Santa Anita

Among several notable workers for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert on Saturday morning at Santa Anita was Citizen Bull (Into Mischief), who this week was named the 2024 champion 2-year-old male. With rain expected later in the day and continuing through the weekend, it was a busy training session on both the main track and training track as 229 horses recorded timed workouts ahead of the weather. Citizen Bull worked in company with older horse Pilot Commander (Justify), who most recently was fourth in the GI Malibu Dec. 26....

With the scratch of her stablemate Brilliantly from the race, Maysam (Game Winner) carried the load for the Bob Baffert alone Friday and clearly needed no additional help, cruising to an open-lengths win to become the first 'TDN Rising Star' for her young sire. Bet down to 1-2 facing five rivals, the $500,000 OBS March grad was initially outrun from her rail draw but content to sit back behind the speedier Frog (Frosted) to her outside. Still a comfy second as the field swung into the far turn, Maysam was...

The English polymath John Ruskin, who was always hard at work scribbling a well-timed observation for some future generation to co-opt, said when it came to the weather, "Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather." Well, bully for you Mr. Ruskin! Send him a going stick and put him to work on the nearest turf course. Some might care to offer quite a different observation after recent events. What...

2nd-GP, 94K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, 11:30 a.m. Gulfstream Park will kick off it's Pegasus World Cup card with a pair of classy maiden special weight races headlined by DISRUPTOR (Gun Runner), a $1,150,000 KEESEP yearling out of the Todd Pletcher barn for the partnership group of Repole Stable, Spendthrift Farm, Big Easy Racing, Titletown Racing, Winners Win, Golconda Stable, Ali Goodrich and Mark Parkinson. The chestnut, out of a full-sister to MGSW Bridgetown (Speightstown), put in a drill at Palm Beach Downs Jan. 18, going four furlongs from the gate...

8th-SA, 60K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f, 7:07 p.m. A pair of Bob Baffert-trained stablemates drew side by side in their Santa Anita debuts. BRILLIANTLY (Uncle Mo), the outside runner of the two, cost the partnership of Pegram, Watson and Weitman $500,000 as a yearling at Keeneland in 2023. She is the second foal out of a stakes-placed Bernardini first dam from the family of Canadian champion 3-year-old filly Leigh Court (Grand Slam). Inside of her, Maysam (Game Winner), from an American Pharoah first dam, put in a quick furlong...

Horses evacuated Tuesday from the wildfire-threatened San Luis Rey Downs training center in Bonsall, San Diego County, and shipped elsewhere, largely to Del Mar racetrack, started to file back to the training center Wednesday. The nearby Lilac Fire has burned through 85 acres and is 90% contained, according to Cal Fire. "All evacuation orders and warnings were lifted in the area last night and fire containment improved to 90% as of this morning. Air quality is good so barring any change in conditions our plan is to allow horses to...

Shocking Grey (Grazen), winner of Saturday's Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint at Santa Anita, sold for $170,000 to Francoise DuPuis, agent for Rockingham Ranch to top Tuesday's California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Winter Mixed Sale. A 6-year-old out of the Unbridled's Song mare Seoul Unbridled, Shocking Grey was from the Checkmate Thoroughbreds consignment for the dispersal of Valpredo Farms. From the same consignment, her half-sister, a yearling by Corniche, sold for $75,000 to Gayle Van Leer, agent. In total, 83 horses sold for $1,228,200 averaging $14,780 with a median...

Dale Romans may train primarily in Kentucky but he comes to Gulfstream every winter. Few trainers anywhere have their finger on the pulse quite like Romans does when it comes to industry issues, which is why he was the week's Gainesway Guest of the Week and asked to help unravel the situation in Florida. The TDN Writers' Room podcast is sponsored by Keeneland. Romans, who is also the president of the Kentucky HBPA, said he took his eye off the ball because he was so sure that Santa Anita would...

In conjunction with this Saturday's GI Pegasus World Cup, 1/ST Racing is partnering with an international horse racing media rights firm to launch a free-to-play contest that will offer a VIP trip for two to the 2025 GI California Crown at Santa Anita Park in September, including flights, accommodations and raceday hospitality. The contest, called Crown Jewels Racing (website here) is linked to a larger series of international races distributed by HBA Media in England, and the Pegasus contest is the first in a larger series of "league" Crown Jewels...

Due to the threat of a nearby wildfire Tuesday, the horses stabled at the San Luis Rey Downs training center in Bonsall, San Diego County, were evacuated and sent elsewhere, largely to Del Mar racetrack. By Tuesday afternoon, the nearby Lilac Fire had burned through 80 acres and was 30% contained, according to Cal Fire. "We are still at the same level 2 evacuation warning status so we will continue to monitor the situation and the wind," Santa Anita general manager Nate Newby wrote in a text Tuesday afternoon, adding...

Zedan Racing's Barnes (Into Mischief), perfect in his two career trips to the post, and 'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez (Authentic) each returned to the worktab at the 'Great Race Place' Monday morning. They were joined by their Grade III-winning stablemate Getaway Car (Curlin). Barnes, who defeated recent GIII Lecomte Stakes third Innovator (Authentic) by a head on Churchill debut Nov. 27 , worked a half-mile in :48.60 (16/69), his first breeze since romping by 5 1/2 lengths in the GII San Vicente Stakes Jan. 4. Barnes closed as the 6-1...

Being the least experienced of the field ultimately proved to be no problem for Cavalieri (Nyquist) as she gamely turned away all challengers to claim the GIII La Canada Stakes. A winner by two lengths on debut Aug. 29 at Del Mar last year, she took a field of optional claimers gate to wire Oct. 12 at Santa Anita by 3 1/2 lengths before going on the shelf until this 4-year-old bow. Sent off here as the even-money favorite, she contested the pace issue with MGSW Chatalas (Gun Runner) through...