Madaket Stables

Racing in California
Santa Anita 2025-26 Meet Concludes

After a delayed start last December, Santa Anita's 2025-26 meet concluded on Monday, June 15, the first time the meet has ended on a Monday in its 91-year history. The on-track crowd totaled over 540,000 fans for the season and averaged more than 7,000 per day over the 77-day season, which included both the Classic and Hollywood meets. All sources handle totaled $708,112,231, with an average daily handle of $9,196,263. It marked the sixth consecutive year daily handle has exceeded $9 million for the Winter-Spring season. "Santa Anita is one...

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Tab At Zanzibar Steps Up To Graduate Second Out At The Spa

3rd-Saratoga, $115,000, Msw, 6-5, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:16.34, ft, 3 lengths. Tab at Zanzibar (Candy Ride {Arg}), second behind 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Sea Strike (Midshipman) in his debut at Aqueduct Apr. 25, came back one better Friday to graduate at the Belmont at Saratoga meet for owners Robert LaPenta and Madaket Stables. Drawn inside and forwardly placed in this 6 1/2-furlong spot, the 3-1 second choice was outrun only by longshot Onepac (Cupid) to his inside as that front pair opened up a small gap back to...

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Highgrove Off The Mark On Debut At Belmont At The Big A

HIGHGROVE (Frosted--Bell Court, by Street Sense), who as an 'Insight' runner went off as the 2-1 second choice here, fired out of the blocks and proceeded to make every pole a winning one through the top of the lane. The filly clearly had more left in the tank and she went on to graduate by 2 1/2 lengths over fellow first-time starter Long Term Market (McKinzie). The 'Insighted' Run Wild (Gun Runner) finished fourth. The second to the races for her dam, the winner has a yearling half-brother by Loggins...

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Second Chances: Attard 'Looking Forward to What the Future Holds' With Belle

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. The team behind Moira (Ghostzapper) is back with another very promising filly. Belle (f, 3, Uncle Mo--Lunar Evening, by Malibu Moon) was a too-good-to-lose second--beaten just a head by 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' La Rascasse (Authentic)--first time out for trainer Kevin Attard in a live maiden special weight going seven furlongs at Keeneland Apr. 11. Overlooked at 12-1 in a deep field of 12, Belle...

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Alpine Princess Feasts On Falls City Under Twin Spires On Thursday

The second choice on the tote at 2-1, Alpine Princess (Empire Maker) gained the lead in the lane and never looked back to take home the GIII Falls City Stakes at Churchill Downs on Thanksgiving. The filly put in an extensive campaign, which included a trio of runner-up finishes at the higher-level dating back to the GIII Comely Stakes at the Big A a year ago. Alpine Princess was last seen running second in the GII Locust Grove Stakes under the Twin Spires Sept. 13. The 4-year-old made the pace...

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Champion Moira Retired from Racing

Canadian Horse of the Year and U.S. champion turf female Moira (Ghostzapper--Devine Aida, by Unbridled's Song) has been retired from racing, according to a statement from Chris Waller, who had trained the mare in Australia after she was purchased by Yulong Investments in 2024. "Moira is obviously a world-class mare and, while she hasn't yet quite reached those same heights here in Australia, her performance earlier in the prep gave us a glimpse of her class," Waller's statement read. "We simply feel that she is not racing at her absolute...

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Mission of Joy at Santa Anita
Mission of Joy Earns Breeders' Cup Berth in Rodeo Drive

RyZan Sun Racing LLC and Madaket Stables LLC's Mission of Joy (m, 5, Kitten's Joy--Smart Mission, by Smart Strike), whose last graded win was two years ago, moved west this summer to Phil D'Amato's barn and must like the weather and the firm turf that's a hallmark of California grass racing. In her third Golden State start, she captured Saturday's GII Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar in four weeks. It was a...

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Sunday's Racing Insights: Pricey Colts From Baffert Shedrow Debut As Del Mar Closes Out Meet

6th-DMR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 7:11 p.m. ET. A pair of pricey colts under the care of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert make their first starts as the seaside oval closes out its summer meet on Sunday. BOYD (Violence) is a Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May auction buy for Zedan Racing, who made the chestnut the second topper at the sale when they went to $1.05-million to acquire him. Initially, this future Baffert trainee was an $82,000 Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed sale grad then went for $280,000 during Keeneland September. A...

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Clicquot wins G3 Indiana Oaks
Quality Road's Clicquot Rolls to Third Straight in Indiana Oaks

X-Men Racing IV, Madaket Stables and SF Racing's Clicquot (Quality Road) made it three wins in a row while capturing Saturday's GIII Indiana Oaks. The even-money favorite raced under a tight hold in third through an opening quarter in :23.18. Locked and loaded back a spot into fourth approaching the quarter pole, she made her move in between horses at the top of lane and blasted off from there to win going away by four lengths over Top (Army Mule). A debut sixth as the even-money favorite at Gulfstream Mar....

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Upstart's Fondly Wires Delaware Oaks

Virginia Oaks winner Fondly backed up the class she showed at Colonial Downs with a front-running score in the GIII Delaware Oaks under Irad Ortiz, Jr. A sharp maiden winner at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 14, the daughter of Upstart proved the money was in the right spot as she dug out a hard-earned win going 1 1/16 miles on fast track in Virginia Mar. 15. Thrown into the deep end, Fondly beat only two rivals home under the Twin Spires in the GI Kentucky Oaks when last seen May...

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'Let Them Eat Stake' As New Sophomore Colts Tuck In Saturday

With plenty of tasty birthday cake in the offing, a cadre of newly-minted 3-year-old colts have blown out their candles and are ready for stakes action across four tracks on Saturday. Leading the charge at Santa Anita is the GII San Vicente Stakes, which is the annual renewal of the seven furlong dirt race. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has won 13 prior editions, including last year with Muth (Good Magic). In customary fashion, the Hall of Famer enters a pair of runners in Barnes (Into Mischief) and Romanesque...

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Saturday Racing Insights: Pricey Twirling Candy Colt Yinzer Rehearsed for Churchill Downs Bow

7th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 3:55 p.m. ET. A $1-million buy at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, YINZER (Twirling Candy) takes the racing stage for the ownership group of West Point Thoroughbreds, CJ Stables and Bill Farish. The Steve Asmussen trainee is out of Rehearsed (Tapit) who is a full-sister to GISP Closing Bell and a half-sister to GII San Felipe Stakes hero Hear the Ghost (Ghostzapper). Also making the races is Aerate (Candy Ride {Arg]). The Stone Farm homebred trained by Brian Lynch was produced by Ducru...

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