Bob Baffert

Winchell Thoroughbreds's multiple graded stakes-winning homebred Finite (Munnings) invades from the east to face off against a talented group of sophomore fillies in the seven-furlong GI La Brea S. at Santa Anita Saturday. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the chestnut put together a four-race win streak which included scores in the Rags to Riches S. and GII Golden Rod S. at Churchill late last year and continued at Fair Grounds with victories in the Silverbulletday S. and GII Rachel Alexandra S. She went to the sidelines following a fourth-place effort in...

Unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Nashville (Speightstown) has been nothing, but sensational in his three racetrack appearances thus far and he looks to take his career to the next level in the GI Runhappy Malibu S. at Santa Anita Saturday. Romping by 11 1/2 lengths in the slop in his Saratoga unveiling Sept. 2, the $460,000 KEESEP purchase demolished a Keeneland allowance by 9 3/4 lengths next out Oct. 10. His Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen decided to take a more sensible route with his pupil and bypassed the GI...

GI Pegasus World Cup S. victor Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man) returns to action in Saturday's GII San Antonio S. after 10 months on the sidelines. A three-time graded winner as a sophomore last term, the $625,000 EASMAY buy hit the board in both the GI Haskell Invitational S. and GI Runhappy Travers S. last summer. Closing out 2019 with a fourth as the favorite in the GIII Oklahoma Derby last September, the 'TDN Rising Star' was privately purchased from Michael Lund Petersen by HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled with...

After 8 1/2 furlongs of Saturday's GII Los Alamitos Futurity, it was a 'Close Encounter' with pacesetting outsider The Great One (Nyquist)--playing 'Catch Me If You Can'--but $1-million Keeneland September yearling purchase Spielberg (Union Rags) managed to snatch victory from the 'Jaws' of defeat, as he was the recipient of the kindest of headbobs to give Bob Baffert his seventh consecutive victory in the event, now held at the Orange County oval. Drawn widest in a field of six, the second betting choice attended the pace three wide outside of...

Red Flag (Tamarkuz), last seen romping in the GIII Bob Hope S. Nov. 15, headlines Saturday's GII Los Alamitos Futurity S. Off the board in his main track debut Sept. 6, the chestnut graduated in a turf sprint at Santa Anita Oct. 10 and romped by 7 1/4 lengths in Del Mar's seven-panel Bob Hope back on dirt, earning an 81 Beyer Speed Figure. This will be his first try around two turns. The only horse in the field to run a faster number is Spielberg (Union Rags), who earned...

Speightstown (Gone West)'s highly promising 3-year-old colts Nashville and Charlatan are set to square off in the Gl Malibu S. over seven furlongs on opening day at Santa Anita Dec. 26, and the race already has the feel of an anticipated prize fight to it, all the way down to their respective heavyweight connections, who were once together on the same team that celebrated Justify (Scat Daddy)'s Triple Crown. But an important focus of this race belongs to their top-class sire, himself a champion sprinter, because it's quite a feat...

The long and complicated case over whether to disqualify 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify for his GI Santa Anita Derby scopolamine positive sparked back to life Dec. 17, eight days after the Santa Anita Park board of stewards dismissed complaints against two Bob Baffert-trained horses that had been filed by the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) as part of a legal settlement. At the outset of Thursday's regularly scheduled CHRB meeting, the board's executive director, Scott Chaney, explained how because of a newly filed appeal, the 2 1/2-year regulatory odyssey...

The latest development in a long, tumultuous and litigious journey saw the California Board of Stewards dismissing complaints filed by the current California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) regarding the scopolamine positives incurred by Justify (Scat Daddy) and Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday) following their runs in the 2018 GI Santa Anita Derby and the GIII Tokyo City Cup S. respectively. The CHRB filed the complaint as part of a legal settlement with trainer Mick Ruis, owner of Santa Anita Derby runner-up Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro). According to attorney Darrell Vienna, who...

Edited Press Release, Vicky Van Camp, author Congaree (Arazi--Mari's Sheba, by Arazi), a Grade I winner at seven, eight, nine and 10 furlongs, was euthanized due to the infirmities of old age Nov. 22, according to a release from Valor Farm in Texas. He was 22 years old. Congaree was owned and bred by the late Robert McNair and his wife Janice's Stonerside Farm and barely survived his foaling, weighing in at a sizeable 152 pounds, suffering several broken ribs in the ordeal. Eventually put into training with Bob Baffert,...

Dual Grade I winner Princess Noor (Not This Time--Sheza Smoke Show, by Wilko) has been retired from racing with a soft tissue injury after being pulled up as the heavy favorite in Saturday's GI Starlet S. at Los Alamitos, owner Zedan Racing Stables reported Sunday morning. "She's a star and a very talented filly," said Amr Zedan. "She had the race and most probably a few more Grade Is to her name. Our focus now is to get her healthy and off to Kentucky to be the best mom she...

Bob Baffert was favored to win his fourth straight renewal of the GI Starlet S. at Los Alamitos Saturday...just with a different horse. Grade I-winning 'TDN Rising Star' Princess Noor (Not This Time) was favored to rebound off a fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 6, but instead was pulled up and her stablemate Varda (Distorted Humor) took up the baton, springing a 17-1 upset. It was also the fourth consecutive Starlet victory for winning pilot Drayden Van Dyke and the second for Susan and Charlie Chu's...

LNJ Foxwoods' Astute (Speightstown) looks to take her record to three-for-three Saturday in the GI Starlet S. at Los Alamitos. Graduating in her career bow sprinting on turf at Santa Anita Oct. 12, the $425,000 KEESEP purchase romped by 7 1/2 lengths next out on dirt in Del Mar's Desi Arnaz S. Nov. 14. Princess Noor (Not This Time) hopes to return to winning ways as she sheds the blinkers here after finishing fifth as the favorite in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland last out Nov. 6....