Santa Anita
Venetian Harbor (Munnings) earned her diploma at second asking in her dirt debut in jaw-dropping fashion going 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita Dec. 29, and passed her first two-turn test with flying colors here. The bay broke like a shot and the race was pretty much over from there. She ran off by six lengths beneath Flavien Prat through an opening quarter in :23.20, but began to settle much better from there and let the field come back to her through a half mile in :46.72. She left the...
In 2016, just a few months after completing a championship season with a victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Nyquist (Uncle Mo) made the first start of his 3-year-old season in the GII San Vicente S. before adding the GI Florida Derby and GI Kentucky Derby. Reigning Eclipse Award winner Storm the Court (Court Vision) will look to emulate that success by kicking off his season in the seven-furlong test Sunday afternoon at Santa Anita. The bay colt defeated 1-5 Garth (Into Mischief) in his Aug. 10 bow over...
Having more than proven her aptitude going short with a devastating maiden-breaking victory over 6 1/2 furlongs last time out, Venetian Harbor (Munnings) stretches out to two turns for Saturday's GII Las Virgenes S. at Santa Anita. While the trip remains a bit of a question mark, the bay is strictly the one they'll all have to beat. The subject of considerable pre-debut chatter, Venetian Harbor was duly sent off at even-money for a five-furlong turf dash at Del Mar Nov. 15. She sent the chalk players home slightly disappointed...
America's Day at the Races, presented by America's Best Racing, Runhappy and Claiborne Farm and produced by NYRA, returns to FS2 Feb. 8 with a 3 1/2-hour show from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. It will cover live stakes action from Aqueduct, Oaklawn, Santa Anita and four stakes from Tampa Bay, including the GIII Sam F. Davis S. Other featured races include the Jimmy Winkfield S. at Aqueduct, the King Cotton S. at Oaklawn and the GII Las Virgenes S. America's Day at the Races will air on most Saturdays...
The early race card at Santa Anita had a decidedly Midwest flair Saturday as the winners of the first three races of the day were bred by Missouri-resident Allen Poindexter and two of the three winners were Iowa-breds. The streak began with 15-1 shot Posit (Cairo Prince)'s half-length win in an optional claimer; continued with the debut victory of OBS June topper Clivetty (Into Mischief) (video) and concluded with 'TDN Rising Star' Auberge (Palace)'s 2 1/4-length allowance win (video). "I wasn't sure about Posit in the first, but I thought...
Albaugh Family Stables and Spendthrift Farm's $1-million Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) provided Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert with his 3,000th career victory--and eighth in this race--with a gutsy effort in Saturday's GIII Robert B. Lewis S. at Santa Anita. A debut winner sprinting here Oct. 26, he was last seen besting GI TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up Anneau d'Or (Medaglia d'Oro) in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 7 and was pounded down to 3-5 to remain unbeaten. Breaking in slightly, the bay was unhurried early by Flavien...
2nd-Santa Anita, $55,000, Msw, 2-1, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:25.48, ft. CLIVETTY (f, 3, Into Mischief--Rosemonde, by Indian Charlie) brought $375,000 as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale and RNA'd for $400,000 at OBS the following March, but returned to the Ocala auction ring in June, topping the sale at $900,000 after breezing in a snappy :20 4/5. Sent off at 5-1 in this career bow, the hulking bay filly was off a half-step slow and trailed the quintet as Eyes Open (Street Sense) clocked early splits of :22.37 and...
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency BAFFERT UNVEILS PRICEY STREET SENSE 1st-SA, $55K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 2:30p.m. Bob Baffert and longtime owners Pegram, Watson and Weitman have enjoyed plenty of success with a son of Street Sense, courtesy of MGISW McKinzie, and they hope lightning strikes twice with MASTERING (Street Sense). The $500,000 FTKOCT buy prepped for this debut with a half-mile bullet in :47 2/5 (1/49) here Jan. 25. The dark bay is a half to GSP Sister Moon (Dixie Union), who is the dam of GSW Nolde (Pioneerof the...
When condition book three for the Santa Anita winter/spring meet came online Jan. 29, conspicuously absent were any races for Thursday, Feb. 6. Track officials confirmed Friday that racing has in fact been canceled for that afternoon, meaning there will be no live Thursday programs until Feb. 27. In January it was announced that the track would be dark Feb. 13 and 20. There is holiday racing scheduled for Monday, Feb. 17. The California horse population has been on the decline for some time and the local product has faced...
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 2nd-GP, $50K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 12:34 p.m. ET Ajhar (Tapit) brought $800,000 from Shadwell Stable at the 2018 Keeneland September sale--he was in fact one of three Tapit yearlings purchased by Shadwell for that amount at that auction and part of a $12,345,000 expenditure at that sale for Sheikh Hamdan's operation. The grey colt is out of 'TDN Rising Star', MGSW and GISP Jojo Warrior (Pioneerof the Nile), who herself is a half to Grade I-winning fellow 'Rising Star' A Z Warrior (Bernardini); GSW/GISP 'Rising...
Hall of Famer Bob Baffert has won the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. seven times in his career, including last year with recent GIII Pegasus World Cup S. victor Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man). The conditioner has a strong chance to win it for the eighth time Saturday with undefeated Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) and High Velocity (Quality Road). A $1-million KEESEP purchase, Thousand Words won on debut in Arcadia Oct. 26 and followed suit with a neck victory over GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up Anneau d'Or (Medaglia d'Oro)...
Speedway Stable's Roadster (Quality Road) looks to kick off 2020 on the right hoof Saturday in the GII San Pasqual S. at Santa Anita. The 'TDN Rising Star' has not visited the winner's circle since denying champion stablemate Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the track-and-trip GI Santa Anita Derby last April. Second behind fellow Baffert trainee and recent GI Pegasus World Cup romper Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man) in the GIII Affirmed S. in Arcadia in June, the gray was given the rest of the summer off and came...