There are actually five horses in Saturday’s featured Grade 1 CCA Oaks at Saratoga. But do not let yourself get bogged down by numbers. Let yourself get bogged down by details. Because this year’s CCA Oaks marks only the third time in the last 25 years the top-two finishers from […]
Tag: American Oaks
Say ‘Hello’ to the Final Grade 1 of 2021: Santa Anita’s American Oaks
The 1 ¼-mile American Oaks holds the distinction of being not only the final race on Santa Anita Park’s Opening Day, but the last Grade 1 race on the North American racing calendar for 2021. And the favorite for that final North American Grade 1 for 2021 is – Irish-bred […]
Undefeated Malathaat Won’t Tease the Boys in the Belmont Stakes
Without a Triple Crown storyline, race fans were salivating at the prospect of filly Malathaat jumping into the Belmont Stakes pool and tangling with the boys in the final jewel of the Triple Crown. But connections for the undefeated filly said Tuesday she will pass up the Belmont. Instead, the […]
Breeders’ Cup Champion Sharing Retired After Paddock Injury
Standout filly Sharing, who won the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf as one of her five career victories, was retired from racing Tuesday after suffering an undisclosed paddock injury. The undisclosed injury won’t take the 4-year-old daughter of Speightstown out of her broodmare career, according to Aron Wellman, president […]
No Crowds? No Problem as Santa Anita Park Enjoys Record Handle
With Charlatan winning Bob Baffert’s 17th Grade 1 race of 2020 headlining an 11-race, six-stakes card, Santa Anita Park set an all-time opening day handle record of $23,003,159 Saturday. That surpassed the previous record: 2018’s 11-race opening-day handle, by more than $2.51 million. And it did so without the traditional […]
Sharing Plants the Seed of Familiarity as American Oaks Favorite
Let no one accuse Sharing of dodging either travel or terrific competition. And the Grade 1 American Oaks at Santa Anita Park provides the 3-year-old filly both elements for her considerable resume. Run on the turf, the 1 ¼-mile American Oaks is the final Grade 1 event of the year […]
Unwrap Plenty of Stars in Santa Anita Park’s Boxing Day Opener
Santa Anita Park’s opening day marks the return of this year’s Pegasus World Cup champion for the first time in 10 months. And poor Mucho Gusto; he’s not remotely the headline attraction. For that, he can thank Nashville, Charlatan, and Independence Hall, who all smashed and grabbed Mucho Gusto’s spotlight […]
Santa Anita Park Raises Purses, Announces Robust Stakes Schedule
Officials at Santa Anita Park announced a 10% bump in daily purse totals for its 2020-21 Winter/Spring Meet, lifting the daily average purse money available to more than $533,000 at the Southern California track. This is significant for the iconic track. Unlike many other tracks, Santa Anita doesn’t have a […]
Saratoga, Monmouth Break Out Fast with Strong Handles
There were no fans in the stands at Saratoga for opening weekend, and few fans in the stands at Monmouth Park on Haskell weekend. But both tracks notched increased handles year-over-year from 2019. Saratoga’s opening weekend all-sources handle came in at $80,325,660, up 9.4% from 2019’s $73,441,101. The historic upstate […]
Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 Presents Bettors High Stakes Choices
You have your cross country Pick 4s and Pick 5s, which demand you pick winners from different tracks around the country. But the latest betting novelty for horseplayers takes the Cross Country Pick 5, boosts its class, and takes it international. Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 gives bettors a swing […]