Santa Anita

Four of the six 2-year-old runners in Saturday's GI American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita had graded stakes experience, but it was one of the two maiden winners making his stakes debut who came home with the victory and secured a 'Win and You're In' spot for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar in four weeks time. Intrepido (c, 2, Maximus Mischief--Overly Indulgent, by Pleasantly Perfect), named a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' in his Aug. 23 Del Mar win, rated and showed fight in between horses...

She's back! The beautifully-bred Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) returned to the races Saturday off nearly a year-long layoff and did so with a statement win in the GIII Chillingworth at Santa Anita. The Spendthrift homebred set hearts aflame as a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' juvenile, emulating the success of her mother to start her career two-for-for including a 6 3/4-length stroll in the GI Del Mar Debutante. The heavy favorite headed into the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita in 2023, she faltered home in seventh and...

by Jill Williams & J.N. Campbell A spectacular Fall Stars Weekend both continues and concludes Sunday at Keeneland, highlighted by the GI Juddmonte Spinster Stakes, a 'Win and You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 1. While entries may seem sparse for such an historic race with a $650,000 purse, they pack a punch with the reigning Horse of the Year, Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna), making her first start in front of the home crowd since her open daylight debut over this surface at this meet two...

by TDN Editorial Staff Buckle up, race fans, it's going to be a wild ride on Saturday, as no fewer than 16 graded stakes from New York to Lexington, from Los Angeles to Toronto are scheduled, with horse racing's championship weekend now officially less than four weeks down the road. Without further ado, let's jump into the always-productive card at Aqueduct. Champagne, Frizette Share Spotlight at Belmont at the Big A A quartet of graded stakes, headed by the 'Win and You're In' GI Champagne S. and GI Frizette S.,...

Michael Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman's lightly raced 3-year-old Nevada Beach (Omaha Beach), last seen capturing the Los Alamitos Derby June 28, fired fresh off the bench to punch his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic with an 8-1 upset victory for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert against older horses in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Goodwood S. at Santa Anita. Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile upsetter Full Serrano (Arg) (Full Mast) was second as the 1-2 favorite. Privman (Justify) was third. Fourth beneath Mike...

Johannes capped off a four-race win streak in 2024 when winning last year's renewal of the GII City of Hope Stakes before enduring a tough beat at the hooves of More Than Looks in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar in November. With only a single prior race under his belt in 2025, the 5-year-old set the stage for his return to the World Championships at the seaside oval with a gutsy victory over Cabo Spirit in the "Win and You're In' qualifier for the Mile on Nov....

GI Santa Anita Derby and GI Preakness Stakes winner Journalism (Curlin) continued to prep for his upcoming start in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 1, working a half-mile bullet in company in :47.0 (1/41) Friday at Santa Anita. Journalism shared the bullet for the distance with his workmate, Touch of Destiny (Midshipman), an group-winning import from Uruguay who has not started in the U.S. Of Journalism, trainer Mike McCarthy said "I thought he worked well. It was just an easy half-mile, a leg stretcher." Journalism most recently was second...

3rd-SA, 60k, Msw, 2yo, f, 6fT, 5:01 p.m. ET Randall Lowe homebred Essential Lady (Essential Quality), a half-sister to two-time Breeders' Cup winner and young Coolmore stallion Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), debuts for Tim Yakteen sprinting over the Santa Anita lawn. Her talented dam Lady Shipman (Midshipman) was a GSW and narrow runner-up in the 2015 GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland. Lady Shipman's yearling colt by Flightline brought $1.5 million from Resolute Bloodstock at the recently concluded Keeneland September sale. The field of eight also includes Ramayana (Uncle...

Baoma Corp.'s 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist) breezed a half-mile in :48 flat (10/32) Monday morning at Santa Anita, his first move since being scratched from an expected appearance in the GI Pacific Classic on Aug. 30. According to a text from trainer Bob Baffert to TDN's Sue Finley, the colt's Breeders' Cup target remains a bit up in the air. "He breezed today, pointing to [Dirt] Mile," he texted. "I could change my mind between now and then. The [Dirt] Mile probably more realistic right now. Was hoping to...

In a continued effort to lure horses from out of state, Santa Anita will once again offer the "Ship and Win" program for the track's Autumn Meet, which kicks off Friday, Sept. 26. With seven 'Win and You're In' events for this year's Breeders' Cup, which will be held at Del Mar Oct. 31-Nov. 1, the five-week meet features increased overnight purses compared to last year and a comprehensive stakes schedule. "The Ship and Win program has continued to attract significant numbers of horses to the Southern California circuit," said...

It's not often a Grade I-winning mare recreates her success in her offspring, but seven years after her dam was prima ballerina at the Spa, Hope Road (Quality Road) sailed home convincingly in the GI Ballerina Stakes to take home her first elite level victory. Hope Road was last seen May 26 running third in the GIII Winning Colors Stakes at Churchill Downs and before that hit the board against Grade I company for the first time May 3 in GI Derby City Distaff when fellow California girl MGISW Kopion...

Effective this weekend, 1/ST RACING will discontinue selling the simulcast signal from Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park to Hipódromo Camarero in Puerto Rico to address increasing concerns regarding horse welfare and safety at that racetrack, it was announced Thursday evening. This announcement comes in agreement with the horsemen's groups in Florida and California after other measures in recent years have failed to substantially bolster the care for racehorses in Puerto Rico, particularly when horses are no longer racing. "Exporting our signal to Hipódromo Camarero represents millions of dollars of...