Santa Anita

Cuyathy LLC's Johannes (Nyquist) consolidated his position at the top of the West Coast turf mile division with a comprehensive victory in Saturday's GII City of Hope Mile Stakes, in so doing locking up a spot in the field for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 2. Favored at 4-5 to add to victories in this track's May 27 GI Shoemaker Mile Stakes and the nine-furlong GII Eddie Read Stakes last time at the seaside July 28, the homebred made best use of his low draw...

With just a neck separating National Treasure (Quality Road) and Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) in a thrilling renewal of the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes back in January, the two will meet for the third time this season in Saturday's inaugural GI California Crown Stakes at Santa Anita. Senor Buscador turned the tables on National Treasure and delivered a come-from-behind head victory in the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup Feb. 24, then was a well-beaten third in the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup. Given plenty of time to bounce back following...

The $5-million 1/ST GRAND 3 Pick 'Em Challenge reopened Thursday for fans to make their selections in the GI California Crown. The 1/ST GRAND 3 Pick 'Em Challenge will close at 7:40 p.m. ET on Sept. 28, prior to the post time for The California Crown. Five entries who correctly submitted the top four finishers from GI Preakness 149, remain eligible for the $5 million-dollar grand prize. The $5 million grand prize will only be awarded if one of the five remaining entries pick the top four finishers in order...

Peter Rotondo picked a good time to go to work for 1/ST Racing. The company's new Senior Vice President of Racing and Wagering joined a team who is ready to put on an extravaganza this weekend at Santa Anita. It's called the California Crown and consists of three races, the GII $750,000 John Henry Turf Cup, the Grade II $750,000 Eddie D. Stakes and the $1 million GI California Crown Stakes. Meant to be Santa Anita's version of the Pegasus World Cup, the day will also include entertainment meant for...

The surest sign that autumn is upon us is that we are already beginning to look ahead to next spring. In the racing world, that means the release of the 2025 Road to the GI Kentucky Derby qualifying schedule, and the list of points-awarding prep races that came out Friday contained a few tweaks. Two stood out--a schedule addition and a rule change. Churchill Downs Inc., the gaming company that controls the Derby and the points system that determines which horses get into the race, locked up a prime piece...

GI Arkansas Derby winner Muth (Good Magic) marked his return to the races Sunday with a victory in the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar. Checking off the initial box on his road back, the $2 million OBS March topper is now poised to take the next step on the road to this fall's Breeders' Cup, which will be held at Del Mar Nov. 4-5. "He's always been a really smart horse," said trainer Bob Baffert. "You can place him wherever you want to. He had to move a little...

Santa Anita will once again implement the "Ship and Win" program for the 2024 Autumn Meet, which kicks off Friday, Sept. 27. The incentive program is designed to attract horses from outside California. Horses from out of state who made only one start at the Del Mar Summer Meet will remain eligible for Santa Anita's Ship and Win purse bonus provided they did not make an additional start elsewhere. Eligible horses will receive $4,000 guaranteed for their first start at Santa Anita, as well additional bonus money in excess of...

The nearly 6 1/2-furlong Tapeta training track at Santa Anita Park is being considered for racing in 2025 as an off-the-grass or wet-weather option. Nate Newby, the track's general manager, disclosed the work-in-progress plan after being prompted for an update on the nearly six-month-old surface by the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) during Thursday's monthly meeting. "Horsemen have been working over it for a couple months," Newby said. "Feedback is really strong. As Tapeta personnel would tell us, those tracks need a little bit to break in. But feedback has...

In a deal brokered by Matt Bowling of Bowling Bloodstock and J.P. Sullivan of Sullivan Bloodstock, GI Preakness winner Rombauer (by Twirling Candy), who stood his first season this year at War Horse Place in Lexington, Kentucky, will be shuttling to Chile, according to a press release from Bowling Bloodstock on Friday. The John Fradkin homebred broke his maiden at first asking at Del Mar during the summer of 2020 and was the runner-up in the GI American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita in late September. As a 3-year-old, Rombauer...

Highlighted by the inaugural California Crown Day, featuring five stakes worth $2.8 million, Santa Anita's 16-day Autumn Meet will include 22 stakes races. The first-ever California Crown Day at Santa Anita will be presented Sept. 28. Formally announced Mar. 1, the event is a new racing and entertainment concept inspired by Pegasus World Cup Day at Gulfstream Park and created to bring together world-class Thoroughbred racing and the excitement of live performances, interactive experiences, and cutting-edge technology. The event's namesake race, the $1-million GI California Crown, is for 3-year-olds and...

Katie Goodman will be the keynote speaker at the Horse Racing Women's Summit, which will be held Sept. 25-27 in Arcadia, California. "I cannot wait to engage the HRWS community at this year's summit," said Goodman, an award-winning comedian, author and international speaker. "In a world that combines top athletes--both human and horse--with wagering and premier events across the country, chaos is pretty much a guarantee. Harnessing the tools to navigate change and volatility with confidence will help members of the HRWS handle absolutely anything that comes their way." Goodman's...

Tim Grande, the California Horse Racing Board's (CHRB) chief official veterinarian, remembers sitting among the first panel of experts charged with screening horses for elevated risk of injury even before they could be entered to race. "If an entry came across the racing office's desk, we had to give it approval before it could be accepted," said Grande, of the then new addition to the regulatory furniture mandated by the California Governor's office in the wake of the 2019 Santa Anita welfare crisis. "It wasn't particularly practical with just the...