Del Mar

Officials at the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association have announced the election of Brant Laue as chairman of the TOBA Board of Trustees. Also joining Laue on the Board are members Marshall Gramm (Ten Strike Racing), Stephanie Hronis (Hronis Racing) and Jason Loutsch (Albaugh Family Racing). "I am honored to serve as Chairman of TOBA, with its long history of representing the interests of owners and breeders," Laue said. "Working with our members and industry partners, we look forward to continued progress on the opportunities and challenges facing our industry."...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 5th-ELP, $50k, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 5:42 p.m. ET Trainer Mark Casse sends out a pair of regally bred fillies in Friday's fifth event at Ellis. CRYSTAL GLACIER (Curlin), a daughter of the same stallion that lit up the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sales ring during Monday's session with three seven-figure colts, was acquired by Live Oak for the sum of $500,000 as a yearling at that sale a year ago. The dark bay hails from the family of Grade I winner and sire Majestic Warrior...

Sent away the 3-1 joint-second favorite for the Wednesday lidlifter at Del Mar, Hronis Racing's ENCODER (c, 2, English Channel--Nono Rose, by Hard Spun) sat a midfield trip while saving ground for the opening three furlongs, caught the eye when traveling ominously well at the quarter pole, switched off heels and into the four path at the furlong grounds and was punched out hands and heels by Flavien Prat to record an authoritative two-length victory. Fellow firster K P Indy (Competitive Edge) tracked the eventual winner into the stretch and...

It was back in 1988 that John Sadler began his stake race winning spree at Del Mar, when the mild-mannered speedball Olympic Prospect took the then-$75,000 Bing Crosby H., prompting jockey Alex Solis afterwards to breathlessly exclaim, "I never rode a horse that fast in my life." When given this little factoid at his Del Mar barn one recent morning--a full 31 years after the event--Sadler assumed the look of someone who'd just been told that water wasn't wet. "I wouldn't think so--it's got to be before that," he said...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-DMR, $61k, 3yo/up, f/m, (S), 6f, 5:00 p.m. ET    Trainer Brian Koriner saddles 2017 Barretts Select Yearling Sale topper TAKETHEDIAMONDLANE (Bodemeister) in her career debut in Thursday's opener at Del Mar. Acquired by Jay Em Ess Stables for $300,000, the dark bay sports an impressive and consistent work tab over the past two months, including a Aug. 3 half-mile drill in :47 2/5 (5/91) over this course. Takethediamondlane is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner and grade I-placed Take the One O One (Acclamation)...

The powerful ownership group involved with juvenile colt Eight Rings (Empire Maker) celebrated their first win as a team Sunday as the buzzed-about Bob Baffert trainee blitzed Del Mar maiden company to become a no-brainer 'TDN Rising Star'. A $520,000 Keeneland September yearling, the dark bay prepped for this with a bullet five-furlong drill from the gate in 1:00 flat here July 25 in company with unraced Garth (Into Mischief--Country Star) (Click for XBTV Video) and was crushed down to 3-5 favoritism despite the presence of several other well-bred and...

Amalfi Sunrise (Constitution) flattered her 'TDN Rising Star' status even further by collecting another facile win in Saturday's GII Sorrento S. at Del Mar. Sent off the well-supported favorite following an ultra-impressive 6 1/4-length score in her Santa Anita debut June 23, the dark bay was part of a three-way tussle up front with 'TDN Rising Star' and last-out GIII Schuylerville S. winner Comical (Into Mischief) and Princess Mo (Uncle Mo), carving out an opening quarter in :22.50. Looking ready to dispense of those rivals at any moment, Amalfi Sunrise...

Hronis Racing's Jasikan (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}) has snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in winning three of his five starts to date, the product of some bad habits in the stalls, and connections will certainly be hoping their charge gets off to a better start in Sunday's GIII LaJolla H. at Del Mar. A maiden winner over the Dundalk all-weather in two starts for Mick Halford, the dark bay was last away and had to settle for third to pace-pressing Neptune's Storm ( in his stateside debut in...

Having secured a court order that paved the way for his return to the training ranks, Jerry Hollendorfer saddles a single horse on Saturday's Del Mar program. That runner just happens to be Vasilika (Skipshot), the queen of the hill among California's turf distaffers, who will jump a warm favorite in the GII Yellow Ribbon H. Claimed for $40,000 a year and a half ago, the chestnut has made 14 appearances for the barn and has had her picture taken a dozen times, her lone finish outside of the top...

Trainer Simon Callaghan will be at Saratoga Saturday to saddle Bellafina (Quality Road) in the GI Longines Test S., and a short time later, the conditioner will be glued to the nearest television set to watch 'TDN Rising Star' Amalfi Sunrise (Constitution) give the barn consecutive victories in the GII Sorrento S. at Del Mar. A $40,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $185,000 OBS April purchase, the racy-looking dark bay was pounded into 11-10 favoritism for her June 23 debut at Santa Anita, and although she was beaten for speed by...

"Inside the Winner's Circle, Presented by Keeneland" is a series showcasing graduates of the Keeneland September sale who have gone on to achieve success on racing's biggest stages. Trainer John Sadler does a lot of things well. But give him a chance to get a feel for a horse, what it needs and let it develop at its own pace and there may be no one better. It's probably no coincidence that the two best horses he's ever trained, Accelerate (Lookin at Lucky) and Stellar Wind (Curlin) both had their...

Richard Hazelton, who transitioned from a successful career as a jockey to become a perennial leading trainer on the Chicago circuit, passed away Tuesday. The father of TVG personality Scott Hazelton, Richard Hazelton was 88 years old. The elder Hazelton was the leading rider at Agua Caliente Racetrack in 1945 in a colony that also included the likes of Johnny Longden, according to a video recently posted on Twitter by TVG. "He had a fake ID that was supposed to allow him ride that year at Del Mar that said...