Amazingly enough, standout filly Gamine didn’t scare away the majority of her competitors for today’s Grade 2 Great Lady M Stakes on Los Alamitos’ Thoroughbred Racing Festival’s closing day. There are seven would-be rivals awaiting the 4-year-old Champion Filly Sprinter in the gate for the marquee event on Los Alamitos’ […]
Tag: John Sadler
As Usual, Los Alamitos Derby Discussion Begins With Baffert
Someone in this small, but scrappy, Los Alamitos Derby field is going to earn what has heretofore been a difficult achievement for them: a stakes victory. And as usual in this race, Bob Baffert has the upper hand. Baffert sends out both 3/5 favorite Defunded and 5/2 second-favorite Classier into […]
Sam Houston Bans Wagering on Futurity After Positive Drug Tests
Due to 60% of the field for Friday’s Sam Houston Futurity at Sam Houston Race Park testing positive for either banned substances clenbuterol or albuterol, the track suspended wagering on the Grade 2 Quarter Horse race. The Quarter Horse race for 2-year-olds at the Texas track will run without betting. […]
Belmont Musical Jockeys: Prat Trades Rombauer for Hot Rod Charlie
Trainer Doug O’Neill, who proved his nimbleness by quickly securing Flavien Prat’s jockey services for the Kentucky Derby, proved them once again for the Belmont Stakes. He said Prat will ride the Derby’s third-place runner in the June 5 Belmont Stakes. That, of course, means Michael McCarthy needs to find […]
Medina Spirit Comes Out of Derby Well, Likely for Preakness
Less than a day after Medina Spirit’s remarkable Kentucky Derby victory, trainer Bob Baffert said he’s on track for the May 15 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. Tentatively. “He came out of it well. It takes about a week to determine, so I’m going to come back next weekend and see,†[…]
Rock Your World Rolls Into Derby From an Unconventional Trail
Before April 3, Rock Your World occupied a very small world in Southern California horse racing. He was a good 3-year-old turf colt with a couple of nice grass wins under his hooves, including a solid, 2 ¼-length victory in the Listed Pasadena Stakes. But trainer John Sadler had a […]
Essential Quality Opens as 2/1 Favorite for 147th Kentucky Derby
As expected, Essential Quality checked in as the 2/1 morning-line favorite for the 147th Kentucky Derby. And Tuesday’s post-position Derby draw sends the undefeated colt and his favorite status into post 14 for Saturday’s 2021 Triple Crown opener. As he watched the posts fill up on Tuesday morning, this put […]
Derby Musical Jockeys: Rosario Replaces Rispoli on Rock Your World
In a case that’s flipping what-have-you-done-for-me-lately on its ear, jockey Joel Rosario will replace Umberto Rispoli aboard Rock Your World for next week’s Kentucky Derby. Rock Your World’s trainer, John Sadler, discussed the decision on the Thoroughbred Los Angeles radio show on Sunday morning. He took full responsibility for the […]
On Record Day, Rock Your World Rocks, Rolls His Way to Kentucky Derby
Rock Your World rocked the Santa Anita Derby, which rocked bettors into producing Santa Anita Park’s largest all-sources pari-mutuel Santa Anita Derby handle in 14 years. On a day where fans returned to the Southern California track for the first time in more than a year, the 8,246 attendees on […]
Kentucky Derby Futures: Playing the Trainer-Owner Partnership Game
Two weeks ago, we saw Kentucky Derby futures prospect Mutasaabeq impressively move from the turf to the dirt. The question this week is, can Rock Your World do the same thing? The Circa Sports Derby futures book seems to think so. It put 33/1 odds on the Candy Ride colt, […]
Maximum Security’s Return Casts Big Shadow Over San Diego Handicap
As hard as it is to fathom, given his dominance over major races, there are races Bob Baffert can’t solve. So in true Baffert form, for one of those races — the San Diego Handicap — Baffert is calling in maximum reinforcements. He’s bringing in Maximum Security, who makes his […]
Top Trainer John Sadler Fined, Suspended for Medication Violations
John Sadler, one of the top trainers on the West Coast, was fined $15,000 and suspended for 60 days for three 2019 medication violations involving his horses. The ruling, handed down by the California Horse Racing Board on Sunday, came out of a settlement agreement between the CHRB and Sadler. […]
Ollie’s Candy Heads East in Search of a Sweet Trip in Ogden Phipps
Instead of shipping her cross-country to Belmont Park for Saturday’s Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes, John Sadler could have run Ollie’s Candy on his home track at Santa Anita Park. The Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes was cozily sitting right there, like a ripe-for-the-picking peach. Plus, the Santa Maria came […]
All in a Name: Hollywood Gold Cup Turns Back the Clock at Santa Anita
The Hollywood Gold Cup gets its name back, the name it held for 76 years until 2014. It gets three-time champion: 19-year-old Lava Man, back to lead the post parade. And one of the most respected races for older horses gets an eclectic field of Grade 1 winners and placers […]
Gift Box Seeks To Unwrap Second Consecutive Santa Anita Handicap
The Santa Anita Handicap is a race that rewards the complete package in a horse, which is why it presents an opening for Gift Box to find the winner’s circle. After vanquishing McKinzie with one of the best stretch duels of any 2019 race in last year’s edition, Gift Box […]