Grand Slam and other California-bred stars did not disappoint on an afternoon of stakes for state-bred horses at Santa Anita on Saturday.
Grand Slam Smile (who paid $3) won her ninth Cal-bred stakes race, her 10th stakes overall, leading the whole mile on turf with jockey William Antongeorgi to beat Take Another Card by a half-length in the Fran’s Valentine Stakes for fillies and mares.
Big City Lights ($3.80), a close-up fourth on the backstretch, won his sixth stakes convincingly with rider Kazushi Kimura by 1-1/2 lengths over Book Smart in the 6-furlong Thor’s Echo Stakes.
The only upset, a mild one, was Unrivaled Time ($6) and Armando Ayuso winning the Snow Chief Stakes for 3-year-olds on turf as 3-2 favorite He’s a Knockout faded.
Trainer John Sadler won twice, with Mohaven ($3.20) and Emisael Jaramillo in the Melair Stakes for 3-year-old fillies and Flyover ($3.60) and Antonio Fresu in the Crystal Water Stakes on turf.
Santa Anita’s four-day racing week continues Sunday and Monday, the Memorial Day holiday card featuring the Grade I Shoemaker Mile on turf, Grade I Gamely Stakes for fillies and mares on grass, and Grade II Hollywood Gold Cup.
Malarchuk, making his California debut for trainer Michael McCarthy, is an 8-5 morning-line favorite with Juan Hernandez riding in the five-horse Gold Cup.