From the Santa Anita Media Team / Victor Ryan:

GII SAN PASQUAL: PONY EXPRESS RETURNS AS FAVORITE FOR SADLER

Pony Express is tabbed as the 9-5 favorite in Saturday’s Grade II San Pasqual for older horses at 1 1/8 miles. It will be Pony Express’s first start since October when he set a fast pace in the one-mile Tokyo City and was caught late to lose by three-quarters of a length. “He ran a good race that day. He always runs a good race,” trainer John Sadler said Friday morning. “He’s just a nice horse.”

A 5-year-old horse by Gun Runner, Pony Express is seeking his first stakes win in the San Pasqual. In two previous stakes tries, both last year, Pony Express finished off the board in the GII Jim Dandy at Saratoga and the one-mile Shared Belief at Del Mar.

The Jim Dandy was Pony Express’s only previous time racing 1 1/8 miles. On Friday, Sadler acknowledged the distance remains a question mark for his charge. Due in part to that fact, Pony Express was also entered in the Fifth Season Stakes at Oaklawn going a flat mile. That race was also scheduled for Saturday, but inclement weather at Oaklawn forced the race to be pushed back a week and led Sadler to opt for the San Pasqual.

“I’m a little concerned about the distance, but the decision was made to stay home,” Sadler said.

The other leading contenders in the San Pasqual are Getaway Car (2-1) for trainer Bob Baffert, Bartholdy (4-1) for trainer and co-owner Steve Knapp and Midnight Mammoth (9-2) for trainer Craig Dollase.

A longshot worthy of a look is Westwood (12-1), who’ll be making his 4-year-old debut for trainer John Shirreffs. Last out on Nov. 22 at Del Mar, Westwood set a contested pace in the GIII Native Diver at 1 1/8 miles at Del Mar before being caught late to finish third behind Grade I winner Nevada Beach and runner up Bartholdy.

Westwood appears well-drawn on the far outside in a field laced with speed. The Authentic gelding will have Kazushi Kimura in the irons for the first time.

“I think he fits really well in this race,” Shirreffs said. “He has a good post. He doesn’t necessarily have to be on the lead, but he does like to be close to it. Being on the outside, the rider will have a great opportunity to decide where to put him.”

Westwood will also race without blinkers for the first time in the San Pasqual. “The blinkers are off because he’s been training, so well without them,” Shirreffs said. “I thought let’s try it without blinkers because he’s aggressive anyway.”

The San Pasqual serves as a stop on the road to the historic GI Santa Anita Handicap on March 7. It goes as the fourth race at 2:09 p.m. The field in post position order: Midnight Mammoth, Armando Ayuso (9-2); Ghazaaly, Emisael Jaramillo (10-1); Getaway Car, Juan Hernandez (2-1); Bartholdy, Tyler Baze (4-1); Pony Express, Hector Berrios (9-5); Westwood, Kazushi Kimura (8-1).

TOP 3-YEAR-OLD PROSPECTS CLASH, CORNUCOPIAN BACK SATURDAY

Serving as scrumptious side dishes on Saturday’s program led by the GII San Pasqual and GIII Megahertz are an intriguing maiden race for 3-year-olds at six furlongs and an allowance/optional claimer a 6 ½ furlongs where the highly regarded Cornucopian will make his 4-year-old debut for trainer Bob Baffert.

The notable maiden event goes as the sixth race at 3:12 p.m. PT. The lineup includes top sophomore prospects Deep Tracks, a $1 million auction buy last year who goes for trainer John Shirreffs; and a trio for Bob Baffert led by Crude Velocity and Potente, the latter of whom sold for $2.4 million at auction as a yearling.

Cornucopian, off since last April after briefly on the Kentucky Derby trail, returns in the eighth race at 4:14 p.m.

Deep Tracks is by Nyquist out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Déjà Vu, which makes him a half-brother to Grade I-placed stakes winner Crystal Ball. Owned by C R K Stable, Deep Tracks’ $1 million price tag tied for the third highest at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training.

Deep Tracks has worked six times since Dec. 8 for his debut. While Shirreffs rarely wins with first-time starters, Deep Tracks served notice 12 days ago when drilling five furlongs from the gate in 59.80 seconds. It was the third-fastest of 72 works at the distance that day. “Mike Smith has worked him the last two or three times and he really likes him,” Shirreffs said. Smith also rides Deep Tracks on Saturday.

“He seems to be very classy and laid-back,” Shirreffs added of Deep Tracks. “This race is probably going to wake him up a little.”

Baffert’s Crude Velocity (5-2) is the slight favorite on the morning line. Potente is 7-2 and Baffert’s third starter, Duntov, is 9-2.

On Jan. 16, Crude Velocity and Duntov worked in company with Crude Velocity looking much the best of the pair. By Beau Liam out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Sweetnsour Kitty, Crude Velocity was purchased for $250,000 last year. He is campaigned by CSLR Racing Partners.

