Public Assembly, who recently finished second to the favorite in the Grade 3 Robert J. Frankel Stakes on January 8, returns as the morning line favorite at 5-2 for Saturday’s Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes. This turf race, run over one mile, is designed for older mares. Phil D’Amato’s Public Assembly will face competition from Saig No More, a 10-1 longshot making her local debut, having previously been trained on the East Coast by Brendan Walsh.
In the Frankel Stakes, Public Assembly finished fifth over 1 1/8 miles, despite being the 3-5 favorite. D’Amato remarked, “The race was over from the start. She broke down and finished very slowly. She’s a filly who needs to stalk the pace, but she never got into a winning position due to the slow early pace off the rail.” For Saturday’s race, Hector Berrios will ride Public Assembly, substituting for the injured Humberto Rispoli.
Say No More, a four-year-old Irish-bred filly sired by Star-Spangled Banner, was privately acquired by R. Unicorn Stable and transferred west to trainer D’Amato. Last year, she claimed victory in the Boiling Springs Stakes on 1 1/16 miles of turf at Monmouth Park. Kazushi Kimura is slated to ride her in this debut California race. D’Amato commented, “She was brought to California for firmer footing and is well-prepared. Kimura has been working closely with her during training, so he knows her strengths. We’re eager to see how she performs.”
The Megahertz is scheduled as the seventh race of the day, starting at 3:43 p.m. The field, listed by post position, includes: My Perfect Wave with Emisael Jaramillo (6-1); National Assembly with Hector Berrios (5-2); Princess Moche with Mirco Demuro (5-1); Will Zenn with Mike Smith (4-1); Good Luck with Ricky Gonzalez (6-1); Violeta M. with Victor Espinoza (30-1); Vives with Juan Hernandez (9-2); Say No More with Kazushi Kimura (10-1); and Baltic Fire with Caesar Belmont (30-1).
This article first appeared in the News section of the Paulick Report on January 30, 2026.
Fan Take: This matchup highlights an exciting blend of proven talent and promising newcomers on the turf for mares, underscoring the depth of competition in California racing. For fans, seeing how Public Assembly recovers and how Say No More adapts to new surroundings adds a compelling storyline that could influence future turf campaigns for older mares.
