NOTES FROM SANTA ANITA

ACCELERATE IN BULLET BREEZE FOR RICH PEGASUS

McKINZIE PASSES PEGASUS, POINTS FOR THE BIG CAP

DESORMEAUX IS NEARING CAREER WIN NUMBER 6,000

RAINBOW PICK 6 JACKPOT GUARANTEES BEGIN TODAY

ACCELERATE WORKS FIVE FURLONGS FOR PEGASUS WORLD CUP

Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and Horse of the Year finalist Accelerate had his final local workout at 6:30 this morning before shipping to Florida for the $9 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park a week from today, on Jan. 26.

With assistant trainer Juan Leyva aboard, Accelerate whisked five furlongs over a fast track in a bullet 58.80 well within himself to the satisfaction of John Sadler, who trains the son of Lookin At Lucky for principal clients Kosta and Peter Hronis.

It was the fastest of 45 drills at the distance, the average time of which was 1:01.25, with the second-fastest nearly a full second slower at 59.60.

“The track has a good bottom to it,” said Sadler, who had contemplated working Sunday had the surface not been to his liking after enduring 3 ½ inches of rain Monday into Thursday.

“It’s still got a little moisture in it and I wanted to go on Saturday all along. We got here and walked on it about four in the morning and felt it was pretty good, so cross your fingers and off we go.”

BAFFERT EYES SANTA ANITA HANDICAP WITH McKINZIE

Bob Baffert confirmed this morning that multiple Grade I winner McKinzie will pass the Pegasus World Cup next Saturday and point for Santa Anita’s marquee race for older horses, the Grade I, $600,000 Santa Anita Handicap at a mile and a quarter on March 9, using the Grade II San Pasqual Stakes on Feb. 2 as a steppingstone to the Big Cap.

“We’re going to run here if all’s well,” the two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer said.

Baffert would be seeking his sixth victory in the Big Cap, having won it with General Challenge in 2000; Misremembered in 2010; and three times with Game On Dude, in 2011, 2013 and 2014.

McKinzie, a bay son of Street Sense, is coming off an impressive victory by nearly five lengths in the Grade I Malibu Stakes at seven furlongs on Dec. 26. He had won three graded stakes last year before finishing a disappointing 12th in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 3.

STILL YOUNG AT HEART, DESORMEAUX NEARS 6,000 WINS

With his half-length victory on Imperial Creed for trainer Michael McCarthy in Friday’s second race, Kent Desormeaux moved within three of 6,000 career wins in North America.

“Whoda thunk it?” joshed the three-time Kentucky Derby winner and Hall of Fame member who turns 49 on Feb. 27. “Really, it is exciting, but it’s hard to imagine.

“I know one thing: they don’t come easy, and the last two months, it seems like it’s taking forever.”

GUARANTEED $2 MILLION SINGLE TICKET PICK SIX JACKPOT TODAY

In an unprecedented move, Santa Anita Park has announced it would be guaranteeing a 20 cent Single Ticket Rainbow Pick Six Jackpot for eight consecutive racing days, beginning today and up until a mandatory Jackpot payout (pending CHRB approval) on Feb. 2.

Fans are advised that the $2 million Jackpot guarantees will be in effect until Feb. 2, providing there is no Single Ticket winner in the interim.

With 10-race cards being offered through the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday on Monday, first post time Saturday, Sunday and Monday will be 12 noon.

Although there has been no turf racing since Sunday due to heavy rains earlier in the week, Santa Anita has four races originally scheduled on turf to be run today.

The Jackpot guarantee aside, there is a “live money” pool of $918,801 in Saturday’s Rainbow Six, which will begin with race five, with an assigned post time of 2:02 p.m. PT.

For additional racing information and specifics on Santa Anita’s 20 cent Single Ticket Rainbow Pick Six, please visit  santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

LATEST CONTENT FROM XBTV:

ACCELERATE’S FINAL PREP AHEAD OF THE PEGASUS WORLD CUP INVITATIONAL 

CATAPULT’S FINAL WORK AHEAD OF THE PEGASUS WORLD CUP TURF INVITATIONAL

PAVEL’S 6 FURLONG WORK (BOUND FOR DUBAI)

PATH TO PEGASUS: EPISODE 1

PATH TO PEGASUS: EPISODE 2 

PATH TO PEGASUS: EPISODE 3

“QUICK QUESTIONS” WITH RICHARD MANDELLA

“SHEDROW STROLL” WITH BAFFERT’S FLOR DE LA MAR

FINISH LINES: Richard Baltas has engaged Tyler Gaffaglione to ride San Gabriel Stakes winner Next Shares in the $7 million Pegasus Turf Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. The jockey guided Next Shares to a 23-1 upset victory in the Grade I Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland last Oct. 6 . . . Mario Gutierrez, who won his first race of the meet Friday aboard California Journey for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, has been named on Whooping Jay for leading trainer Doug O’Neill in Saturday’s $100,000 California Cup Turf Sprint Stakes for three-year-olds at about 6 ½ furlongs on the grass. Whooping Jay worked five furlongs in 1:00.20 handily from the gate today, one of 22 head O’Neill breezed this morning . . . Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, will be Dollar Day at Santa Anita, with beer and soda on sale for a buck and hot dogs for $2. First post time will be 12 noon . . . The California Horse Racing Board will conduct its regular monthly meeting Thursday, Jan. 24, at Santa Anita. The public is encouraged to attend. An audio-only webcast of the meeting can be heard through a link on the CHRB website ( webcast). The  agenda and  package of materials for this meeting also are available on the website…ANOTHER GREY PANTHER!  Not to be outdone by Paddock Captain John Shear, who celebrated his 98th birthday in a Winner’s Circle ceremony following yesterday’s sixth race, iconic Santa Anita usher Dick Warren celebrated his own birthday yesterday–number 92. Mr. Warren has been working at The Great Race Place since 1948 and his son, Bobby Warren, can be seen each day raising the flag one hour before first post time during the National Anthem in the track’s Infield.