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So Happy (Runhappy) was in fine fettle the morning after winning Saturday's GI Santa Anita Derby. Saturday's Santa Anita Derby program drew an on-track crowd of 37,562, the highest for Santa Anita Derby Day since 2018.

“He ate good and looked great this morning,” trainer Mark Glatt said. “He seems to be in good spirits.”

The Santa Anita Derby was So Happy's second time racing around two turns. Previously, in the GII San Felipe going 1 1/16, So Happy was up close to sharp pace and yielded late to finish third, 2 ¼ lengths back of winner Potente (Into Mischief), who finished second on Saturday.

“I think that was the biggest part of it, having that two-turn race under his belt,” Glatt said. “I thought Mike [Smith] rode a great race. We were a little more patient with him than last time. Maybe he would have won the San Felipe if he got that same kind of trip. But dealing with Brant that day, combined with first time two turns and having not raced for a couple of months, it all probably caught up with him.”

The Santa Anita Derby victory earned So Happy a berth in this year's Kentucky Derby. However, a trip to Churchill Downs is still to be determined.

“That needs to be thought out a little more than I've had a chance to do at this point,” Glatt said.

On the undercard, Meaning (Gun Runner) and Brooklyn Blonde (Gun Runner), the one-two finishers in the GII Santa Anita Oaks were “both doing well” Sunday morning, according to trainer Michael McCarthy.

“No complaints,” he added.

Meaning bested her stablemate in the Oaks by two lengths with Juan Hernandez aboard for the first time. Previously, Meaning won the one-mile Las Virgenes on Feb. 8. For Brooklyn Blonde, a $510,000 auction purchase by Gun Runner, the Oaks was her first time facing winners. Last month, when stretched out to a mile for her third start, Brooklyn Blonde broke her maiden by 1 ¼ lengths.

“The two fillies had been training well here all winter,” McCarthy said. “Obviously Meaning's reputation has been out there in front of her. Brooklyn Blonde, we've been high on her since last summer. Yesterday she showed the kind of quality filly that she is.”

Meaning will now be on to the Kentucky Oaks on May 1 at Churchill Downs. Brooklyn Blonde, who earned 50 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points, would need some defections to be part of the maximum 14-horse field.

“It will be up to the racing gods how that plays out,” McCarthy said of Brooklyn Blonde. “But there are plenty of options for her. We'll get a work into both of them here first and then play things by ear.”

The post So Happy, Meaning Doing Well After Santa Anita Derby Day Wins appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Douglas Scharbauer and Three Chimneys Farm's Always a Runner (Gun Runner) collared the pacesetting Pashmina (Constitution) late to win Saturday's GIII Gazelle at Aqueduct. In victory, the Chad Brown-trainee secured the maximum allotment of 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Oaks points on offer to the top-five finishers.

“She looks good this morning,” said Brown on Easter Sunday. “I'll speak to the owners later [Sunday]. I'm inclined to go on to the Oaks with her. She only ran twice, but she looks super this morning. You deal with 14 horses instead of 20, I just don't think there's a whole lot of risk running her in that type of race.”

He continued, “She's very talented and it keeps me on a schedule with her for the summer. I don't see an alternative race that's 'safer for her.' If she comes out of this and trains well, I will ship her over to Churchill. She will have one local work here in about two weeks, and then she'll ship over.”

Named a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' while powering clear to a 6 1/2-length victory in a one-mile and 40-yard maiden at first asking on Feb. 6 at Tampa Bay Downs, she subsequently missed some time due to a temperature.

“I expected her to run well,” Brown said. “I only worked her three times [since her win], three-eighths, two halves, and she won. She is really talented, this horse. I'd say she was 75% fit.”

Runner-up Pashmina picked up 50 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points in the Gazelles to bring her total to 63–good for the 14th and final spot in the starting gate on the first Friday in May at Churchill Downs.

“It's a tough way to get beat. You lead the whole way; you put some more separation like you took off again and then you get nailed,” trainer Rob Atras said. “The way I look at it–the big picture–she ran an awesome race and stepped up and ran the race we thought she could run. I couldn't be prouder of her.”

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Bush Racing Stable's Point Dume (Into Mischief) fended off Champion Male Sprinter Book'em Danno (Bucchero) by a neck on the front end to capture Saturday's GII Carter at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Earning a 101 Beyer Speed Figure, the bay will continue to run in high-level races, although trainer Tim Kreiser still needs to determine a next spot.

“He looked really good this morning, walking around the barn like a soldier,” Kreiser said. “He ran a really good race. They put heat on him early, turning for home, he dispatched that one [Acoustic Ave] and then the big challenger. That's his game. That's how he likes it, he wants to look them in the eye. I think I'd rather go longer than shorter with him, we'll sit down and talk it out.”

As for the beaten favorite, trainer Derek Ryan confirmed the 5-year-old appeared well on Sunday.

“He came out of it fine, no problems. He ate up last night–he's good to go,” said Ryan on Sunday.

Ridden by Paco Lopez, the gelding was making his first start in seven months in the Carter.

“He got bumped pretty good coming out of the gate and was in a little bit of a pocket there, but all in all, we got a good race into him,” Ryan said of Saturday's race. “I'd like to win, but you can't win them all. Considering he was about 85% ready, he'll be 100% for the next one.”

Ryan said the eight-time stakes winner will return to the Spa for a title defense in both the 6 1/2-furlong GIII True North on June 6 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and the seven-furlong GI Forego on Aug. 29. His year-end goal is the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint on Oct. 31 at Keeneland.

“He'll move forward off that race,” Ryan said of the Carter effort. “I was probably one more work from having him where I wanted him. It's the start of the year and the big picture is down the road. We want him 100% come the fall–the Breeders' Cup is the main goal.

“His next spot will be Saratoga on Belmont Stakes Day,” Ryan continued. “He's bigger and stronger this year. We'll have the two races in Saratoga and then the Breeders' Cup. That's the plan at the moment.”

The post Point Dume, Book’em Danno No Worse for Wear After Carter 1-2 Finish appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.