Unlike many of its early Kentucky Derby prep predecessors, Saturday’s Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita Park brings the recent Derby chops with it. How recent? How about the last two Derby champions? The one-mile Sham, which offers 10-4-2-1 Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers, gave you […]
Tag: Santa Anita Park
Flightline Unwraps 2021’s Best Beyer With Malibu Stakes Victory
As trainer John Sadler put it after watching his star runner Flightline on Sunday, “Christmas came a day late.†For Sadler and the connections of the 3-year-old son of Tapit, Flightline’s performance in Sunday’s Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita Park was the gift that keeps on giving. And […]
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 […]
Speedy Flightline, Classy Dr. Schivel Point the Way In the Malibu Stakes
All you need to know about the marquee race on Santa Anita Park’s Opening Day slate – the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes – is that Dr. Schivel: a two-time Grade 1 winner and the only Grade 1 winner in the field, isn’t the favorite. The same Dr. Schivel who was […]
Private Mission’s La Brea Stakes Mission: Avoid A Pace Meltdown
The last time we saw Private Mission, she was engaged in an incendiary pace meltdown with Letruska and others in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar. Now, we see if she’s learned a lesson from that rude awakening in Sunday’s Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita Park. […]
Santa Anita Park’s Wagering Menu: Heavy on Options, Low on Takeout
Santa Anita Park unveiled its wagering menu for its Winter/Spring Meet, which opens Sunday with three Grade 1s among its six stakes. It also opens with a special Opening Day Mid-Pick 4 that encompasses Races 5, 6, 7 and 8 on the traditional Dec. 26 opening-day card. And there are […]
Canoodling Cozying Up to the Big Time at Santa Anita’s La Brea Stakes
Canoodling’s name translates into “engaging in amorous embracing, caressing, and kissing.” And on Sunday, the 3-year-old filly will be canoodling in deeper, rougher racing waters than she ever has. Canoodling finds herself back at Santa Anita Park, where she hasn’t raced since finishing fifth in the Listed Surfer Girl Stakes […]
Hot Rod Charlie Making Final 3-Year-Old Stand at the San Antonio
First, it was blinkers off for Hot Rod Charlie. Then, blinkers on for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Now, the colt will finish his 3-year-old season in Sunday’s Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita without blinkers. This is a case of trainer Doug O’Neill going back to what worked […]
Golden Gate Fields Opens, Shares Wagers With Bigger Cousin Santa Anita
Overshadowed by its southern cousin and its six stakes races – including three Grade 1s – Golden Gate Fields also opens its Winter/Spring Meet on Sunday. But instead of three Grade 1s – the marquee events on Santa Anita Park’s opening day — the Northern California track turns out two […]
Beholder’s Son, Q B One, Trying to Follow in Mommy’s Hoofprints
In June of 2012, a $180,000, 2-year-old filly named Beholder finished fourth in a maiden special weight race at Hollywood Park. At 21.8/1, she finished 8 1/2 lengths behind winner Executiveprivilege, getting outkicked by a half-length by a filly named Travesura for third. Something apparently kicked in at that point, […]
Fleet Flightline Sets Himself Up for a Malibu Stakes Cruise
It speaks volumes about Flightline’s frightening speed and fearsome reputation that Dr. Schivel, his erstwhile rival in Sunday’s Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita Park, won’t be the morning-line favorite. The runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and the favorite in four of his eight career starts will be […]
Derby Champion Medina Spirit Dies of Apparent Heart Attack After Workout
The sporting world beyond horse racing was shocked Monday morning when 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit suddenly died of an apparent heart attack after a morning workout at Santa Anita Park. The Bob Baffert-trained 3-year-old had just finished a five-furlong work in 1:01.40 when he collapsed. Santa Anita’s onsite […]
Velazquez Bringing His Hall of Fame Resume to the West Coast
The Southern California jockey colony just got significantly deeper with the announcement that Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez is moving his tack to Santa Anita for the upcoming 2021-22 Winter/Spring Meet. This marks the first time in Velazquez’s decorated 32-year career he’s riding full-time in Southern California. A stalwart of […]
Santa Anita Breaks Out Turf Starter Series for Allowance-Level Runners
Following in the successful hoofprints of the Tin Man Starter Allowance Series, Santa Anita Park announced a new series of turf allowance races for fillies and mares, the Santa Anita Turf Starter Series. The Turf Starter Series is comprised of four sprints and four route races, all on the Santa […]
Santa Anita Rainbow Pick Six Pool Pushing $5 Million on Closing Day
Santa Anita Park provides the next potentially rich, rollover setting Sunday, amassing a 20 cent Rainbow Pick Six Jackpot pool with a mandatory payout approaching $5 million. The mandatory payout comes on the 16th and final day of Santa Anita Park’s Autumn Meet. It kicks in provided a single-ticket winner […]
Rock Your World Circles Back to Turf for Santa Anita’s Twilight Derby
First, Rock Your World tore up the turf. Then, he tore up the dirt – for one race. Now, the 3-year-old returns to the turf in Sunday’s Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita Park. The 1 1/8-mile Twilight and its deep, 11-horses field is the featured event on Santa […]
Baffert Makes Santa Anita Park His Personal Playground — Again
Two weeks ago, Bob Baffert made what appeared to be a head-scratching decision, keeping star 3-year-olds Medina Spirit and Private Mission home in California. That, instead of running the pair against their age group rivals in Parx Racing’s two marquee races, the Pennsylvania Derby and the Cotillion. And yet again, […]
Awesome Again Pits ‘Youngster’ Medina Spirit Against His Elders
Medina Spirit is considered one of the “kids†in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes, a change in status from what his consideration would have been, had he run in last week’s Pennsylvania Derby. From one of the fellow 3-year-olds in that race, to one of the kids in Saturday’s […]
Standout Miler Mo Forza Likely the Best Turf Horse Under Your Radar
Mo Forza built himself quite the career running under your radar. One of the best turf milers in the country – or the world, according to trainer Peter Miller – is also one of the best horses you’ve probably never bet. If you have, you’re undoubtedly relishing the windfall this […]
Idol Worship: Big ‘Cap Winner Returns for Awesome Again Stakes
The last time we saw Idol, he was literally catching a Train – Express Train – who Idol ran down and passed just before crossing the wire of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap. That half-length victory in one of the California track’s flagship events came on March 6, nearly […]