Santa Anita

The newly-launched 1/ST TV features a rebranding of XBTV's workout site, which offers coast to coast videos in addition to newly incorporated livestreams from Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita Park and HipicaTV. XBTV has offered workout content since 2015, and will now bridge 1/ST RACING & GAMING assets under the same branding to leverage its overall brand strength. 1/ST TV will also segment the free video workouts from the East Coast (Gulfstream Park, many of the South Florida training centers and Saratoga) and the West Coast (Santa Anita Park and Del...

'TDN Rising Star' Casalu (Caracaro) broke from the gate with winning in mind, and took the Listed Sweet Life Stakes nearly gate to wire in her downhill debut at Santa Anita. Coming into the race with a victory going a mile over this course Dec. 28 in the Blue Norther Stakes, she'd run second two back Nov. 30 to Will Then (War of Will) in the GIII Jimmy Durante Stakes at Del Mar. It was her third graded black type behind placings in the GIII Sorrento Stakes on the main...

Ian Wilkes doesn't rush his young horses. You won't seem them running in 4 1/2-furlong races at Keeneland in the spring and they may not peak until late in their 3-year-old year or even early in their 4-year-old year. That's probably why he's had only one starter in the GI Kentucky Derby, McCraken (Ghostzapper), who finished eighth in the 2017 GI Kentucky Derby. But this time it's different. Wilkes has come up with a horse that has forced his way into the Derby picture. That was evident when the Wilkes-trained...

Through the first six weeks of the Classic Meet, Santa Anita Park posted gains over a strong first weekend in February.  Through last weekend, the Classic Meet maintained increases in both on-track attendance and total all-sources handle for the season, which opened on Dec. 26. Wagering is up more than 7% as total all-sources handle exceeded $185 million. The business increases are despite the track being closed for a week due to the impact of the Eaton Fire on the local community. Additionally, the weekend of Jan. 10-12 racing was...

Trainer Bob Baffert confirmed all was well with Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) the morning after his 3 3/4-length win in Saturday's GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes. Baffert indicated a decision has not been made whether last year's 2-year-old champion will make one or two more starts before this year's GI Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs. Citizen Bull, who earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure for his front-running win in the one-mile Lewis under Martin Garcia, which was his first start since winning the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile...

Recently crowned Eclipse champion Citizen Bull (Into Mischief), who cemented his 2-year-old championship with a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile last November, opened his sophomore campaign in similar fashion with a commanding victory in the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita Saturday. The 4-5 favorite, facing just four rivals, led home a one-two-three finish for trainer Bob Baffert and gave the Hall of Fame trainer his seventh straight win in the Lewis and his 13th overall victory in the race named for the late owner. "The...

Eclipse Award-winning sprinter Straight No Chaser (Speightster) and a pair of important 3-year-old colts were the star turns on the Santa Anita worktab Saturday morning. Last seen sewing up championship honors when taking out the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint over Bentornato (Valiant Minister) at Del Mar Nov. 2, Straight No Chaser turned in his second consecutive bullet work, going five furlongs in :59.20 (1/72) in advance of his expected appearance in the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint on the Saudi Cup undercard Feb. 22. There the 6-year-old is expected to face...

Last year's recently crowned 2-year-old champion Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) will kick off his 2025 season in the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita, one of three GI Kentucky Derby preps on tap Saturday. The 2024 GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner will take on just four rivals, including a pair of Bob Baffert-trained stablemates and last-out maiden winners--'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez (Authentic) and the rail-drawn Madaket Road (Quality Road). Rodriguez romped in his two-turn debut at second asking at Santa Anita Jan. 4, good for a field-best...

There's a reason why Bob Baffert has won the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes 12 times, including the last six running. At this time of year his barn is always loaded with talented 3-year-old colts who have one eye on the Lewis and another on the GI Kentucky Derby. It will be a familiar story at Santa Anita Saturday as Baffert will send out three of the five horses entered in the Lewis. His trio is topped by 2-year-old champion and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Citizen Bull (Into Mischief),...

This could only happen to Brad Cox. He trained the best 2-year-old filly in the country last year as Eclipse Award winner Immersive (Nyquist) whipped everything she faced, including eight challengers in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Earlier this year, she looked like the runaway leader among the fillies eyeing the GI Kentucky Oaks, but came down with a minor injury and will not be ready in time for the Oaks. For most other trainers that would have been a severe setback, losing out on a chance they may...

The California Association of Racing Fairs (CARF) voted unanimously Tuesday morning not to apply for racing dates in 2025. The summer fair meets this decision could impact are at Alameda County Fair, The Big Fresno Fair, Cal Expo at California State Fair, and Ferndale at Humboldt County Fair. Sonoma County Fair runs a summer fair meet independent of CARF. In theory, individual tracks can still independently apply for a 2025 racing license similar to Sonoma's approach. "After making the difficult decision not to submit future race meet applications, the California...

The new Eddie Truman Library, named in honor of the longtime trainer who died last month at age 77 and was a leading advocate for literacy, is the latest addition to the Santa Anita backstretch. The Eddie Truman Library was opened in Santa Anita's stable area in a dedicated space that's part of the recreation center and dining hall that serves backstretch workers. Truman donated many of the books in the collection, which includes educational materials, an array of fiction and non-fiction books and other assorted items. Titles are available...