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The 2024 Santa Anita Handicap winner has been out since finishing 9th in the Dubai World Cup in late March. Both of his career stakes wins have come at Santa Anita, including the Robert B. Lewis as a 3-year-old.
Group 1 winner in his native South America, his 4 domestic starts include a win last out in Monmouth's Grade 3 Iselin and a runner-up in March's Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap behind fellow California Crown entrant Newgate. Pace versatile, he's performed well on the lead and from stalking the pace.
The 2023 Preakness and 2024 Pegasus World Cup winner also added the '24 Met Mile to his impressive resume. But he'll be looking to bounce back from a 6th-place Whitney effort that was below-par for him.
Former maiden claimer won the Pleasanton Mile and was runner-up in Del Mar's Grade 2 San Diego this summer. Looks to bounce back from a poor showing in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic. He's won 4 of 9 since missing the entire '22 season.
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Last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up missed this year's Triple Crown series after winning the Arkansas Derby in April. He made a successful return recently at Del Mar in winning the Shared Belief and has never finished worse than second.
New Mexico-based colt has been a road warrior, winning the Saudi Cup and finishing third in the Dubai World Cup this year. Finished third in this race a year ago when it was called the Awesome Again Stakes. One of just 10 horses all-time to have raced in North America and earned $12M+.
While it took him 9 starts to break his maiden, this sophomore wheeled right back from that Del Mar victory to finish second in the Shared Belief Stakes. Finished 2 lengths behind California Crown re-matched rival Muth in that one. -- Photo: West Point Thoroughbreds
The 2024 Santa Anita Handicap winner has been out since finishing 9th in the Dubai World Cup in late March. Both of his career stakes wins have come at Santa Anita, including the Robert B. Lewis as a 3-year-old.
Group 1 winner in his native South America, his 4 domestic starts include a win last out in Monmouth's Grade 3 Iselin and a runner-up in March's Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap behind fellow California Crown entrant Newgate. Pace versatile, he's performed well on the lead and from stalking the pace.
The 2023 Preakness and 2024 Pegasus World Cup winner also added the '24 Met Mile to his impressive resume. But he'll be looking to bounce back from a 6th-place Whitney effort that was below-par for him.
Former maiden claimer won the Pleasanton Mile and was runner-up in Del Mar's Grade 2 San Diego this summer. Looks to bounce back from a poor showing in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic. He's won 4 of 9 since missing the entire '22 season.
Last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up missed this year's Triple Crown series after winning the Arkansas Derby in April. He made a successful return recently at Del Mar in winning the Shared Belief and has never finished worse than second.
New Mexico-based colt has been a road warrior, winning the Saudi Cup and finishing third in the Dubai World Cup this year. Finished third in this race a year ago when it was called the Awesome Again Stakes. One of just 10 horses all-time to have raced in North America and earned $12M+.
While it took him 9 starts to break his maiden, this sophomore wheeled right back from that Del Mar victory to finish second in the Shared Belief Stakes. Finished 2 lengths behind California Crown re-matched rival Muth in that one. -- Photo: West Point Thoroughbreds
The 2024 Santa Anita Handicap winner has been out since finishing 9th in the Dubai World Cup in late March. Both of his career stakes wins have come at Santa Anita, including the Robert B. Lewis as a 3-year-old.
Group 1 winner in his native South America, his 4 domestic starts include a win last out in Monmouth's Grade 3 Iselin and a runner-up in March's Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap behind fellow California Crown entrant Newgate. Pace versatile, he's performed well on the lead and from stalking the pace.
The 2023 Preakness and 2024 Pegasus World Cup winner also added the '24 Met Mile to his impressive resume. But he'll be looking to bounce back from a 6th-place Whitney effort that was below-par for him.
Former maiden claimer won the Pleasanton Mile and was runner-up in Del Mar's Grade 2 San Diego this summer. Looks to bounce back from a poor showing in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic. He's won 4 of 9 since missing the entire '22 season.
Last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up missed this year's Triple Crown series after winning the Arkansas Derby in April. He made a successful return recently at Del Mar in winning the Shared Belief and has never finished worse than second.
