Santa Anita news: Breeders' Cup still an option for Collected
Bob Baffert was ebullient after multiple graded stakes winner Collected worked six furlongs Monday morning in 1:11.40 under Joe Talamo.
The two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer is considering three options for the five-year-old son of City Zip: the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, both on Nov. 3, and Santa Anita’s $75,000 Comma To The Top Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at one mile on Oct. 28.
“He went really well, really impressive,” Baffert said of the speedy chestnut, who defeated stablemate Arrogate in the 2017 Grade 1 Pacific Classic before running second to Horse of the Year Gun Runner in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
“He looked like the old Collected. I had blinkers on him and Joe loved the way he went.”
Collected, winner of eight of 15 career races with earnings of $2,975,500, last raced on Sept. 22 when fourth as the 2-5 favorite in the Pennsylvania Derby Championship at Parx.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME FOR A BREEDERS’ CUP PREP
Sharp Samurai, winner of eight of 14 starts including the Grade 2I City of Hope Mile Saturday, is on course for the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3.
“He came back fine and we’ll point to the Breeders’ Cup,” said trainer Mark Glatt, who owns a share of the four-year-old gelded son of First Samurai, winner of the City of Hope by a nose as the 6-5 favorite under Gary Stevens.
“We’ll see how the next couple of weeks are and go from there.”
An option for Sharp Samurai would have been Saturday’s $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile, a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” race at Keeneland, but Glatt remained at Santa Anita.
“We were a little concerned with the prep for the Breeders’ Cup possibly being run over soft ground at Keeneland,” Glatt said. “That’s primarily why we wanted to stay home and hopefully have a chance to try the Breeders’ Cup off of a win.
“We realize that the turf might be a little soft at Churchill as well, but we just felt it was best to stay home.”
All of First Samurai’s 11 grass races have come on “firm” courses.
Blackjackcat, also trained by Glatt, was third in the Breeders’ Cup Mile last year, and “is on a comeback off of a layoff. He’s had a couple of breezes,” Glatt said, “and still working towards a race.”
BALTAS BACK AND FEELS LIKE A MILLION
Richard Baltas was back at his home base of Santa Anita Monday beaming ear to ear, and who could blame him after winning his first million dollar race?
The 57-year-old trainer sent out 23-1 outsider Next Shares to capture Saturday’s $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland under jockey Tyler Gaffalione. The Grade 1, Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” victory gives the five-year-old gelded son of Archarcharch a fees-paid berth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 3.
Next Shares rallied from sixth after a half mile to win by 3 ¼ lengths over 12 rivals.
“It’s my fourth Grade 1 win but my first million dollar win,” Baltas said. “The horse was training unbelievable. Actually, I thought he might have been closer than usual (in the race), but the jockey said the horse just put him there. He was just going easy.
“He got through on the rail and it was a great ride. When you win a Grade I that easy and get a 106 Beyer (figure) . . . the horse was thriving at Keeneland. He’s very happy. The course is softer and maybe he likes that, I don’t know. It was soft Friday because it rained three inches Thursday. Even when they say it’s not going to rain there, it rains. I wasn’t surprised (that he won). I was happily surprised.”
SKYE DIAMONDS MORE THAN EARNS HER KEEP
Skye Diamonds is the $40,000 claim that keeps on giving.
The five-year-old California-bred daughter of First Dude added $60,000 to her bankroll Sunday, winning the $100,000 LA Woman Stakes by 1 ¼ lengths under Tiago Pereira for Bill Spawr, who trains the chestnut mare for a partnership of Allen Racing, LLC, Bloom Racing Stables, LLC, Tom Acker and Jon Lindo.
Claimed for $40,000 on Aug. 27, 2016 at Del Mar, Skye Diamonds now has a 9-4-3 record from 22 starts with earnings of $690,150, but her racing career could be short term.
