Santa Anita

Reigning GI Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan (Goldencents) breezed five furlongs in :59.98 on his own over a 'good' Gulfstream Park main track Saturday morning, his final serious piece of work ahead of next Saturday's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes. Robby Albarado was aboard for the move. "What I'd call a happy five-eighths," trainer Ken McPeek said. "It was just a maintenance breeze. I didn't have a horse I really felt good about him being in company with, and I don't think he needed the company. But he took...

The Stronach Group (TSG) has told Florida industry stakeholders they can guarantee racing at Gulfstream Park only through 2028 if a proposed bill to decouple Thoroughbred horseracing from casino licenses passes the state legislature. In a closed-door meeting with the Florida horsemen and women Wednesday morning—a recording of which was obtained by TDN—Keith Brackpool, a former TSG executive now reportedly working in an advisory capacity for the company, also warned that "if there's no decoupling, then there's no guarantee of when we will continue to race," according to the recording....

According to a post on the 1/ST Racing feed on X, racing at Santa Anita Park has been canceled for both Saturday and Sunday. After some internal discussions on Friday, it was decided that live racing--including Saturday's California Cup stakes and Sunday's GIII Las Cienegas Stakes--would go on as planned. The post from 1/ST Racing references 'the overnight changes on the west side of LA.' According to a story from the Los Angeles Times, the Palisades fire can now be seen from the San Fernando Valley and a flare-up of...

The Santa Anita racing community continues to feel the impacts of the nearby Eaton fire. While the track itself and the 1,800 horses stabled on grounds have not been threatened, the fire has burned more than 13,900 acres while forcing over 100,000 people from their homes and destroying over 1,000 structures in the surrounding area. Agent Mike Ciani confirmed two-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Mario Gutierrez is among those who have lost their home from the fire. Among those forced to evacuate were trainers Michael McCarthy, Phil D'Amato, Dan Blacker and...

Manuel B. of Garden Grove, CA, who participated in Santa Anita's Mystery Mutuel Voucher promotion, won the grand prize of $10,000, Santa Anita announced Saturday. Manuel, who has regularly attended Santa Anita for more than 15 years, said he has participated in every previous Mystery Mutuel Voucher promotion and had only cashed $2 or $5 tickets. He said he loves Santa Anita and playing the horses. Manuel added he plans to use the $10,000 toward the purchase of a new car. All Santa Anita 1/ST REWARDS members receive direct mailers...

7th-Santa Anita, $64,196, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($50,000), 1-4, 4yo/up, 1m, 1:36.15, ft, 4 1/2 lengths. MIRAHMADI (c, 4, Into Mischief--More Chocolate {GSW & MGISP, $373,892}, by Malibu Moon), a runner-up in the GI Del Mar Futurity as a juvenile, took the maiden mic at 'The Great Race Place' Oct. 12. Though track announcer Frank Mirahmadi's eponymous equine athlete was well-beaten in the GIII Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar Nov. 23, the colt was backed as the 2-1 second choice here behind 'TDN Rising Star' and Insight runner Eagles Flight...

Chilean import Richi (Chi) (Practical Joke), second while making her North American debut in the Desert Stormer Stakes June 2, went one better off the bench to upset 1-5 favorite and her Bob Baffert-trained stablemate Pleasant (Munnings) in Saturday's GIII Las Flores Stakes at Santa Anita. Off at odds of 3-1 with the blinkers coming off here, Richi sat a tracking trip in an inside third, shot through an opening along the rail at the top of the stretch and blasted off from there to defeat the GI Breeders' Cup...

Zedan Racing Stable's Barnes (Into Mischief), a $3.2-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, made it a perfect two-for-two for Bob Baffert with a jaw-dropping performance in Saturday's GII San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita. The even-money favorite was placed in a tracking second by Juan Hernandez, gained command approaching the quarter pole and leveled off beautifully in the stretch to win with authority by 5 1/2 lengths. His Baffert-trained stablemate Romanesque (Practical Joke), a debut winner over freshly minted 'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez (Authentic), rounded out the exacta. Narrow second-choice Bullard (Gun...

Newly-turned second season sire Authentic was represented by his first 'TDN Rising Star' Saturday when Rodriguez (c, 3, Authentic--Cayala, by Cherokee Run) opened up on a maiden special weight field at Santa Anita to graduate at second asking. While only second best behind stablemate and Saturday's GII San Vicente Stakes runner up Romanesque (Practical Joke) in his debut debut going 6 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar Nov. 23, the 1-5 favorite clearly relished the stretch out to the mile Saturday. Drawn against the rail, he was ridden for the lead...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. Father Ted (Practical Joke) split a pair of highly regarded Bob Baffert-trained runners to finish a strong second in his 2-year-old unveiling on Santa Anita's opening day program Dec. 26. A bit chilly on the board at 8-1 for trainer Mark Glatt, Father Ted broke like a shot, but was quickly outfooted to race in fifth as three of them lined up--led narrowly by a three-deep San...

7th-SA, 61K, O/C, 4yo/up, 1m, 5:36 p.m. 'TDN Rising Star' EAGLES FLIGHT (Curlin), the 4-year-old half-brother to Horse of the Year Flightline (Tapit), returns to action Saturday off a lengthy layoff. Debuted in a six-furlong maiden special weight event at Santa Anita May 27, the John Sadler trainee earned his 'Rising Star' stamp with a 2 3/4-length come-from-behind win which garnered an 89 Beyer Speed Figure. Unraced since that unveiling, Eagles Flight was mentioned as a possible runner for opening weekend's GI Malibu Stakes but was never officially entered there....

Every passing year seems to present California with a fresh set of challenges. The latest new leaf brings with it an entirely new racing framework with operations consolidated in the South. This comes on the back of the California Association of Racing Fairs' (CARF) decision last month not to pursue a race meet at Pleasanton during the start of 2025. On New Year's morning, the TDN sat down with Bill Nader, executive director of the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC). In part one of this interview, Nader discusses, among other...