When Santa Anita Park morning line author Jon White sat down to make the morning line for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, he faced one of those conundrums every morning line writer faces from time to time. With two pretty equal horses, who does he give favorite status to? […]
While eyes are on Tampa Bay Downs and its Kentucky Derby prep, Oaklawn Park offers up the juicy Grade 3 Azeri Stakes, starring an Eclipse Award winner and a mare who could eventually become one. That would be reigning Eclipse Award-winning female sprinter Ce Ce, who tangles with the Azeri’s […]
John Shirreffs is on this year’s short list for induction into the National Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame this year. But Saturday brought the 76-year-old trainer an early, long-sought honor, one that eluded him for years. A Santa Anita Handicap trip to the winner’s circle. Express Train crossed that off Shirreffs’ […]
Forbidden Kingdom’s trainer, Richard Mandella, is one of the most underrated conditioners in the country and a Hall of Fame trainer who once won four Breeders’ Cup races in one day. But, missing from his considerable resume is a Triple Crown victory – of any type. Forbidden Kingdom illustrated Saturday […]
Flavien Prat, who has had a hammerlock on the Southern California riding titles for the last several years, announced he would leave California and ride on the East Coast beginning next month. The Daily Racing Form broke the news that Prat would relocate to Kentucky for the Keeneland spring meet, […]
Win the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap and you immediately enter the discussion of the country’s best older horses. Win the 1 ¼-mile “Big ‘Cap†and you join a club featuring the likes of Seabiscuit, Hill Rise, Ack Ack, Affirmed, Spectacular Bid, John Henry (twice), Alysheba, Best Pal, Tiznow, Game […]
The San Felipe Stakes is known as one of the top Grade 2 Kentucky Derby preps in the country, the alma mater of Triple Crown race winners Authentic, California Chrome, Point Given, Fusaichi Pegasus and Affirmed. Aside from the 13 Derby champions and recently disqualified Medina Spirit, its alums found […]
The last time Cezanne and Brickyard Ride tangled before this Saturday’s Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at Santa Anita, Brickyard Ride entangled himself in a suicidal speed duel that left him nearly 10 lengths behind his rival. It came last April, in the Grade 3 6 1/2-furlong Kona Gold Stakes. […]
With a 90% chance of rain forecast for Friday, Santa Anita Park moved Friday’s eight-race card to Monday. The shift comes one day before Santa Anita plays host to one of the biggest race days on the Southern California track’s calendar. Saturday’s card features six stakes races, including three Grade […]
With two stellar Kentucky Derby preps and the iconic Santa Anita Handicap headlining 15 stakes races Saturday, Santa Anita Park and Gulfstream Park joined forces through their parent 1/ST Racing to create a massive race day for bettors. In what 1/ST Racing officials called “1/ST Saturday,” the two Stronach-owned tracks […]
Envoutante has always been a filly who was good, but often not quite good enough to break through at the highest levels. Trainer Kenny McPeek attempts to change that by sending the now 5-year-old mare to Santa Anita Park’s Grade 1 Beholder Mile. “Envoutante is going to work next Friday […]
Santa Anita Park features a mandatory payout in its 20-cent Rainbow Pick 6 Sunday and a salty stakes race could decide the fate of a pool expected to hit $5 million. With no single ticket hauling in the $664,316 Rainbow 6 pool Saturday, that amount carries over into Sunday. Based […]
Flightline, horse racing’s undisputed star of 2022, will miss an undetermined amount of 2022 with what is believed to be a strained right hock. The Daily Racing Form reported the news Saturday, quoting trainer John Sadler saying that while X-rays were negative, the star sprinter’s gait was “not perfectly normal.†[…]
He’s currently ineligible to run in the Kentucky Derby, a factor Messier remained blissfully oblivious about on Sunday, when he destroyed his four other rivals by a record 15 lengths in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita Park. The fact the Bob Baffert-trained, Canadian-bred colt couldn’t […]
What you saw at last year’s Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita Park was one of the best Kentucky Derby preps of 2021, starting with a coming-out announcement for one colt and further validation of his talent from another. The coming-out announcement in the Grade 3 1 1/16-mile route […]
Express Train is attempting to do something in Saturday’s Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes that illustrates how deep the field of this race typically is. California Chrome didn’t do it. Neither did Accelerate. Nor Silver Charm, Alphabet Soup, Flying Paster, or Native Diver. All of the above won this sturdy […]
During the week, David Harrison is a real estate appraiser. On the weekends, however, he appraises Thoroughbreds as an old-school handicapper. This weekend, he proved himself as the best appraiser of horseflesh in the world. Harrison bested a field of 643 entries at Bally’s Las Vegas, capturing the 23rd annual […]
The question on when standout sprinter Flightline would run again got answered on Sunday when trainer John Sadler said he’d run in the Feb. 5 Grade 2 San Carlos at Santa Anita. The seven-furlong San Carlos fits Sadler’s early-season itinerary. It also allows the son of Tapit to stay home, […]
The Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita Park sends five 3-year-olds seven furlongs Saturday. Because this race involves sophomores and because it’s at Santa Anita, this naturally translates into another glimpse into the endless barn of Bob Baffert. Back on the West Coast after his week-long hearing with […]
With trainer Bob Baffert 10 miles down the road attending the Rose Bowl, his mare As Time Goes By went by her competition by 13 ½ lengths, winning the Grade 3 La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita Park in dominant fashion. As Time Goes By proved she didn’t need Baffert […]
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