“She’s entered in the Fasig-Tipton Sale on Nov. 4,” Lindo said Monday morning. “We’ll talk with our partners about possibly running her in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (Nov. 2), but right now things are undecided. She’s been a lot of fun. She tries so hard.”
Lindo took a moment to compliment Pereira, who has ridden Skye Diamonds in 14 of her last 15 races, winning eight.
“He’s a good horseman,” Lindo said of the native of Brazil, who turns 42 on Nov. 29.
JACK KARLIK, ‘DEAN’ OF SO-CAL HANDICAPPERS, PASSES AT 85
Jack Karlik, a Runyonesque character whose graded handicap graced the pages of the Pasadena Star News for two decades and who was known prior to that as “Sweep” throughout a 20-year run in Daily Racing Form, passed away yesterday at an assisted living center in Los Angeles at age 85.
Born Oct. 14, 1932 in Mongolia, China, Karlik, whose father was a fur trader, immigrated with his family to Los Angeles following the Japanese invasion of China in the late 1930s and would attend FairfaxHigh School and later, LA City College.
Affectionately known as “The Dean” of Southern California public handicappers, Karlik was part of a Golden Age of horseracing in the 1960s, 70s and 80s that was replete with comprehensive newspaper coverage provided by the likes of Karlik and his many press box colleagues and competitors.
“RIP Jack “Sweep” Jack Karlik, longtime Southern California handicapper, horseplayer and horse owner,” posted Ray Paulick on his Twitter account Sunday. “Had the good fortune to work alongside him at Daily Racing Form in Los Angeles for most of the 1980s. Unforgettable character. A funny, sharp and good man.”
Karlik would’ve turned 86 on Oct. 14. He had an innate ability to make people laugh, and laugh hard—without trying.
“Getting a nickname from Jack was like a badge of honor,” related former DRF columnist Mark Ratzky in an email yesterday. “ . . . At the very least, he had to call you ‘Sid’ a few hundred times.”
Karlik, who was seldom without a styrofoam coffee cup, from which emanated the clear and distinct scent of brandy, would invariably claim its contents were strictly intended for medicinal purposes.
“Sid, I’m not drinking, I’m just sipping, okay? It helps me relax.”
To witness Karlik issue a scolding via press box telephone to an unsuspecting cub reporter at the Star News office was theatre at its finest.
“Look kid, I told you I had seven winners on top yesterday, where’s the sub-head?”
All kidding aside, Karlik was a great handicapper who could isolate the first choice in any race instantaneously. When it came to assessing the significance of grass race results, he had one recurring admonition.
“Sid, you must remember, the grass brings these horses together.”
And, it’s safe to say “The Dean” brought many racing enthusiasts, of all ages, together with his wit, humor and tremendous ability to pick winners. As Karlik himself said when asked about his lengthy career perusing the past performance of tens of thousands of racehorses and owning several as well, such as stakes winner Aloha Prospector, Something Supreme, Phone Abroad and Ms. Hapa Haole:
“It’s been a kick.”
Services for Jack Karlik are pending and a race will be named in his honor soon here at Santa Anita.
FINISH LINES: With Santa Anita dark for live racing Tuesday through Thursday this week, agent Derek Lawson has Flavien Prat, Santa Anita’s Autumn Meet leading rider through seven days with nine wins, booked to ride at Keeneland Wednesday through Saturday. Santa Anita will be dark for live racing Tuesday through Thursday, but be open for simulcast racing Wednesday and Thursday with free general admission and free parking. Live racing resumes at Santa Anita 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12 . . . Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies favorite Bellafina worked four furlongs Monday in 49.40. “She went really well,” said trainer Simon Callaghan of Bellafina, winner of the Grade I, “Win and You’re In” Chandelier Stakes by 6 ½ lengths as the 9-10 favorite on Sept. 29 . . . Filly & Mare Sprint favorite Marley’s Freedom went six furlongs for Bob Baffert in a bullet 1:10.80. In all there were 159 recorded workouts Monday, 19 on the training track.