By Christina Bossinakis
Cornucopian (Into Mischief) looked like he might be something special very early in his career. While it would ultimately take five tries to garner black-type, the striking colt checked that box in style on Sunday, running off to a scortching victory in Santa Anita's GIII San Carlos Stakes.
Pounded down to 1-5 favoritism for the seven-furlong contest, he was allowed to settle back in third behind Bartholdy (Mendelssohn) and Listenupshance (Shancelot) through an opening quarter in :22.16.
As the pacesetter kept up the pace through a half-mile in :44.03, Cornucopian started to make his move to the outside of the top two. On even terms with Listenupshance straightening for home as the early leader started to weaken along the inside, Cornucopian powered into the clear late and finished 2 3/4-lengths clear of Listenupshance at the wire. Bartholdy held third while GISW Sunsanador (Arg) (Fortify) rounded out the Superfecta. Final time for the seven-furlong race was1:20.71.
“My horse is really good out of the gate, he's fast, but I knew [Bartholdy] had a lot of speed and, breaking from the inside, I knew they were going to try to go,” winning rider Juan Hernandez said. “My horse, he settled really well. He was smart and he listened to me. I was in the clear to the outside and was just tracking until the quarter pole. Once I asked him to pick it up, he broke again passing the quarter pole. He ran really fast today. He's getting better every race.”
A $1.1 million Keeneland September yearling purchase, he kicked off his sophomore campaign with an impressive 5 3/4-length victory in a six-furlong maiden at Oaklawn in February, becoming a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' in the process. Fourth in that season's GI Arkansas Derby, he concluded his 2025 campaign with a runner-up effort in a one-mile optional claimer at the Big A in April.
Set to mark his return to the races in the Dec. 25 GI Malibu, he flipped in the paddock and was forced to scratch. Finally making his debut at Santa Anita, he came from just off the pace and ran away to a three-length win going 6 1/1 furlongs on Jan. 31.
“He's full of energy and now he looks like he's ready for something really big,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “This race really tightened him up. Now we can put him on the road and aim a little higher. I was hoping that he wouldn't have to go that fast, but he is a good horse, he's a beautiful horse. I'm just happy to have a good horse like him.”
Pedigree Note:
Pedigrees don't get much better than that of Cornucopian. The 97th graded-stakes winner for his marquee sire Into Mischief, the $1.1 million Keeneland yearling is out of Magical World, the dam of three-time Grade I winner Guarana (Ghostzapper), Grade III scorer Beatbox (Pioneerof the Nile) and stakes winner and graded stakes placed Magic Dance (More Than Ready).
A half-sister to GISP Pleasant Orb (Orb), Magical World is out of GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Pleasant Home (Seeking the Gold), a full-sister to MGSW and MGISP Country Hideaway, the dam of GSWs Boca Grande and Vacation, in addition to Matlacha Pass, herself responsible for Grade I winners Point of Entry and Pine Island.
Sunday, Santa Anita
SAN CARLOS S.-GIII, $100,500, Santa Anita, 3-29, 4yo/up, 7f, 1:20.71, ft.
1–CORNUCOPIAN, 120, c, 4, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Magical World, by Distorted Humor
2nd Dam: Pleasant Home, by Seeking the Gold
3rd Dam: Our Country Place, by Pleasant Colony
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($1,100,000
Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-SF Racing, LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket
Stables, LLC, Stonestreet Stables, LLC, Bashor Racing, LLC,
Determined Stables, Masterson, Robert E., Ryan, Tom J.,
Waves Edge Capital, LLC, Donovan, Catherine and Hill 'n' Dale
Equine Holdings-Lessee; B-Three Chimneys Farm, LLC &
Whisper Hill Farm, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J. Hernandez.
$60,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $265,400. *1/2 to Guarana
(Ghostzapper), MGISW, $1,078,268; Magic Dance (More Than
Ready), SW & GSP, $191,083; and Beatbox (Pioneerof the
Nile), GSW, $427,248. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Listenupshance, 120, g, 4, Shancelot–Listenupnow, by Hard
Spun. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($10,000 Ylg '23 FTKOCT).
O-Run Fast Racing; B-Al and Michelle Crawford Racing (KY);
T-Doug F. O'Neill. $20,000.
3–Bartholdy, 120, g, 5, Mendelssohn–Blazen Betsy, by
Speightstown. ($120,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT; $300,000 2yo '23
OBSAPR). O-Haagsma, John R., Knapp, Steve R. and
Vanderdussen, Robert John; B-Robert Slack & Dan Walters
(KY); T-Steve R. Knapp. $12,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, 4HF, 3/4. Odds: 0.30, 12.20, 11.50.
Also Ran: Subsanador (Arg), Judge Miller, Getaway Car. Scratched: Stronghold.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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