Richard Baltas

No fewer than 116 horses recorded workouts over the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga Saturday morning, including the heaviest hitters from the barn of trainer Bill Mott. Reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty (Into Mischief) returned to the tab for the first time since his runner-up effort to White Abarrio (Race Day) when making his seasonal debut in the GII Oaklawn Handicap on Apr. 18. The Godolphin homebred was partnered in his work by his regular exercise rider Jimmy Quispe and went an easy half-mile in :50.05 (67/88). "He went...

With a victory in Saturday's $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup--a fait accompli in the eyes of many--reigning Japanese Horse of the Year and GI Breeders' Cup Classic hero Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) would leap-frog Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) as the world's richest racehorse with over $36 million in career earnings, accomplished in the space of just 15 races. Heady stuff. Unfathomable stuff, really. And to think that the 5-year-old is out of a mare that fetched just $8,000 as a yearling, well, you just...

Slam Dunk Racing, Deborah Baltas, and Cynthia McClanahan's British Isles (g, 5, Justify--Purely Hot, by Pure Prize), a private purchase by the team from Coolmore connections two years ago, has spent the majority of his 24-race career in allowance company, but took full advantage of the scratched-down field of five in Saturday's GI Santa Anita Handicap in Arcadia to emerge a winner at the elite level. It was not just the big blazed-faced chestnut's first Grade I win, but also his first black-type victory. Leaving from the outermost post, British...

Who says it never rains in Southern California? Well, for any music trivia buffs in the audience, it was the little-known Albert Hammond who sang those lyrics, but those living in and around metropolitan Los Angeles will confirm that the precipitation came with a vengeance this Christmas week, flooding parts of Interstate 5 and causing power outages and even the (very) odd threat of tornadoes. Nearly two inches of rainfall was recorded at Los Angeles International Airport, breaking a 54-year-old mark, while nearly four inches fell upon Woodland Hills and...

Ag Bullet (Twirling Candy) and Sweet Azteca (Sharp Azteca), a pair of Grade I winning gray mares trained by Richard Baltas, will continue their racing careers, according to a report from the Daily Racing Form. Currently a 5-year-old, Ag Bullet notched her first top-level score this past summer when she took on the boys in the GI Jaipur Stakes at Saratoga. After hitting the board in the GI Prevagen Breeders's Cup Sprint at Del Mar in 2024, the Calvin Nguyen & Joey Tran color bearer finished as the runner-up to...

Both Sweet Azteca (Sharp Azteca) and  'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) will scratch from the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Each filly looked to play a substantial role in the wagering with Sweet Azteca 2-1 on the morning line for Richard Baltas and Tamara listed at 7-2 for Richard Mandella. The news was reported on social media by DRF's David Grening. No reason was given for either scratch. Additionally, 20-1 shot Atsila (Ire) (Phoenix of Spain {Ire}) has been announced via the same source...

Calvin Nguyen always figured that he and his brother Joey Tran had found their once-in-a-lifetime horse right out of the gate. In 1999, they claimed their very first runner for $32,000. Freedom Crest turned that gamble into a 13-race in-the-money streak, climbing his way into graded company and making it to the 2001 Breeders' Cup Classic. But two decades later, a filly who was never supposed to run in their silks has proven that she is worth her weight in silver—literally. The grey Twirling Candy filly named Ag Bullet has...

5. ATLAL, KD, 9/7, 6 1/2 furlongs (turf) Beyer Speed Figure-83 (VIDEO) (c, 3, Quality Road--Atheer, by Malibu Moon) O/B-Juddmonte (Ky). T-Bill Mott. J-John Velazquez. Stepping forward considerably in numbers in his sixth start, Atlal displayed a strong liking for Kentucky Downs or newfound maturity--or both. Velazquez sat like a statue as he stalked then joined the leaders 3/16ths out, and he kicked clear nicely when given his cue. He's from Juddmonte dirt royalty: unraced dam Atheer is out of $2.7 million earner Close Hatches, making her a half-sister to...

Looking to repeat as the winner of the GII Never Say Die Ladies Turf Sprint Stakes at Kentucky Downs, Ag Bullet once again set the tone from the bell and got to the wire first as she broke the track record going 6 1/2 furlongs on Saturday. A year ago, the Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran-owned gray set the pace and torched the Ladies Turf Sprint field by a comfortable 5 1/4 furlongs. After finishing off the board in the GI First Lady Stakes at Keeneland in early October, the...

With a name like Will Happen (Vekoma--Walk of Fame, by Scat Daddy) you would think that a 'TDN Rising Star' would be in the offing. Of course, the filly had to sparkle in the fifth at Del Mar to earn her badge and sparkle she did. The 2-year-old turned and burned in her maiden-breaking debut on Sunday. A $210,000 OBS March breezer (see Alan Carasso's Summer Breezes), the first-time starter was sent off as the 2-1 choice here. At the bell, Will Happen looked like a sharp stick and had...

Continuing to dominate her division, Sweet Azteca (Sharp Azteca) shrugged off the talented yet lightly-raced Formula Rossa (Vekoma) to win her second consecutive GIII Rancho Bernardo Stakes at Del Mar. The race was also part of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen Bonus Series heading toward the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, that will be run at Del Mar on Nov. 1. Sweet Azteca's victory earned her an additional $15,000 toward the $30,000 entrance fee for the $1-million race. The 2-5 choice broke cleanly from the outside and came...

In a showdown between the top female sprinters in California, last year's GII Great Lady M Stakes winner Sweet Azteca (Sharp Azteca) returned to successfully defend her title Saturday defeating MGISW Kopion (Omaha Beach). One a four-race win streak last season for trainer Michael McCarthy which included a win in the GI Beholder Mile early in the year, the now 5-year-old mare changed barns to Richard Baltas after a poor showing as the heavy favorite in the GIII Chillingworth Stakes last October. On the sidelines for nine months, the 7-2...