NOTES FROM LAST WEEKEND AT THE GREAT RACE PLACE

PICK SIX CARRYOVER INTO THURSDAY OF $87,195, TOTAL POOL SHOULD TOP $500,000



Favored Pontchatrain overcame a rough start to win Sunday’s Grade II, $200,000 Monrovia Stakes for older fillies and mares by three quarters of a length, overhauling pacesetter Kindle and Rafael Bejarano inside the sixteenth pole while covering 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course in 1:11.14.



With Track Announcer Trevor Denman bellowing “It’s Jeranimo, coming like a rocket on the outside, and Jeranimo--from last to first, a scintillating performance!...,” 8-year-old Jeranimo, with Rafael Bejarano aloft, overhauled pacesetting Slim Shadey and Corey Nakatani to win Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes by 1 ¼ lengths, winning for a record third time while covering 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:46 flat.



The Bruce Headley trained, owned and bred Cyclometer broke slowly but proved best in Saturday’s $75,000 Midnight Lute Stakes at Santa Anita, rallying to win by three quarters of a length under Mike Smith while getting six furlongs in a rapid 1:08.95.



Off at 5-1, Awesome Baby entered Saturday’s four-horse, Grade II, $200,000 Santa Ynez Stakes in the shadow of her stablemate, 4-5 favorite Crushed Velvet, but it was Awesome Baby that posed for pictures, winning the prestigious event for 3-year-old fillies by a half length in gate to wire fashion under Mike Smith, covering six furlongs in 1:16.62.



Ridden by Mike Smith, English-bred Birdlover got a perfect stalking trip coming down Santa Anita’s 6 ½ furlong hillside turf course and was up to win Friday’s $60,000 Saturn Purse allowance by a length over pacesetting Kinz Funky Monkey and Joe Talamo, covering the distance in 1:11.76. The Saturn attracted a field of nine older fillies and mares, with two of them entered for an optional claiming tag of $62,500.




With the temporary rail set at 15 feet and the front-end there for the taking, Mike Smith seized control of Thursday’s $65,000 Mercury Purse allowance, guiding the Steve Asmussen-trained Regally Ready to a 1 ¼ length win at 3-1 while covering one mile on turf in 1:33 flat.