New Mexico-based colt has been a road warrior, winning the Saudi Cup and finishing third in the Dubai World Cup this year. Finished third in this race a year ago when it was called the Awesome Again Stakes. One of just 10 horses all-time to have raced in North America and earned $12M+.
While it took him 9 starts to break his maiden, this sophomore wheeled right back from that Del Mar victory to finish second in the Shared Belief Stakes. Finished 2 lengths behind California Crown re-matched rival Muth in that one. -- Photo: West Point Thoroughbreds
The 2024 Santa Anita Handicap winner has been out since finishing 9th in the Dubai World Cup in late March. Both of his career stakes wins have come at Santa Anita, including the Robert B. Lewis as a 3-year-old.
Group 1 winner in his native South America, his 4 domestic starts include a win last out in Monmouth's Grade 3 Iselin and a runner-up in March's Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap behind fellow California Crown entrant Newgate. Pace versatile, he's performed well on the lead and from stalking the pace.
The 2023 Preakness and 2024 Pegasus World Cup winner also added the '24 Met Mile to his impressive resume. But he'll be looking to bounce back from a 6th-place Whitney effort that was below-par for him.
Former maiden claimer won the Pleasanton Mile and was runner-up in Del Mar's Grade 2 San Diego this summer. Looks to bounce back from a poor showing in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic. He's won 4 of 9 since missing the entire '22 season.
Last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up missed this year's Triple Crown series after winning the Arkansas Derby in April. He made a successful return recently at Del Mar in winning the Shared Belief and has never finished worse than second.
New Mexico-based colt has been a road warrior, winning the Saudi Cup and finishing third in the Dubai World Cup this year. Finished third in this race a year ago when it was called the Awesome Again Stakes. One of just 10 horses all-time to have raced in North America and earned $12M+.
While it took him 9 starts to break his maiden, this sophomore wheeled right back from that Del Mar victory to finish second in the Shared Belief Stakes. Finished 2 lengths behind California Crown re-matched rival Muth in that one. -- Photo: West Point Thoroughbreds
SENOR BUSCADOR
MUTH
SUBSANADOR
NATIONAL TREASURE
SENOR BUSCADOR
MUTH
NEWGATE
SUBSANADOR
NEWGATE
NATIONAL TREASURE
SENOR BUSCADOR
SUBSANDOR
SENOR BUSCADOR
NATIONAL TREASURE
MUTH
NEWGATE
MUTH
SENOR BUSCADOR
SUBSANADOR
NATIONAL TREASURE
NATIONAL TREASURE
SENOR BUSCADOR
NEWGATE
SUBSANADOR
MUTH
SUBSANADOR
NEWGATE
SENOR BUSCADOR
NATIONAL TREASURE
MUTH
SENOR BUSCADOR
SUBSANADOR
NATIONAL TREASURE
NEWGATE
SENOR BUSCADOR
MUTH
MUTH
NATIONAL TREASURE
SENOR BUSCADOR
SUBSANADOR
NATIONAL TREASURE
MUTH
SENOR BUSCADOR
KATONAH
NATIONAL TREASURE
SUBSANADOR
MUTH
NEWGATE
NATIONAL TREASURE
SUBSANADOR
NEWGATE
MUTH
NEWGATE
NATIONAL TREASURE
SENOR BUSCADOR
MUTH
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MUTH
NATIONAL TREASURE
NEWGATE
SENOR BUSCADOR
NEWGATE
MUTH
SENOR BUSCADOR
SUBSANADOR
SUBSANADOR
NATIONAL TREASURE
NEWGATE
SENOR BUSCADOR
MUTH
SUBSANADOR
SENOR BUSCADOR
NATIONAL TREASURE
MUTH
NATIONAL TREASURE
SUBSANADOR
SENOR BUSCADOR
NEWGATE
KATONAH
NATIONAL TREASURE
MUTH
The 1/ST BET 'Machine' analyzes millions of data points over more than 50 important handicapping factors for each race to create an exclusive handicapping outcome driven by big data.
The 1/ST BET 'Machine' analyzes millions of data points over more than 50 important handicapping factors for each race to create an exclusive handicapping outcome driven by big data.
