The opening day of the Santa Anita Park Traditional Classic Meet, slated for Sunday, features a highly anticipated showdown in the Grade 2, $200,000 Lafitte Pincay Junior Stakes between Grade 1 winner Naissos and Nevada Beach. The event’s highlight program includes six key stakes races, notably the G2 Matisse Smile for 3-year-olds on turf and the G3 San Gabriel, a 1 1/8-mile turf race.
Naissos and Nevada Beach, both under trainer Bob Baffert, lead a seven-horse lineup in the Lafitte Pincay Junior Stakes. Naissos is making his first appearance since winning the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar on November 1. Nevada Beach recently claimed victory in the 1 1/8-mile G3 Native Diver at Del Mar on November 22 and before that took the G1 Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita in September. They will battle over 1 1/16 miles in the Lafitte Pincay Jr., a historic race previously called the San Antonio, renamed last year in honor of the legendary jockey.
Potential spoilers include British Isles and Bartholdi. British Isles, owned by Justify and trained by Richard Baltas, narrowly lost to Nevada Beach by half a length on turf. Bartholdi, primarily a sprinter trained by Steve Knapp, recently won a 6.5-furlong race at Del Mar on November 30. Midland Money, who finished second that day, is set to run in Baffert’s G1 Malibu race.
The Lafitte Pincay Jr. is the sixth race on an 11-race card starting at 11 a.m. Pacific time, with the stakes race around 1:30 p.m. Post positions include Naissos with Flavien Prat, Vodka Vodka with Kent Desormeaux, Nevada Beach with Juan Hernandez, Cornishman with Ricky Gonzalez, British Isles with Joel Rosario, and Bartholdi with Tyler Baze.
The $200,000 Matisse Smile race features the top four finishers from October’s Let It Ride Stakes at Del Mar, won by Tempus Volat. Tempus Volat, trained by Leonard Powell, went on to finish fourth in the G1 Hollywood Derby on November 29 with a strong record of 12 wins and one loss. Other contenders include Friendly Confines (trained by Richard Baltas), Lyle the Crocodile (Mark Glatt), and Hidingin of Honduras (Jonathan Thomas), who had a promising debut. Namaron, a European import trained by John Sadler, joins the field with top jockey Flavien Prat riding, having previously placed third in two U.S. races.
The Matisse Smile will be the fifth race, near 1 p.m., with participants including Hidingin of Honduras, Tempus Volat, Namaron, Geometry (Joel Rosario), Friendly Confines, Lyle the Crocodile, and Maaz.
The $100,000 San Gabriel Stakes boasts an 11-horse field. Simon Callaghan’s Astronomer recently placed second in the G2 Seabiscuit Stakes at Del Mar. Cabo Spirit, trained by George Papaprodromou, showed improvement despite a seventh-place finish. Nine-Eleven Turbo, running a shorter distance for Neil Drysdale, and European import Suchet, also trained by John Sadler, add to the competitive lineup.
Scheduled as the ninth race around 3 p.m., the San Gabriel features horses like Twirling Point, Mondego, Endless, Stay Hot, Saint Anthony, Suchet, Astronomer, Cabo Spirit, and Nine Eleven Turbo.
Fan Take: This lineup promises thrilling competition with top contenders showcasing their turf and dirt prowess, highlighting the depth and talent in modern Thoroughbred racing. For horse racing fans, events like these underline the sport’s rich tradition and ongoing excitement, potentially shaping future champions and elevating its profile nationally.