Potente is by Into Mischief out of the Awesome Again mare Sweet Sting, whose dam is 2000 champion turf mare Perfect Sting. Potente has worked eight times for his debut. On Jan. 11, he fired a bullet when working four furlongs in 46.40 seconds; and then on Sunday, he drilled five furlongs from the gage in a sharp 59.60 seconds.

Here is the full field for Saturday’s sixth race in post position order: Duntov, Emisael Jaramillo (9-2); Cruisen for Cali, Tiago Pereira (30-1); Crude Velocity, Juan Hernandez (5-2); Deep Tracks, Mike Smith (12-1); Constitution Andi (30-1); Ruler of Law, Edwin Maldonado (4-1); Potente, Kazushi Kimura (7-2); Captain Shreve, Kyle Frey (3-1).

GIII MEGAHERTZ: PUBLIC ASSEMBLY LEADS A PAIR FOR D’AMATO

After being the beaten favorite in the GIII Robert J. Frankel on Jan. 8, Public Assembly returns as the 5-2 morning line favorite in Saturday’s GIII Megahertz for older fillies and mares at one mile on turf. Joining Public Assembly in the field for trainer Phil D’Amato is Sigh No More (10-1), who makes her local debut after previously being based in the east with trainer Brendan Walsh.

Public Assembly was favored at 3-5 in the Frankel going 1 1/8 miles on Jan. 8. She checked in fifth. D’Amato said “the race was over right at the start.

“She broke last and they went really slow. She’s a mare that needs to be stalking,” D’Amato said. “She never got in position to win. They were very slow fractions with the rails out.” Public Assembly will have a new rider Saturday as Hector Berrios takes over for the injured Umberto Rispoli.

Sigh No More, 4 year-old Irish-bred filly by Starspangledbanner, was purchased privately by owner R Unicorn Stable and sent west to D’Amato. Last year, she won the Boiling Springs Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Monmouth Park. She’ll have Kazushi Kimura aboard for her local unveiling.

“They sent her to California looking for some firmer ground,” D’Amato said. “She’s trained well. Kimura’s been breezing her for me the last month or so, so he knows her well. Let’s see what she does.”

The Megahertz goes as the seventh race at 3:43 p.m. The field in post position order: My Perfect Wave, Emisael Jaramillo (6-1); Public Assembly, Hector Berrios (5-2); Princess Moche, Mirco Demuro (5-1); Will Then, Mike Smith (4-1); Going Lucky, Ricky Gonzalez (6-1); Violeta M, Victor Espinoza (30-1); Vibez, Juan Hernandez (9-2); Sigh No More, Kazushi Kimura (10-1); Baltic Fire, Cesar Belmont (30-1).

WORKS: BOYD, EXPLORA AMONG NOTABLES ON TAB

Top 3-year-old prospect Boyd and stablemate Explora, winner of the Santa Ynez for 3-year-old fillies in her sophomore debut Jan. 10, were among the notables on Friday’s work tab at Santa Anita. Both are trained by Bob Baffert.

Boyd worked five furlongs in 1:01.2. A $1.05 million auction buy last year, the Violence colt is a perfect 2-for-2 for owner Zedan Racing Stable. Boyd won his debut in September at Del Mar going 5 ½ furlongs, then came right back to win the 6 ½-furlong Ed Brown Stakes at Churchill Downs on Nov. 29. Friday’s work was Boyd’s fourth since Jan. 8.

Explora worked five furlongs in 1:00.40. It was her second work since romping to victory in the seven-furlong Santa Ynez. Last year, the daughter of Blame won the GII Oak Leaf at Santa Anita and finished second as the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar.

Top California-bred Man O Rose returned to the work tab for trainer Jeff Mullins after earning his fourth straight stakes win versus statebreds in the California Cup Sprint Jan. 17 at Santa Anita. A 5-year-old gelding by Stanford, Man O Rose worked four furlongs in 48.0 seconds.

FINISH LINES: Jockey Emisael Jaramillo won three races Sunday and is now tied for second in the jockey’s standings. This is Jaramillo’s first season riding full-time at Santa Anita after spending many years at Gulfstream Park. Jaramillo won the third race aboard A.P. Again ($3.20) for trainer Doug O’Neill, the fifth race with Pura Vida Princesa ($4.20) for O’Neill and the ninth race on Army Man ($10.80) for trainer Michael McCarthy. Jaramillo has 14 wins at the stand, which is tied with Kazushi Kimura for second behind the injured Umberto Rispoli (15 wins)…The first foal for popular California-bred Brickyard Ride is a filly produced from the winning mare To the Limits, an 11-year-old daughter of Swiss Yodeler. She was delivered on Saturday. Campaigned by Alfred “Sonny” Pais, Brickyard Ride covered an inaugural book of 44 mares in 2025. He stands at Rancho San Miguel in California. Brickyard Ride’s 2026 fee is $4,000 accompanied by a live foal guarantee…Friday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:19 p.m. PT with the ninth race from Gulfstream Park…Friday’s $1 Sunset Pick 6 also starts with the ninth race from Gulfstream…Santa Anita simulcast analyst and former jockey Jessica (Pyfer) Gonzalez will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Saturday on the simulcast feed starting at 11:20 a.m.