SCENE SETTER: Eight Grade 1 or Grade 2 stakes winners are among the 11 entrants in the mile and one-quarter California Crown John Henry Turf Championship. Millionaire earners GOLD PHOENIX, ROCKEMPEROR and BALNIKHOV look to pad their bankrolls, none more so than the latter. BALNIKHOV’s victory in May’s Dinner Party Stakes at Pimlico on Preakness Day makes him eligible for a $2.5 million California Crown turf bonus if he can win Saturday and then again in the January’s Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park. DICEY MO CHARRA was a neck runner-up in this race last year and part of a three-way photo in August’s Del Mar Handicap that all re-match here.
NOTES:
Trainers Phil D’Amato (3) and Richard Mandella (3) have accounted for 6 of the last 10 editions of this race.
Top Santa Anita turf route jockeys since the start of the 2019 winter season by percentage (100+ mounts): Flavien Prat (26%), Juan Hernadez (21%), Umberto Rispoli (19%), Joel Rosario (19%), Joe Bravo (18%), Frankie Dettori (17%).
Horses aged 5 or 6 have accounted for 8 straight winners of this race. Since the great John Henry won at age 7 in 1982, only 1 other horse older than 6 has won it (The Tin Man, 8, in 2002).
The California Crown John Henry Turf Championship adopted its Grade 2 status from the John Henry Turf Championship, inaugurated in 1969 and run under the Oak Tree Invitational, Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship et al in previous iterations.
SCENE SETTER: A dozen turf sprinters dash on the spectacular downhill grass course for three-quarters of a million bucks. East coast raider BIG INVASION partners with Flavien Prat for the first time and looks to one-up his last performance at Santa Anita when a close runner-up in the ’23 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. TWO RIVERS OVER has been away nearly 6 months since upsetting the Grade 2 Godolphin Mile in Dubai. He cuts back in trip as a real X-factor. KING OF GOSFORD won a pair of turf sprints this spring and also shortens his distance from recent outings. NOBLE REFLECTION led nearly every step of this race last September before settling for a close-up third.
NOTES:
14 different trainers have won this race the past 14 years.
Over the last 7 years, horses have won this race from prep distances ranging from 5 furlongs to 1-3/8 miles.
Top Santa Anita turf sprint jockeys since the start of the 2019 winter season by percentage (100+ mounts): Flavien Prat (25%), Umberto Rispoli (21%), Frankie Dettori (20%), Ryan Curatolo (19%), Hector Berrios (18%), Joel Rosario (18%).
The California Crown Eddie D Stakes adopted its Grade 2 status from the Eddie D Stakes, inaugurated in 1974 as the Morvich Handicap and renamed in 2012 to honor Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye.
SCENE SETTER: NATIONAL TREASURE got the best of SENOR BUSCADOR in a 1-2 photo finish in January’s Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. But SENOR BUSCADOR turned the tables in the $20 million Saudi Cup with an upset victory as NATIONAL TREASURE settled for fourth. They’ll meet for a third time this year in a seven-figure stakes over the same 1-1/8 miles trip. But the pair that’s earned $17 million-plus combined will face a stiff challenge from 3-year-old MUTH. He’s unbeaten this year in a stop-and-start campaign that saw him win the San Vicente in January, Arkansas Derby in April and the Shared Belief to open September. March’s Santa Anita Handicap was a photo thriller between NEWGATE and SUBSANADOR, who both bring Hall of Fame jockey-trainer combinations into the inaugural California Crown.
NOTES:
Bob Baffert has trained the winner of this race a record 8 times (under previous stakes names), including 3 of the last 4 years.
Top Santa Anita dirt route jockeys since the start of the 2019 winter season by percentage (100+ mounts): Juan Hernandez (25%), Ramon Vasquez (25%), Flavien Prat (23%), Mike Smith (23%), Joel Rosario (22%), Drayden Van Dyke (21%), Ruben Fuentes (20%).
Horses aged 4 have accounted for 4 of the last 5 winners of this race, while no horse over 5 has won this since 1999.
The California Crown adopted Grade 1 status from the former Awesome Again Stakes, which inaugurated in 1982 as the Goodwood Handicap before its first name change in 2012.
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