Before they were famous: Santa Ana Lane

In this series TDN AusNZ will take a look at Group 1 runners before they were successful on the racetrack; speaking to breeders, breakers and trainers on their formative years.

Santa Ana Lane

Lope De Vega (Ire) x Fast Fleet (Fastnet Rock)

Winner - G1 TJ Smith S. 1200m

Winner - G1 VRC Sprint Classic 1200m

Winner - G1 Stradbroke H. 1350m

Winner - G1 Darley Goodwood 1200m

Winner - G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. 1400m

TDN AusNZ: What was Santa Ana Lane like as a foal and weanling?

Anna Furniss, Rosemont Stud: He arrived from the Hunter Valley in early November 2012 with his mum Fast Fleet. He was a big foal with plenty of substance who was always up to something, he was very independent.

TDN AusNZ: What was he like through his yearling prep?

AF: He was a big imposing yearling with a bit of a cheeky side. He was never really phased by anything but he did like a play and rarely missed an opportunity. He was always eager to get on and do his work and just loved being out and moving, if he wasn’t moving he was eating.

He was always the one at feed time with his feed bin pulled out and banging it on the side of the box before you even got into the barn with the feeds.

He was definitely a character and it's not all that surprising he went on to be a champ as an older horse, he had such a great work ethic as a yearling but was going to take some time to really mature, physically and mentally.

The sales company

TDN AusNZ: What was your first impression of Santa Ana Lane? How did he rate with yourself and the team?

Simon Vivian, Inglis’ Victorian Bloodstock Manager: He was one good-looking yearling. He rated very well on all of our bloodstock team’s internal rating system and was absolutely no surprise to see him progress into the quality galloper that he is.

TDN AusNZ: Can you remember his attitude and what he was like physically as a young horse?

SV: He was always such a strong-looking yearling with a good attitude. He continued to develop physically and when he won three of his first four starts, he was one of the country’s biggest boom horses. He then went off the boil a bit, but boy did he bounce back to assert his authority.

TDN AusNZ: Do you have any catalogue notes from your inspections of him that you could share with us?

SV: I had a look back at my catalogues notes from the 2014 Premier Sale where he sold for $80,000 and my notes read along the lines of: “Size good, lengthy, good shoulder and girth, medium hindquarter, slightly in at knees, good shape, good walk’’. Interestingly, I noted he was “slightly in at his knees” which is one of my most preferred features in a yearling.

TDN AusNZ: Was there a lasting impression of Santa Ana Lane that made you want to follow him into his career?

SV: I remember seeing him at Oaklands before he was sold and he was a very calm customer. We followed his career but especially in the lead-up to The Everest when he ran in our Inglis slot and still at that stage of his career nothing phased him, he was a gentleman in the stables, was a good worker and doer. I’m sure all trainers would love a stable full of him!

Early education

TDN AusNZ: What was your first impression of Santa Ana Lane upon arriving in your care?

Sam Freedman: Santa Ana Lane arrived at Freedman Racing as a big raw horse, he was quite hot and busy in his work to begin with - hard going in his trackwork but always had a great action and a high head carriage.

TDN AusNZ: Did he have any particular traits, or mannerisms as a youngster? What was he like to handle?

SF: He’s always been quite strong, he’s big and imposing so when he’s feeling well you certainly have your hands full keeping a lid on him, it’s always been a good way of knowing how he’s really going - if he’s fresh and off his head going out on the track - he’s generally in very good form.

TDN AusNZ: How soon could you see something 'special' in him?

SF: It was evident pretty early. Will Stewart has been his main track rider from his very first days with us and always had a good opinion of him. He’s always been a brilliant track worker, probably the best worker we’ve ever had - if you asked him, he’d run any time you want in a gallop and we learnt pretty quickly to harness what he was doing at home and really save it for race day.

It obviously took some time for him to fully mature, even now he’s still very dumb and doesn’t quite know what’s going on most of the time. He had a few feet issues early in his career and I think along with our farriers it’s been a credit to the whole team to get him to be at the top of his game for so long.

It didn’t come as much as a surprise for most in the stable to see him winning multiple Group 1s - certainly on what he’d always shown at home.

TDN AusNZ: Is he a favourite with the team?

SF: Certainly! Louise Flynn is his strapper and she cares for him like he’s her baby, she’s been with him the whole way through and knows him back to front. He’s a big gentle giant, still very dumb and raw but full of character and a pleasure to wake up to and see every day. It’ll be a sad day when he eventually retires.

TDN AusNZ: What is the highlight of having him in your care?

SF: His win in the G1 TJ Smith S. in 2019 was his best performance and was a huge thrill to see him obliterate the best sprinters in Australia. There’s so many highlights to mention, but I suppose his racing style allows viewers and supporters of Santa to have their hearts in their mouths for most of his starts.

He leaves it to the last second each and every time and gets himself out of trouble in a matter of strides. It’s been a credit to all of our staff, Steve Adams, Lou Flynn, Will Stewart and our farriers Michael Chase and John Bunting to have given Santa Ana Lane such a prolific and successful career to date.