for Baffert.

"She was really happy and a little aggressive, but this was her first time going the mile. So, of course, she's going to break a little sharp,” Hernandez said. “She relaxed around the turn. I was always really comfortable. Around the (second) turn, I was trying to pick it up, and she did that very well. She didn't want to stop."

The winning time for 1 1/16 miles on a fast track was 1:45.08.

“They did an amazing job today,” Baffert said of Hernandez and Non Compliant.

From the first crop of classic winner Tiz the Law, Non Compliance was purchased by co-owner John Rogitz for $150,000 at this year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds-in-training sale. Rogitz campaigns the filly with partners Georgia Antley Hunt and Jeff Giglio. In her debut sprinting this summer, Non Compliant also came from off the pace to score by 1 1/2 lengths.

Non Compliant paid $4.00, $2.60 and $2.10. Nooni returned $3.80 and $2.60, while Tenma paid $2.20.

This was Baffert’s 13th win in the Oak Leaf, which from 2012 to 2023 was known as the Chandelier Stakes.

Hang the Moon rallies from last to win Rodeo Drive

Although it wasn’t with race-favorite Iscreamuscream, trainer Phil D’Amato came out on top in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes. Stablemate Hang the Moon, ridden by Kazushi Kimura, rallied from last to win the 1 1/4-mile turf race for fillies and mares at Santa Anita.

With the victory, Hang the Moon, who previously rallied to win the John Mabee (G2) at Del Mar on Sept. 7, earned an automatic berth for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

Iscreamuscream (3-2), ridden by Hector Berrios, went to the early lead but then drifted out when leaving the downhill turf course and turning into the stretch for the first time. Then when reaching the clubhouse turn, Iscreamuscream again drifted out substantially. With that, 25-1 long shot Lucky Girl, D’Amato’s third starter in the race, took over on the lead.

Meanwhile, winner Hang the Moon was far back in last in what was a strung-out field down the backstretch. Hang the Moon steadily began to make up ground with a wide move on the turn and then blasted through the stretch to prevail by 1 1/2 lengths.

“She did a great job coming from behind,” Kimura said. “I really didn’t change anything from last time (in the Mabee). I just took it easy and slow for the first part. She responded to me well. She finished up strong, and I’m happy with that.”

Eastern invader Aspen Grove (3-1), who raced in mid-pack throughout, made a late bid on the rail under Juan Hernandez to get second. It was three-quarter lengths back Beach Bomb (14-1), also invading from the east for trainer Graham Motion. Iscreamuscream checked in fourth.

"We had the right strategy for Hang the Moon,” D’Amato said. “We planned to do the same thing as we did last time, sit back and come with the run. She came with a monstrous run late. “

Hang the Moon won in a final time of 1:58.58. It was the second last-to-first stakes win of the day for Kimura, a 24-year-old native of Japan. In the Speakeasy Stakes for 2-year-olds going five furlongs on turf, Kimura used similar tactics to win with 13-1 long shot Pali Kitten for trainer Doug O’Neill.

"It was a weirdly run race,” D’Amato added. “I thought my other filly, Lucky Girl, would sit back there with Hang the Moon, and she ended up being on the lead early."

A 4-year-old filly by Uncle Mo, Hang the Moon is owned by CJ Thoroughbreds. The $200,000 auction purchase upped her record to 12: 5-1-1 with $427,913 in earnings. Hang the Moon made her first eight starts for trainer Michael Stidham while based in the east. Her local unveiling for D’Amato came June 9 at Santa Anita in a second-level allowance going a mile, which she won by 1 1/4 lengths with Antonio Fresu in the irons.

Hang the Moon paid $21.80, $7.80 and $4.60. Aspen Grove returned $6.00 and $4.00. Beach Bomb paid $6.80 to show.

One Magic Philly wins Chillingworth in 1st stakes start

Making her stakes debut for trainer Phil D’Amato, 3-year-old One Magic Philly put away older Grade I winner Sweet Azteca in the stretch and held on to win Saturday’s $100,000 Chillingworth Stakes (G3) for fillies and mares sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs.

Sent off the 7-2 second choice under Antonio Fresu, One Magic Philly pressed pacesetting Sweet Azteca, drew on to even terms on the turn and then put away her main rival near the quarter pole to score by 2 3/4 lengths.

Irish Wahine, the longest shot on the board at 25-1, rallied to be second under Kyle Frey. Last year’s Chillingworth winner, Kirstenbosch (14-1), checked in third with Sweet Azteca and jockey Juan Hernandez pulling up the rear.

By Good Magic, One Magic Philly is a homebred for John Gallegos. She broke her maiden in her second start going 6 1/2 furlongs Aug. 3 at Del Mar then came back to air by seven lengths in a first-level allowance going 6 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar Sept. 2. Her allowance win earned a lofty 98 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form.

“She’s really improving race by race,” Fresu said. “She showed a lot of talent in the last race at Del Mar when she won so easily. Today was a step forward. It was a really tough race against Sweet Azteca, but we prepared a lot before. Even though today was a challenge, she ended up on top again.”

With no show wagering and Sweet Azteca finishing last, the place payouts ballooned. One Magic Philly paid $9.60 and $13.00. Irish Wahine, trained by Librado Barocio, paid a whopping $74 to place. Sweet Azteca received $211,579 in a total place pool of $235,284.

One Magic Philly won in a time 1:16.14 following fractions of 21.76, 44.10 and 1:09.38.

“We knew the horse to beat was on our inside (Sweet Azteca), and we had to take it to her if we broke well,” D’Amato said. “I knew if we could stick with Sweet Azteca for the first part of the race, we would have a chance. And it just worked out."