Californian Stakes 2024 | Santa Anita Park Picks

Highly regarded Judge Miller is set for his stakes debut in Saturday’s GIII, $100,000 Californian Stakes for older horses at 1 1/8 miles on dirt at Santa Anita Park. 

First post time for a 10- race card is 1 p.m. with admission gates opening at 11 a.m.  

Trained by Mark Glatt, Judge Miller crushed allowance foes by 11 lengths when stretched to a mile in his first time versus winners Feb. 24 at Santa Anita. Two months earlier at Santa Anita, Judge Miller earned his diploma going seven furlongs when making his second career start.  

A 4-year-old colt by Curlin out of multiple Grade I winner Cavorting, Judge Miller is a full brother to multiple Grade I winner and $3.2-million earner Clairiere. Owner Muir Hut Stables purchased Judge Miller for $550,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.  

Judge Miller will have his third different rider in as many races in the Californian. Flavien Prat had the call for his graduation win and Frankie Dettori was aboard for his allowance victory. On Saturday, Hall of Famer Mike Smith takes over in the irons.  

Mixto gets another crack at his first stakes victory for trainer Doug O’Neill. At the recently concluded Santa Anita Classic Meet, the 4-year-old Good Magic colt was second in the GII San Antonio on opening day Dec. 26, third in the GII San Pasqual Jan. 27 and fifth in the GI Santa Anita Handicap on March 3.  

Owned by Calumet Farm, Mixto was purchased for $140,000 at auction as a 2-year-old. He is 1-1-3 in 10 starts with $136,180 in earnings. Mixto will be ridden by Antonio Fresu, who was aboard for all three previous stakes tries.  

Mr. Fisk makes his second start of the year for trainer Bob Baffert after a being a no-threat fifth in the San Pasqual. Last year as a 3-year-old, the Arrogate colt closed out the season with consecutive wins in the one-mile Shared Belief Stakes and 1 1/8-mile GIII Native Diver Nov. 26, both at Del Mar.  

Mr. Fisk races as a homebred for Sunny Brook Stables. He is 3-2-0 in nine starts with $189,700 in earnings. Mr. Fisk will have Kazushi Kimura in the irons for the first time.  

THE GIII CALIFORNIAN AT SANTA ANITA PARK, WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 10 | Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT 

1. None Above the Law—Tyler Baze—124 
2. Judge Miller—Mike Smith—120 
3. Mixto—Antonio Fresu—120 
4. Mystification—Edwin Maldonado—120 
5. Mr Fisk—Kazushi Kimura—124