Santa Anita Saturday: Gold Rush Features Cal-Breds
Louie Rabaut
Host · Writer
The California-breds are in the spotlight today at Santa Anita Park, in what’s dubbed Gold Rush Saturday. The story of thoroughbred racing in North America cannot be told without a serious mention to Cal-breds, and today’s card provides at least a reminder of that.
A total of 10 races, restricted to horses bred or sired in California, will be run today. The field sizes indicate a healthy desire for these days, a good sign for a circuit hampered by a geographic distance that makes shipping difficult.
We’ll concentrate on the Melair, named for a mare who finished her career 5-for-5, with all of her races coming in her 3-year-old campaign, and all of them at the defunct Hollywood Park. She’s a reminder of a more expansive era of California racing, but the quality of this field is a testament to her legacy. Melair won on debut, then proceeded to pick off a win in allowance company before a trio of graded stakes wins.
Let’s meet the field, and put together a wager. If you’re wagering at Santa Anita, check out our partners at AmWager! They have a $50 deposit match for new customers.
The Melair. 1 1/16 miles, dirt. 3-year-old fillies. $125,000.
1. Holdthatrainbow. 5/1. Jockey: Florent Geroux. Trainer: Carla Gaines.
Holdthatrainbow comes in off a debut win, sprinting 6 ½ furlongs on the turf at Santa Anita. She settled into a stalking position, and was a willing runner at the end under jockey Florent Geroux, who keeps the mount. This would be a lot, should she win: first time going over a mile, first time going two turns, and the first time running on dirt. Trainer Carla Gaines’ stats certainly back a move like this, but we’ll let her beat us here.
Comment: too much new.
2. Good Golly Dolly. 30/1. Jockey: Abel Lezcano. Trainer: Doug O’Neill.
Good Golly Dolly will try to join a long list of Doug O’Neill trainees that don’t look the part on first glance, but once they win, you see the evidence – however scant. She has won going two turns on the dirt – making her the only entrant to have done so. She’ll have to quicken considerably from that pace – perhaps a full two seconds or so – if she’s going to win in this company. I simply don’t see it.
Comment: toss.
3. Run With Liberty. 7/2. Jockey: Kyle Frey. Trainer: Jeff Mullins.
Trainer Jeff Mullins had an impressive set of results in 2025, and hasn’t missed a single beat in ‘26. He sends Run With Liberty to the gate, a winner in both of her career starts. Both of those runs have been on turf – which she is bred for – but were both over two turns at a mile. Mullins’ trainees have been incredible recently coming off a win: they are returning to the winner’s circle at a stunning 43% clip. I have this one 2nd, and very live.
Comment: can win.
4. Mohaven. 3/5. Jockey: Emisael Jaramillo. Trainer: John Sadler.
Mohaven is the most talented horse in the field, with a pair of stakes wins against other Cal-breds. Her one loss in Cal-bred company was in a sprint down the hill; on dirt, she’s 2-for-3. The only question is the distance, as she’s never gone longer than 7 furlongs; her breeding suggests she can get the distance without an issue, and I think she’s shown enough ability on the dirt to get there. Jaramillo’s booking a major positive.
Comment: most likely winner.
5. Cecilia Street. 12/1. Jockey: Antonio Fresu. Trainer: Leonard Powell.
Cecilia Street is my favorite longshot in the field, and her inconsistent running has earned her the 12/1 morning line she was assigned for this edition of the Melair. Her form on turf clearly indicates it is her best surface: 5 lifetime start, all of the finishes in the trifecta. Her one outlier race is the Soviet Problem – named for another spectacular Cal-bred – which is a one mile dirt race at Los Alamitos. She ran a great 2nd in that race, showing ability over that surface. The main issue: the Los Al surface is known for being friendly to turf types, and Santa Anita’s, less. I think she can hit the board.
Comment: can hit the board.
6. Lino’s Angel. 30/1. Jockey: Tyler Baze. Trainer: Edwin Alvarez.
Lino’s Angel is a hard-trying filly, and this will already be her 13th career start for trainer Edwin Alvarez. She’s outclassed here.
Comment: toss.
7. Troisieme Etoile. 8/1. Jockey: Joel Rosario. Trainer: Doug O’Neill.
Doug O’Neill’s other runner is Troisieme Etoile, a Santa Anita veteran with four runs over the track. The problem? They’ve all been on the turf, and all of them sprinting. She’s by I’ll Have Another, the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, so perhaps there’s some dirt magic in there. We’ll guess there isn’t, at least today.
Comment: toss.
The Sporting Tribune Wager:
$5 All Stakes Pick 3, Starts Race 6 ($30): 7,9 / 4 / 3,6,7.
