SANTA ANITA LEADERS (Through Wednesday) Jockeys / Wins Juan Hernandez / 12 Flavien Prat / 11 Umberto Rispoli / 8 Tiago Pereira / 5 Frankie Dettori / 5 Kazushi Kimura / 5 Trainers / Wins Bob Baffert / 7 Mark Glatt / 6 Phil D’Amato / 5 Michael McCarthy / 5 Jeff Mullins / 4 UPCOMING STAKES SANTA ANITA Saturday • $175,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic, 4-year-olds and up, 1⅛ miles (turf) • $175,000 California Chrome California Cup Derby, 3-year-olds, 1-1/16 miles • $175,000 Leigh Ann Howard California Cup Oaks, 3-year-old fillies, 1 mile (turf) • $125,000 Don Valpredo California Cup Sprint, 4 and up, 6 furlongs • $125,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint, fillies and mares, 4 and up, about 6½ furlongs (turf) Sunday • $100,000, Grade III La Canada Stakes, fillies and mares, 4 and up, 1-1/16 miles • $100,000, Grade III Las Cienegas Stakes, fillies and mares, 4 and up, about 6½ furlongs (turf) DOWN THE STRETCH • Santa Anita resumed racing Thursday after calling off three cards last week amid the fires. The Arcadia track will run nine out of 11 days because of two added Thursdays and the Martin Luther King holiday card Monday. The California Cup races were pushed back a week to this Saturday and the La Canada Stakes delayed a week to this Sunday. • Horses were re-entered and post positions drawn again for the five Cal Cup races, resulting in some lineup changes. In the Don Valpredo Cal Cup Sprint, unbeaten Smiling Beast (Armando Ayuso riding) gets post 3 after originally having the tricky post 1 but still must overcome Big City Lights (Kazushi Kimura) and Clovisconnection (William Antongeorgi III). In the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint, Safa (Tiago Pereira) joined the field and rates a chance. • Sunday’s two stakes shape up well for Flavien Prat. Coming off American records for stakes wins (82) and graded-stakes wins (56) in 2024, Prat is the new rider for Alpha Bella in the La Cañada and stays with Toupie in the Las Cienegas. • Santa Anita, whose parking lot became a site for charity dropoffs and a base for utility repair crews after the nearby Eaton fire started Jan. 7, is staying in the giving mood by encouraging fans to give. The track is suggesting contributions to the California Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Foundation, Foothill Unity Center Food Bank and Support Services, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, Eaton Fire Relief and Recovery Fund and Pasadena Humane Society, and calling for volunteers for the Hansen Dam Horse Park. • Johannes, California’s top turf horse and an Eclipse Award contender in the division, will miss a scheduled start in the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park after coming out of his San Gabriel Stakes win Dec. 26 with bone bruising. “Watch out summer, he’ll be back,” trainer Tim Yakteen tweeted. Related Articles Sports | Horse racing column: 20 horses to watch as Kentucky Derby season begins Sports | Santa Anita horse racing consensus picks for Thursday, January 16, 2025 Sports | Santa Anita, amid new fire concerns, calls off weekend racing Sports | Santa Anita plans to run races Saturday as Eaton fire smoke clears Sports | Displaced Golden Gate jockey seeks ‘showcase’ in Cal Cup at Santa Anita • Fans in Florida – nationwide, really – face a new worry after the owners of Gulfstream Park hinted at closing the Miami-area track unless horsemen support state legislation allowing the trackside casino to operate without the current requirement that racing be held too. According to reports, a track owners’ representative said racing would continue at Gulfstream until 2028 (though not necessarily longer) if a so-called “uncoupling” bill passes, but could stop sooner if it doesn’t. The Gulfstream property could be redeveloped and a new track built elsewhere. Gulfstream is run by 1ST/Racing and Gaming, which owns Santa Anita and shut down Golden Gate Fields. — Kevin Modesti