STABLE NOTES

ESPINOZA IS CLEARED TO RESUME HIS RIDING CAREER

GUNMETAL GRAY BREEZES FOR ROBERT LEWIS STAKES

BOB BAFFERT SHEDS LAUDATORY ‘LIGHT’ ON McCARTHY

SANTA ANITA JOCKEYS IN CHARITY GAME ON THURSDAY

STRONG WORK ETHIC PAYING OFF FOR DIEGO SANCHEZ

PICK 6 JACKPOT HAS GUARANTEED POOL OF $2 MILLION

VICTOR ESPINOZA COULD BE RACE RIDING IN TWO WEEKS

Victor Espinoza said Sunday morning at Santa Anita that doctors have cleared him to resume his riding career.

The 46-year-old Triple Crown winner and Hall of Fame member suffered a fractured vertebra in his neck and a stinger to his left shoulder and arm in a training mishap at Del Mar last July 22 and has been sidelined since, but worked his first horse on Jan. 5 and two more this morning, one for trainer Bob Baffert and another for Jim Cassidy.

Yesterday, he breezed one for Carla Gaines.

After the Jan. 5 work, Espinoza and his agent, Brian Beach, sought a third doctor’s opinion after two had rendered disparate medical judgments on how his recovery would play out should he resume riding competitively.

“Everything is good,” Espinoza said this morning. “You see different doctors and they have different opinions, but at the end of the day, I probably feel stronger than before. Doctors said I could go back to riding and see how I feel, and if I feel good, I’m good to go.

“I’ve been given the green light to ride and now it will be up to me when I’m fit and ready, but I’m pretty much ready right now.”

Added Beach, who also represents Victor’s nephew, apprentice Asa Espinoza: “We saw a third doctor just to make sure, and basically the third opinion was the same as before. Victor’s good to go and we’re looking at a return in the middle of February, somewhere in there.”

GUNMETAL GRAY WORKS FOR KEY KENTUCKY DERBY PREP

Sham Stakes winner Gunmetal Gray had his final major work for this Saturday’s Robert B. Lewis Stakes, going six furlongs Sunday in 1:15.20 for part owner Jerry Hollendorfer.

“He galloped out good,” said the Hall of Fame trainer, who has re-engaged Mike Smith to ride in the Grade III event at 1 1/16 miles that offers 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner, four to the runner-up, two for the third-place finisher and one to the fourth.

Prior to the one mile Sham on Jan. 5, Gunmetal Gray, a gray son of Exchange Rate, was a distant fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Nov. 2 behind undefeated champion Game Winner, but was second to him in the Grade I American Pharoah prior to that last Sept. 29.

Also expected for the Lewis are Kid Cantina, Mucho Gusto and Nolo Contento.Mucho Gusto worked six furlongs Sunday in 1:12.60 for Bob Baffert.

BAFFERT: McCARTHY ‘VERY DESERVING’ OF PEGASUS VICTORY

Michael McCarthy earned his most noteworthy victory Saturday when City of Light rolled to a 5 ¾-length triumph over Horse of the Year runner-up Accelerate and 10 other rivals in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park.

The fastidious former protégé of Todd Pletcher, who turns 48 on Feb. 1, was most deserving, in the opinion of a trainer who has been there, done that: Bob Baffert.

“He’s very deserving,” said the two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer Sunday morning. “I’ve watched him through the years and he’s worked hard and gone through the process. He deserves a victory like that, especially working with Todd all those years, although he’s worked for a lot of others.

“McCarthy did a tremendous job managing that horse.”

SANTA ANITA JOCKEYS SET FOR CHARITY BASKETBALL GAME THURSDAY

The 52nd annual Santa Anita Jockeys vs. Holy Angels Elementary School Charity Basketball Game will be played this Thursday, Jan. 31. at La Salle High School in Pasadena.

Proceeds from the game will benefit Holy Angels Athletics and the Bill Hartack

Charitable Foundation, which contributes to several Thoroughbred racing industry charities and presents the winning rider in each year’s Kentucky Derby with the Hartack Memorial Award.

It is named in honor of the late Hall of Fame jockey, William Hartack, who along with Eddie Arcaro, won the Kentucky Derby a record five times.

With tip-off set for 7:05 p.m., Hall of Fame jockeys Kent Desormeaux, Laffit Pincay, Jr., Mike Smith, Alex Solis and Gary Stevens will be available at center court for an autograph session beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The jockeys’ squad will be under the direction of Tony Vong, who also serves as “Big Money” Mike Smith’s personal trainer, while the Holy Angels will be coached by Michael Hernandez and Job Rivera.

Tickets are $5 per person, and for every two tickets purchased, individuals will receive one free admission ticket to Santa Anita Park.

La Salle High School is located at the southwest corner of Sierra Madre Blvd. and Michillinda Ave. in Pasadena, approximately three miles from Santa Anita.

Admission tickets and promotional tee shirts are on sale at Champions! Gifts and Apparel in Santa Anita’s East Paddock Gardens, or through Holy Angels School in Arcadia.

SANCHEZ EARNS HIS KEEP AT SANTA ANITA

Diego Sanchez is making an impact at Santa Anita on little cat’s feet.

The 41-year-old native of Spain caught the eye of even the most jaded horseplayer on Jan. 13 when he piloted 12-1 shot Diamond Blitz  to a front-running 2 ¼-length victory in the first race, a one-mile turf event in which the bay Munnings colt trained by Keith Desormeaux opened an eight-length lead after a half mile in 46.84.

That strategy caused naysayers alarm, thinking the cavalry would storm home late.

It never happened. Diamond Blitz had plenty left in the tank.

The victory was the third of the meet from only 11 mounts for the agentless Sanchez, who represents himself, working diligently in the mornings to hustle business.

Desormeaux, turns out, is an equal-opportunity employer. In addition to giving a leg up on many winners to his Hall of Fame brother Kent, who needs just one to reach 6,000 career victories in North America, the trainer has landed in the winner’s circle riding relatively unknowns Sanchez and Saul Arias.

“I believe I’m making progress,” said Sanchez, who came to the U.S. in 2007. “I’m dedicated and realize you need a positive attitude and staying power to achieve your goals.”

$2 MILLION GUARANTEED RAINBOW PICK SIX JACKPOT

With $354,642 in “new” money wagered into Saturday’s 20 cent Single Ticket Pick Six Jackpot contributing to a massive live money pool of $1,640,048, there was again no single ticket winner, but a total of 36 consolation tickets were each worth $5,226.

And, with a mandatory payout looming next Saturday, Feb. 2, Santa Anita will again guarantee $2 million in today’s Rainbow Six Jackpot, which will commence with race five on a 10-race program.

Average field size in Sunday’s Rainbow Six stands at nine horses per race. The featured $70,000 Clockers’ Corner Stakes, for older horses at 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course, has been slotted as race eight and Peter Miller’s Conquest Tsunami, who will be ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, is the 5-2 morning line favorite.