Santa Anita

In the weeks leading up to the Breeders' Cup, most of the news is focused on when the stars are shipping and breezing. But, with one week left to go before World Championship Saturday, there is plenty of racing action with seven graded events from coast-to-coast. Sophomore colts take center stage at Keeneland in the newly upgraded GIII Bryant Station S. GI Belmont Derby hero Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway) looks to make amends after an unplaced effort in the course-and-distance GI Shadwell Turf Mile Oct. 8. His best efforts have...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect on July 1, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week. California Track: Santa Anita Date: 10/22/2022 Licensee: Diego Herrera, jockey Penalty:...

The Week in Review, by Bill Finley Even on a day when he merely worked out, Flightline (Tapit) was front-page news after his early morning breeze Saturday at Santa Anita. That's how much he has captivated the sport; it's the reason why everyone is so hopeful that his career does not end after the GI Breeders' Cup Classic and that his owners can resist immediately cashing in on the hundreds of millions he will make at stud. The group has collectively said that no decision will be made until after...

The brilliant and unbeaten MGISW Flightline (Tapit), who figures to be the prohibitive favorite for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland Nov. 5, worked six furlongs in 1:11.80 Saturday morning at Santa Anita prior to a scheduled Sunday flight to Lexington. The work was his fifth consecutive on a Saturday morning dating back to Sept. 24. As per usual, Flightline was accompanied by a pony and ridden by his regular work partner, trainer John Sadler's assistant Juan Leyva, before sunrise. Leyva wears a light on his helmet to...

The legal fallout from The Stronach Group's (TSG) decision to ban trainer Jerry Hollendorfer from its facilities in June of 2019 moved onto the San Diego County Superior Court earlier this month, with a hearing in the case between the trainer and the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB). The hearing Oct. 8 concerned two writs of mandate that Hollendorfer filed against the CHRB constituting an oftentimes complicated and convoluted legal knot essentially surrounding which entity--the tracks or the state agency--have the ultimate jurisdiction to bar the trainer from participating in...

Saturday's pair of Grade I dirt routes for 2-year-olds solidified intriguing subplots while establishing the three likely favorites for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' Cave Rock (Arrogate) cemented kingpin status with a thorough shellacking of the GI American Pharoah S. field at Santa Anita. But fellow 'Rising Stars' Forte (Violence) and Loggins (Ghostzapper) might have delivered the more nuanced performances with their length-of-stretch slugfest in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity S. at Keeneland, which supplied both colts with valuable race-over-the-track experience heading into the Nov. 4...

In a replay of four weekends ago at Del Mar, juveniles by Arrogate swept the major 2-year-old stakes Saturday in Southern California. About an hour before Cave Rock doubled up on Grade I events in the American Pharoah S., And Tell Me Nolies posted a mild upset in the GII Chandelier S. at Santa Anita, a "Win and You're In" race for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 4 at Keeneland. Uncontrollable (Upstart) rallied late for second at 24-1, while Justique (Justify), the 6-5 favorite making her first appearance...

4th-Santa Anita, $62,500, Msw, 10-8, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:10.17, ft, 8 3/4 lengths. BLESSED TOUCH (f, 2, Girvin--Blushing Touch, by Street Boss) had to contend with a slow start and a lost path on debut Sept. 11 at Del Mar, ultimately finishing fifth at a similar distance as this baby dash. Breaking outwardly to end up the rail-side part of a sandwiched Carson Jen (Gun Runner) as the fillies left the blocks, Drayden Van Dyke sent his charge to the lead and never looked back, edging away on the turn...

With two graded events for distaffers and four for juveniles, including including four Breeders' Cup qualifiers, Sunday is basically Saturday part two from coast-to-coast. The day's main event is the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. at Keeneland, a "Win and You're In" event, where champions Malathaat (Curlin) and Letruska (Super Saver) face off yet again. 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat looks to make amends for a solid third in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff and she enters off a win in Saratoga's GI Personal Ensign S. Aug. 27. Letruska, who won...

6th-SA, $61K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 3:38 p.m. EDT Bob Baffert unveils a pair of colts by his undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify in ARABIAN LION and Elwood Blues. Arabian Lion summoned $600,000 at the OBS April Sale after breezing in :10 flat. Out of SP Unbound (Distorted Humor), the chestnut enters off a trio of bullet works all in company with Elwood Blues. The pair most recently breezed a best-of-59 five furlongs in :58 4/5 at Santa Anita Oct. 2 with Elwood Blues. The group known as the Three Amigos...

With Breeders' Cup weekend at Keeneland right around the corner, 15 graded stakes--including seven 'Win and You're In' events--will take place throughout North America on an absolutely loaded day of racing Saturday. Five of those graded races will go down in Lexington, including a stacked renewal of the 'Win and You're In' GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity. The overflow field of 14 (plus two AE's)'s lone graded winner, GI Hopeful S. hero and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence), bypassed last weekend's GI Champagne S. in favor of this first attempt around...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect on July 1, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week. California: Track: Los Alamitos Date: 10/02/2022 Licensee: Juan Hernandez, jockey Penalty:...