Santa Anita

G1 Dubai World Cup winner Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), prepping for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, breezed four furlongs in a hand-timed :49 2/5 Sunday at Santa Anita. The Takagi Noboru trainee left the quarantine barn at 6:15 a.m., walking for 15 minutes until the track opened and then proceeded to the main track. Allowed to ease into his work at the half-mile pole and around the far turn, he did not begin lengthening stride and quickening until turning for home, impressing onlookers down the lane and into a...

The five days between last Wednesday's pre-entries and Monday's official draw for the Breeders' Cup afford a brief window of opportunity to examine a few subtleties that emerged from the early version of the match-ups for this weekend's championships. The decision by the connections of Practical Move (Practical Joke) to aim for the GI Dirt Mile instead of the GI Classic tops the list. The Classic, which lost Mage (Good Magic) and Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) to illness and injury, respectively, over the weekend, lacks a standout favorite,...

Several horses pre-entered in next weekend's Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita turned in their final preparations Saturday morning. At Keeneland, these horses each worked a half-mile over a fast track: Brightwork (Outwork) (Juvenile Fillies/Juvenile Turf Sprint) breezed in :47.80 (14/106) for trainer John Ortiz. Gina Romantica (Into Mischief) (FanDuel Mile/Maker's Mark Filly and Mare Turf) went in :47.20 (3/106) in company with Liguria (War Front) for trainer Chad Brown. And Proxy (Tapit) (Classic) worked in :48.40 (29/106) for trainer Mike Stidham. Working on the turf course labeled good...

GI Breeders' Cup Classic contender Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) was pulled up during a routine morning work Saturday at Santa Anita. He was vanned off after being helped into the ambulance. The GI Haskell S. winner was breezing into the stretch under veteran jockey Mike Smith when the incident occurred. An update from the Breeders' Cup read: "Geaux Rocket Ride sustained an open condylar fracture with intersesmoidian ligament damage to his right front leg during a workout this morning under Mike Smith, who was uninjured, dismounted, and tended...

Trainer Todd Pletcher sent out a total of 12 horses, all of whom are pre-entered in next weekend's Breeders' Cup races, for half-mile works at Keeneland Friday morning in advance of their Saturday departure to Santa Anita. GII Pilgrim S. winner Agate Road (Quality Road) (Juvenile Turf) worked in company with Haul (Army Mule) in :49 flat (32/63). GI Darley Alcibiades winner Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}) (NetJets Juvenile Filles) went in company with GII Chandelier runner-up Scalable (Speightstown) (Juvenile Fillies) in :49.20 (37/63). About Candied, Pletcher said, "She worked very...

Photographer Katey Barrett, long associated with artful images of Santa Anita, passed away Sunday, Oct. 22 after a bout with cancer. She was 91. Barrett's images, often easy to identify due to her unique style, were part of Santa Anita's opening day Winter Meet souvenir calendar for over 30 years. A Minnesota native, Barrett came to California in the 1950s and worked on several TV shows, as well as on a movie with Don Knotts. "Katey had been on hospice and was diagnosed with cancer a couple of months ago,"...

Algiers (Ire) (Shamardal), runner-up in the G1 Dubai World Cup last March, will contest the GI Breeders' Cup Mile rather than the 10-furlong GI Classic, according to the gelding's connections. "He just looked very effective over a mile and a mile-and-one at Meydan and he has a lot of speed," explained Ed Crisford. "I'm not saying he doesn't stay the 10 furlongs, it's just that we felt at Santa Anita a mile may play to his strengths more." An impressive winner going a mile in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge...

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will be present at Santa Anita Park this year for the 40th running of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, set for Friday, Nov. 3 and Saturday, Nov. 4. Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is one of the official charities, and the official aftercare partner of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will have a booth set up during both days of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, where patrons are encouraged to stop by to learn more about accredited aftercare. Branded merchandise will be available in exchange for...

The Breeders' Cup Veterinary Review Team has conducted the first stage of an extensive assessment of the veterinary and treatment records associated with more than 200 potential contenders for the 2023 Breeders' Cup World Championships, it was announced Tuesday. The 2023 Breeders' Cup World Championships, featuring 14 Grade I races and $31 million in purses and awards, will showcase the best Thoroughbreds from around the globe Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita Park. Working in conjunction with Dr. Jennifer Durenberger of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), Dr. Will Farmer...

Undefeated Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 at Santa Anita Saturday morning in preparation for her next start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies under Mike Smith, who has been aboard the two-year-old daughter of Beholder for each of her two wins. In the work Tamara hooked up with some company, reportedly an unraced two-year-old colt, whom she outworked. "I was actually kind of hoping to gain some company," Smith told Zoe Cadman, "and it worked out great. If I hadn't, she's a pretty good work horse if...

Nysos (c, 2, Nyquist--Zetta Z, by Bernardini), a $550,000 OBS April breezer (:9 4/5*), made that pricetag look like a bargain with a jaw-dropping 'TDN Rising Star' performance on debut in the Santa Anita nightcap Saturday evening. One of three entered for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, the 6-1 chance had a pair of bullets on the worktab, including a four-furlong move in :47 1/5 (1/16) Oct. 12. He was hustled away from his inside draw by Kyle Frey and slugged it out from the outside with his rail-drawn stablemate...

The first to the races for her dam, Sandy Bottom gave her freshman sire Omaha Beach (by War Front) his second black-type stakes winner when she went gate to wire in the Anoakia at Santa Anita on Saturday afternoon. Notching a front-running win at first asking Sept. 10 at Del Mar, the 6-5 choice broke alertly from the rail, once again seized the lead and never looked back as she commanded the pole position through the checkered flag. "Today, it seemed like she caught a flier [leaving the gate]," said...