Santa Anita: Here are the Californian, Kona Gold fields

A close third as the favorite in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 4 and second in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 28, Bob Baffert’s Defunded leads a field of six older horses going a mile and one eighth in Saturday’s Californian (G2) at Santa Anita.

The Californian is a prep for  the Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) at Santa Anita on Memorial Day, May 29.

A 5-year-old gelding by Dialed In, Defunded, who showed the way to deep stretch when ridden by Juan Hernandez in the Big Cap, was beaten three quarters of a length. With Hernandez back aboard on Saturday, Defunded will be seeking his third graded-stakes victory in his 16th career start.

Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Defunded, who was second in last year’s Hollywood Gold Cup, won Awesome Again (G1) going 1 1/8 miles four starts back at Santa Anita on Oct. 1, which he followed with a rousing four-length score at the same distance in the Native Diver (G3) at Del Mar on Nov. 27.

With a 7: 3-2-1 line score at Santa Anita, Defunded, easily the leading money earner in the field with $1,228,100, is 15: 5-4-2 overall.

Trainer Craig Dollase’s Midnight Mammoth, a freakish gate-to-wire winner of a second-condition allowance going a 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on March 19, could duke it out early on the lead with the top choice if jockey Kyle Frey seeks to once again employ front-running tactics.

A 5 1/4-length winner at 11-1, Midnight Mammoth, who was claimed for $50,000 by owner Jeffrey Sengara on March 3, earned a career-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure first off the claim and will hope to improve upon that in the Californian.

A 4-year-old ridgling by Midnight Lute out of the Vindication mare Taker Home, Midnight Mammoth, who is 17: 4-4-4 overall, will be making his first graded stakes start.

Most recently well beaten on turf in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1). on March 4, Brazilian-bred Royal Ship will make his second start off a layoff as he tries to reverse a skein of three double-digit defeats in the Kilroe, the Awesome Again (G1) and three starts back in the Pacific Classic (G1) on Sept. 3 at Del Mar.

Third in last year’s Hollywood Gold Cup five starts back, Royal Ship was a close second in the 2021 Gold Cup, which followed a neck victory in the Californian on April 17, 2021.

Trained by Richard Mandella and owned by Fox Hollow Racing and Sienna Farm 7-year-old gelding Royal Ship, a Group 1 and Group 3 winner in Brazil, has two graded stakes wins with Mandella and is 5: 2-1-1 in starts at Santa Anita.

With his most recent win coming four starts back in the San Diego Handicap (G2) July 30, Royal Ship will be making his 15th stateside start, all in combination with Mike Smith. With career earnings of $691,405 from an overall mark of 21: 8-2-5, Royal Ship, who won the 2021 Californian pressing the pace, likely will be in close attendance on Saturday.

Lightning quick and with a recent race to his credit, California-bred Brickyard Ride would appear to tower over five rival older horses as he defends his title in Santa Anita’s Kona Gold Stakes (G3) at 6 1/2 furlongs Saturday.

Owned and bred by Alfred Pais and trained by Craig Lewis, Brickyard Ride, with two graded stakes wins to his credit, will be in search of his eighth overall stakes victory in his 25th start.

A 6-year-old full horse by top California-based stallion Clubhouse Ride out of the Southern Image mare Brickyard Helen, Brickyard Ride unfurled early splits of 21.40 and 43 seconds flat prior to checking third, beaten 2 3/4 lengths going about 6 1/2 furlongs down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course in the San Simeon Stakes (G3) on March 5, his first start since well beaten in the Triple Bend Stakes (G2) at seven furlongs at Santa Anita on May 29 last year.

A winner on turf and dirt in all four of his previous racing seasons, Brickyard Ride has been “nails” on the Santa Anita main track, winning nine of his 13 starts while finishing second and third once each.

A gate-to-wire winner of last year’s Kona Gold three starts back on April 30, Brickyard Ride appeared effortless in carving out splits of 21.80, 44 flat and 1:08.40, prior to finishing 6 1/2 furlongs in a sizzling 1:15 flat.

With Juan Hernandez back aboard for the 10th consecutive time, Brickyard Ride approaches the Kona Gold with an overall mark of 24: 12-1-3 and earnings of $756,977.

Second, beaten 2 1/4 lengths while finishing a half length better than Brickyard Ride in the San Simeon, Doug O’Neill’s Anarchist, who earned a career best 97 Beyer Speed Figure, also will transition back to dirt as he’ll hope to tag the top selection late with Ramon Vazquez up.

Ridden by Frankie Dettori in his last two starts, which include a second-place finish in a six-furlong dirt allowance Feb. 11, Anarchist was ridden to a second-place finish three starts back by Vazquez at 6 1/2 furlongs on Jan. 15, which was his first start with O’Neill.

A maiden winner going six furlongs four starts back at Ellis Park, Anarchist certainly appears ready for stakes competition in what will be his eighth career start. Owned by Ilium Stables, Anarchist is a 4-year-old colt by Distorted Humor out of the Elusive Quality mare Vicarious Won.

Off the board in five previous stakes attempts, including the Preakness Stakes four starts back on May 21, 2021, Bob Baffert’s Armagnac will make his second start off a considerable layoff and should improve with the recent race to his credit. Owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables et al, Armagnac pressed the pace en route to finishing fourth, beaten 6 3/4 lengths as the 6-5 favorite in a 1 1/16-mile allowance March 19, his first start since well beaten going one mile in the ungraded Shared Belief Stakes Sept. 3 at Del Mar.

Armagnac was third by seven lengths in his only other sprint try, a first-out maiden 6 1/2-furlong race on Dec. 31, 2021. With two wins from nine starts, the 4-year-old colt by Quality Road out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Kitty Wine will be ridden for the first time by Abel Cedillo.