Santa Anita: Sadler looks for Scatify, Subsanador to improve

Trainer John Sadler has won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap three times and the San Felipe Stakes (G2) twice. On Sunday, he’ll look to add to those victory totals with Scatify and Subsanador.

In the San Felipe for 3-year-olds, Scatify is the 9-5 co-second choice on Jon White’s morning line, which was revised after Saturday’s scratch of odds-on favorite Nysos. Subsanador, a Group 1 winner in his native Argentina, is listed at 5-1 in the 1 1/4-mile Big 'Cap. The 5-year-old Fortify horse seeks an improved effort after failing to deliver as the favorite in the San Antonio (G2) going 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.

Scatify will be making only his third start in the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe, which is a points-paying prep for the Kentucky Derby. The Justify colt won his debut going six furlongs Dec. 16 at Los Alamitos, then moved straight onto the Kentucky Derby trail. In the Robert B. Lewis (G2) at a mile at Santa Anita on Feb. 3, Scatify had the lead to the quarter pole but proved no match late for eventual winner Nysos. Scatify finished third, beaten by 8 1/4 lengths, but only three-quarters of a length behind runner-up Wine Me Up.

Wine Me Up also is back in the San Felipe for Bob Baffert. Like Scatify, he’s 9-5 on the morning line.

Sadler came away encouraged with Scatify’s Lewis effort, particularly considering it was only his second start and first around two turns.

“I didn’t think it was a bad effort at all,” Sadler said. “He was giving up experience and had never routed. He also had to miss a work for that race because of the weather. I think if we hadn’t been ducking around the weather he would gotten second.”

Scatify has two works since the Lewism a sharp four-furlong move in 47.80 seconds Feb. 17 followed by a five-furlong drill in 1:02.40 last Sunday. He will break from the rail with Hector Berrios up in the San Felipe.

Subsanador was bet down to the 6-5 for his U.S. unveiling in the San Antonio. He was was last of five after the opening half-mile and ultimately checked in fourth, 3 1/2 lengths back of Newgrange, the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the Big 'Cap.

“He didn’t really get the trip we wanted,” Sadler said of the San Antonio. “He’s comeback to train well. We were thinking about a couple of other races for him, but decided to take a shot in the big one.”

Sadler’s three Big 'Cap wins came from 2018 to 2020. In 2018, Accelerate prevailed, followed by Gift Box in 2019 and Combatant in 2020. Sadler’s San Felipe triumphs were with Sidney’s Candy in 2010 and Corby in 1993.