Five Stakes Top Santa Anita's California Gold Rush Day

Before staging graded stakes later this holiday weekend, Santa Anita Park has California-breds in the spotlight May 28 for California Gold Rush Day, a program featuring five state-bred stakes races.

The three stakes for older horses are each worth $100,000, while the two for 3-year-olds—the open Snow Chief Stakes Presented by City National Bank and the Melair Stakes for fillies—have purses of $150,000. 

Topping a field of six for the Snow Chief, a 1 1/8-mile grass race, is KMN Racing's homebred Smuggler's Run (Straight Fire ), who exits a victory on dirt in the Echo Eddie Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs. He switches to turf for his new trainer, John Sadler.

Sadler began training Smuggler's Run after Santa Anita's track operator, 1/ST Racing, began prohibiting the gelding's previous trainer, Richard Baltas, from racing and working horses at Santa Anita pending an investigation into circumstances that led to a stewards' scratch of one of his horses there May 8.

Bally's Charm, Royal 'n Rando, and Worse Read Sanchez head the opposition.

Bally's Charm comes off a victory in a one-mile turf allowance optional claiming race against California-breds April 17 in which he defeated Worse Read Sanchez, who ran third.

Royal 'n Rando invades Santa Anita from Golden Gate Fields, where he narrowly won the May 1 Silky Sullivan Stakes.

The Melair, contested at 1 1/16 miles on dirt, is topped by George Krikorian's homebred Big Switch, a state-bred stakes winner as a juvenile.

Another Sadler trainee, she tries a route for the first time in her fifth career outing. By Mr. Big, Big Switch has been idle since running fifth, beaten 3 1/4 lengths in an open allowance optional claimer at 6 1/2 furlongs down the hillside turf Feb. 25. With two wins from four tries, Big Switch has earned $155,544.

Rose Maddox and It's Simple are two of her principal foes.

Rose Maddox (Grazen) is a versatile filly who has won or placed on dirt, turf, and synthetic. It was on the latter type of surface in which she was second in her last start when competing at Golden Gate May 14. That race followed two consecutive victories at Santa Anita.

It's Simple has not contended as regularly in her six-race career but does come off a victory in a turf sprint when racing in a first-level allowance optional claiming race May 1.

In other stakes action Saturday at Santa Anita:

• Hronis Racing's venerable 6-year-old Loud Mouth moves to turf as he heads a field of six going a mile in the Crystal Water Stakes;
• Slugo Racing, Tiger Racing, and Mike Puype's veteran 7-year-old gelding Tigre Di Slugo tops a field of five sprinters racing six furlongs in the Thor's Echo Stakes;
• and Nick Alexander's homebred Alice Marble, second in the Monrovia Stakes (G2T) in her last start, heads a field of seven fillies and mares going a mile on turf in the Fran's Valentine Stakes.

Entries: Snow Chief S. presented by City National Bank

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, May 28, 2022, Race 5

• STK
• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $150,000
• 3 yo
• 3:10 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Royal 'n Rando (CA)	Frank T. Alvarado	124	Steven Specht	4/1
2	2So I'm Told (CA)	Ryan Curatolo	120	Edward R. Freeman	12/1
3	3Vincero Grande (CA)	Juan J. Hernandez	117	Andy Mathis	8/1
4	4Bally's Charm (CA)	Jessica Pyfer	122	Jeff Mullins	5/2
5	5Worse Read Sanchez (CA)	Mario Gutierrez	120	Doug F. O'Neill	5/2
6	6Smuggler's Run (CA)	Joe Bravo	120	John W. Sadler	2/1

Entries: Melair S.

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, May 28, 2022, Race 8

• STK
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $150,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 4:45 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Rose Maddox (CA)	Kyle Frey	122	Steven Miyadi	9/5
2	2Big Switch (CA)	Juan J. Hernandez	120	John W. Sadler	8/5
3	3Everlys Girl (CA)	Umberto Rispoli	120	Brian J. Koriner	5/1
4	4Roman Empress (CA)	Ryan Curatolo	120	Anthony K. Saavedra	20/1
5	5It's Simple (CA)	Mario Gutierrez	120	Doug F. O'Neill	6/1
6	6Youteyourhonor (CA)	Tyler Baze	122	Clifford W. Sise, Jr.	4/1

Entries: Crystal Water S.

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, May 28, 2022, Race 3

• STK
• 1m
• Turf
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 2:06 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Loud Mouth (CA)	Umberto Rispoli	126	John W. Sadler	5/2
2	2Jimmy Blue Jeans (CA)	Kyle Frey	126	Andy Mathis	9/5
3	3Prodigal Son (CA)	Drayden Van Dyke	122	Gus Headley	20/1
4	4Irish Heatwave (CA)	Joe Bravo	126	Mike Puype	5/1
5	5Carmelita's Man (CA)	Juan J. Hernandez	122	Dean Pederson	5/2
6	6Hail Freedom (CA)	Mike E. Smith	122	Doug F. O'Neill	5/1

Entries: Thor's Echo S.

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, May 28, 2022, Race 4

• STK
• 6f
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 2:36 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Moose Mitchell (CA)	Ricardo Gonzalez	114	George Papaprodromou	12/1
2	2Desmond Doss (CA)	Juan J. Hernandez	126	Steven Miyadi	3/1
3	3Fashionably Fast (CA)	Abel Cedillo	126	Dean Pederson	5/2
4	4Tigre Di Slugo (CA)	Kyle Frey	124	Mike Puype	8/5
5	5Good With People (CA)	Ramon A. Vazquez	126	Ruben D. Alvarado	5/2

Entries: Fran's Valentine S.

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, May 28, 2022, Race 9

• STK
• 1m
• Turf
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 5:15 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Flying to the Line (CA)	Ryan Curatolo	122	Reed Saldana	30/1
2	2Super Game (CA)	Drayden Van Dyke	122	Brian J. Koriner	15/1
3	3Fi Fi Pharoah (CA)	Kyle Frey	126	Walther Solis	6/1
4	4Sassyserb (CA)	Joe Bravo	124	George Papaprodromou	6/1
5	5Alice Marble (CA)	Juan J. Hernandez	122	Philip D'Amato	4/5
6	6Self Isolation (CA)	Mario Gutierrez	122	Doug F. O'Neill	5/1
7	7Pulpit Rider (CA)	Tyler Baze	126	Mike Puype	4/1