Sunday at Santa Anita Park saw Flavien Prat experience what few jockeys ever get to savor in their riding careers — the joy of six trips to the winner’s circle. Prat won six of Santa Anita’s first nine races on Sunday’s card, a rare feat that vaulted him into rarefied […]
Tag: Santa Anita Park
Order Sends Santa Anita’s Planned Reopening Into Limbo
The tug-of-war between Santa Anita Park and Los Angeles County Health Department officials continued Tuesday when county officials extended their “safer at home†order that was due to expire Friday. That extension slams into Santa Anita’s planned resumption of live racing, but track officials say they intend to proceed as […]
Golden Gate Fields Gets Approval to Reopen Next Week
The beleaguered California racing industry received a booster shot Wednesday when Golden Gate Fields announced it will resume live racing on May 14. The announcement came after the Northern California track received provisional approval from Alameda County Health officials. The west Berkeley track closed for live racing on April 2 […]
Santa Anita Park Releases Full Stakes Schedule, Pending Resumption
With its plan to safely resume racing on May 15 officially in the hands of local legislators, Santa Anita Park laid out its revamped spring stakes schedule – a schedule featuring the Santa Anita Derby and Santa Anita Oaks on June 6. That day sets up as the revamped meet’s […]
Baffert, O’Neill Lead Protest for California Racing at LA County Board
Bob Baffert and Doug O’Neill built a rivalry among the Santa Anita Park training colony, fueled by the fact that they’ve trained a combined four Kentucky Derby winners since 2012. But the two training mainstays put aside their rivalry on Tuesday to lead a demonstration outside the Los Angeles County […]
Backstretch Essential: Santa Anita Pushes to Resume Racing on Humanitarian Grounds
Amid harrowing tales of isolated backstretch workers facing layoffs, and with a planned move to Los Alamitos now dead, Santa Anita Park executives proposed a meeting with Alameda County health officials for Saturday in another effort to resume spectator-free racing. The horsemen contend it’s essential for the health and safety […]
Through Wars and Pandemics, Horse Racing Has Shown Ability to Adapt and Survive
This flu crisis was unparalleled in history. The future of horse racing was so much in doubt that the Daily Racing Form wrote, “The wheels of the organization are practically at a standstill for the time being.†Horse racing was in trouble. Tracks in Maryland closed their doors. The Latonia […]
Santa Anita Derby Pushed Back As Track Officials Lobby For Reopening
As track officials continue lobbying to resume racing, Santa Anita Park remains closed for another weekend. That pushes back Saturday’s planned Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby and Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks to dates yet to be determined. On Friday, Los Angeles County health officials abruptly shut the track down, […]
County Health Officials Abruptly Close Santa Anita Park
With 30 minutes to go before first post, officials from the Los Angeles County Health Department shut down racing at California’s Santa Anita Park Friday morning. The move came in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Track officials at Santa Anita, who worked hard to keep the track open for racing […]
Aqueduct Park Closes After Backstretch Worker Tests Positive for Coronavirus
In the latest COVID-19-related news to hit the horse racing community, officials closed Aqueduct Racetrack in New York until further notice after a backstretch worker tested positive Thursday morning for the coronavirus. The unidentified worker, who lives and works in nearby Belmont Park, has been quarantined. He developed symptoms on […]
Jockey Club Reports Horse Fatalities at Lowest Point in a Decade
The incidences of horse fatalities at American thoroughbred racetracks are now at their lowest point in a decade, according to statistics compiled by the Jockey Club’s Equine Injury Database (EID). The 2019 rate of fatal injuries to horses is at its lowest number since the EID began collecting data in […]
Last Sport Standing? Horse Racing and Betting Continues, Just Not In Person
From a betting standpoint, the coronavirus outbreak that has canceled or suspended events across the sporting spectrum means America’s horse racing tracks are some of the few venues with action available to punters. Provided you have a remote betting account or betting app. Due to the threat of coronavirus and […]
Baffert Duo of Authentic, Thousand Words = Picture-Perfect San Felipe Stakes Opportunity
As horse races go, the San Felipe Stakes is as predictable as the second ring of a phone. Santa Anita horseplayers and Bob Baffertologists – those who follow the Hall-of-Fame trainer and his endless barn of 3-year-old Kentucky Derby contenders – lie in wait for this race every year. And […]
Fountain of Youth Favorite Dennis’ Moment Disappoints on Derby Trail
Dale Romans was puzzled. Nothing he trained Dennis’ Moment for at Saturday’s Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park was supposed to play out like this. And unlike past mishaps, Dennis’ Moment’s start was good, his tactics were fine, and jockey Flavien Prat was turning in his usual solid, intelligent ride. […]
Racing Notes: Jolie Olimpica Raising the Stakes at Santa Anita
The Buena Vista Stakes at Santa Anita is arguably the best Grade 2 race for fillies and mares in the United States. There’s buzz in horse racing circles that these stakes could eventually rise from Grade 2 to Grade 1 – and if that ever happens it will be because […]