SANTA ANITA LEADERS
Through Thursday
JOCKEYS / WINS
Flavien Prat / 72
Juan Hernandez / 68
Tyler Baze / 34
John Velazquez / 32
Diego Herrera / 30
TRAINERS / WINS
Philip D’Amato / 36
Doug O’Neill / 33
Bob Baffert / 27
John Sadler / 27
Richard Baltas / 24
WEEKEND STAKES (SANTA ANITA)
Saturday
• $100,000 Grade III Senorita Stakes, 3-year-old fillies, 1 mile (turf)Sunday
• $100,000 Laz Barrera Stakes, 3-year-olds, 6½ furlongs
DOWN THE STRETCH
• Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas will saddle 30-1 longshot Ethereal Road on Saturday in an attempt to win his fifth Kentucky Derby. “I think he has a chance to get a piece of it because of his style,” said the 86-year-old Lukas, who would become the oldest trainer to win the Derby with a victory. “He’s one of the few horses in the 20 that has that style of making a half-mile run. Some of them can’t even make a quarter-mile run. I’ve learned in all my years of being in this, that if you can make a sustained long run, you have a chance to get a piece of it.” The Quality Road colt has only a maiden victory in seven starts.
• Nest, a daughter of Curlin who won the Ashland Stakes at Keeneland by 8¼ lengths on April 8, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in Friday’s $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. Kathleen O., who won the Gulfstream Park Oaks on April 2 by 2¾ lengths, is 7-2 and 2021 2-year-old filly champion Echo Zulu is 4-1. The Lukas-trained Secret Oath is next at 6-1. Shahama, 4-0 lifetime with all four victories coming in Dubai, is 15-1 on the morning line and will be ridden by Flavien Prat. She’s one of three fillies that will be saddled by trainer Todd Pletcher, joining Nest and Goddess of Fire (15-1).
• Santa Anita’s admission gates will open Saturday at 7:15 a.m. to accommodate simulcast wagering on the Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill Downs. Post time for the Derby is 3:57 p.m. The first live race at Santa Anita on a 10-race card is 12:30 p.m. Saturday’s feature race at Santa Anita is the $100,000 Grade III Señorita Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on the turf. Fans can also wager on Friday’s Kentucky Oaks at Santa Anita, which is scheduled to go postward at 2:51 p.m.
— Art Wilson
