Santa Anita

According to a report by Kevin Modesti in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, trainer David Hofmans died Wednesday at his home near Santa Anita. He was 81. Hofmans's wife, Linda Murray Hofmans, confirmed the news to Modesti. She added that the Arcadia Police Department are investigating and an autopsy was pending. "We're devastated," Hofmans's widow told Modesti, requesting privacy for the family. The cause of death was not immediately known. According to Equibase, Hofmans began his career in 1974 and won 1,085 races for career earnings of $53,335,405. His biggest...

Lugano Diamonds Split Rock Jumping Tour, an international show jumping tour, will make a stop at Santa Anita this November, with the Los Angeles National to be held Nov. 13-17,  followed by the inaugural CSI5*-W featuring the $400,000 Longines  FEI Jumping World Cup™ Los Angeles CSI5*-W qualifying event presented by Lugano Diamonds Santa Anita CS to be held Nov. 20-24. In addition to world-class show jumping, the Santa Anita CSI5*-W event week from Nov. 20-24, 1/ST will offer elevated hospitality and entertainment experiences at the Arcadia racetrack. "There is a...

The just-concluded Santa Anita/Hollywood winter/spring meet with a 99.97% safety record from 6,678 horses racing over the dirt and or turf is truly remarkable. Combine this result with the additional data released by HISA of a fatality rate of .83 per 1000 starts nationally for the first quarter of 2024 and something extraordinary is starting to occur. Thoroughbred racing can and, importantly is, becoming safe with regard to horse fatalities. One would have been hard-pressed to make such a statement in 2019 with the many horse fatalities at Santa Anita....

Jockey Juan Hernandez, trainer Phil D'Amato and owner Paul and Zilla Reddam's Reddam Racing emerged victorious in their respective divisions during the 29-day Hollywood Meet at Santa Anita, which closed Sunday, June 16. Hernandez, a native of Veracruz, Mexico, was celebrating a sixth riding title at Santa Anita, having ridden 36 winners from 176 mounts (20.5%), one clear of Antonio Fresu, who joined the local riding colony just over 14 months ago. The Italian had one last chance to dead-heat with Hernandez, but fell just short in Sunday's 12th and...

Santa Anita Park concluded the six-month 2023-24 Winter-Spring season on June 16 which, when combined with the six-week Autumn Meet from 2023, produced a 99.97% safety record, making the 1/ST Racing facility the safest track in North America among those with a comparable volume of racing and training according to a release from the track Monday. Since the Opening Day of the Autumn meet on Sept. 29, 2023, through the Closing Day of the Hollywood Meet on June 17, 2024, 6,678 horses ran in races over Santa Anita's main track...

The third 'Rising Star' to come out of the freshman sire class in just 24 hours, Midland Money (Shancelot--Magnolias In Bloom, by Flatter) became his sire's (by Shanghai Bobby) second overall winner Friday with a gate to wire win at Santa Anita. A $650,000 OBS March buy for CSLR Racing Partners LLC, the colt worked a quick furlong in :9.4 in Ocala to become the most expensive 2-year-old buy from his sire's first crop. He'd already shown his propensity to be quick in the mornings, putting up back to back...

Florida-based stallion Win Win Win (by Hat Trick {Jpn}) could not have kicked his second career off any better, earning a first winner and first 'TDN Rising Star' Thursday as Nooni (Win Win Win--Unanimity, by Union Rags) lived up her billing in a winning debut at Santa Anita. After blitzing a quarter-mile in :20.1 at OBS March, Nooni caught the eye of Zedan Racing Stables and trainer Bob Baffert who went to a sales-topping $1,800,000 to secure the filly from her sire's first crop. Hammered down to 1-5 in the...

Let the record show that the very first horse to win a race at Golden Gate Fields was a mare named Skookumchuck, who won the inaugural race on Feb.1, 1941 before a crowd of 30,000. The last horse to win a race there was Adelie (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}), who got to the wire first in Sunday's eighth, the last race ever at a track. In between, there was a lot of history, a lot of memories...Citation, Russell Baze, Lost in the Fog, Noor. That's history that cannot be erased, but...

Sugar Fish (f, 3, Accelerate--Madeira Park, by Langfuhr), the longest shot at 5-1 in a short field of four, looked to lose all chance when she tumbled out of the gate as the sophomore fillies were sent on their way Saturday in the GII Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita. She immediately lost at least three lengths on the field in the first few seconds and trailed as early fractions were clocked in :23.80 and :47.41. Previously unbeaten Jane Austen (Tapit), like Sugar Fish trying stakes company for the first time,...

Former Eclipse Award-winning apprentice jockey Drayden Van Dyke, a mainstay in Southern California, will move his tack to Gulfstream Park for 30 days to ride for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. The multiple Grade I-winning rider and his agent, Ryan Cosato, will then evaluate where Van Dyke will be based in the future. "We'll bring him out there for about a month," said Cosato. "If he does well, we'll go from there. There's no big announcement. We're just giving it a try." Van Dyke took a break from riding for a...

Rick Gold is the recipient of the Ed Friendly Industry Service Award, also known as the TOC Chairman's Award, the Thoroughbred Owners of California announced Monday morning. Following eight years of service to the TOC and other industry boards, Gold is retiring this year. He served as the chairman of the TOC's Integrity & Safety Committee and he played a key role in helping to safeguard California and industry interests during the formation of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), according to a release. Gold has campaigned the likes...

An online auction featuring a large 6-liter bottle of Luc Belaire Rare Rose adorned with 2024 Santa Anita Derby Day artwork by artist Juliana Paige and autographed by Santa Anita jockeys is now underway. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. The auction will run through 8 p.m. ET on closing day of the Santa Anita Hollywood Meeting Sunday, June 16. Crafted by fifth and sixth generation winemakers at a renowned French Maison founded in 1898, Luc Belaire Rare Rose holds a rich legacy of excellence and...