Santa Anita

Defunded, who had been knocking on the door at the graded level for the last year and a half, picked a good time to break through as he led home a one-two for Bob Baffert in this "Win and You're In" qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. Runner-up in both the GIII Affirmed S. and GIII Los Alamitos Derby last term, the chestnut was transferred to Sean McCarthy for his first two tries of 2022--a dominant optional claiming tally going a local mile and a runner-up finish in the...

By J.N. Campbell While U.S. television sets await a rainy French Arc Day in the morning, both the right and left North American coasts will emcee three graded stakes races apiece, as Sunday afternoon comes calling. The Big A and The Great Race Place (Aqueduct and Santa Anita, in case you were stationed under a rock) host. The former is accommodating Belmont's Fall Meet, while "Big Sandy" undergoes an extreme makeover tunnel edition; while the latter is back in business under the picturesque mountains and ray filled sun in SoCal....

There are but five weeks remaining between now and the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland Nov. 4 and 5, and many of horse racing's biggest names will take in their final prep races over the course of the next couple of weekends. Better than 40 graded stakes, the majority of which have championship weekend implications, are set to take place from sea to shining sea, including 21 'Win and You're In' events offering the winners an all-expenses paid trip to the Bluegrass. Santa Anita stages one of the four Breeders' Cup...

Jane Goldstein will be recognized with a special award at the inaugural edition of the Horse Racing Women's Summit (HRWS) at its luncheon Thursday, Sept. 29. The presentation will honor Goldstein for her role as a groundbreaking leader and inspirational example to women in racing. A native of New Orleans, Goldstein had an early introduction to the racetrack through her father, a writer and reporter with the Times-Picayune newspaper. She attended the University of Kentucky and Louisiana State University. Following graduation, she was hired to work in the publicity department...

The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) on Thursday approved a 2023 schedule for the Southern California circuit that largely mirrors this year's version. A final vote on the Northern California schedule was put off until the CHRB's October meeting. But one new idea floated for the NorCal circuit during the Sep. 15 meeting could involve the Cal Expo state fair meet running either twilight or night programs next year. Concerns over dangerously high temperatures during July, when Cal Expo is expected to receive its three-week block of dates, were cited...

Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 53 horses of racing age entries for its upcoming California Fall Yearlings and Horses of Racing Age sale. These entries, which are catalogued as hips 301-353, will be sold immediately following the conclusion of the yearling portion of the catalogue. "This is a quality group of horses of racing age, providing buyers with 'ready to run' opportunities ahead of Santa Anita's autumn meet," said Mike Machowsky, Fasig-Tipton's California Representative. "We have a wide variety of offerings, ranging from stakes horses, to recent winners, to unraced 2-year-olds with...

The Horse Racing Women's Summit planning committee, recently featured in TDN, has initiated a Pay it Forward program. Companies and individuals are encouraged to sponsor tickets for others who would like to attend the event, which is scheduled for Sept. 28-30 at Santa Anita. Sponsors can either name who they would like to sponsor or put the ticket in a pool to be allocated by the committee. "We are thrilled with the diversity of ticket sales so far; attendees include horsemen, racetrack executives, aftercare professionals, media representatives, lawyers, accountants, regulators,...

Harris Farms and Santa Anita Park have announced the creating of new scholarship opportunities to promote the Thoroughbred in the Sporthorse disciplines. Two scholarships in the amount of $1,000 will be awarded annually, one for the Junior rider Thoroughbred and the other for the Amateur rider Thoroughbred partnership. The recipient shall receive an award of $1,000, to further their training and competition opportunities. Eligible expenses include lessons or clinics, travel expenses directly related to receiving instruction, competition fees, etc. The recipient must attest that he/she will continue to pursue training...

The inaugural edition of the Horse Racing Women's Summit (HRWS) is just three weeks away and the planning committee behind the buzzed-about event is so enthusiastic about spreading the word that they say down with the TDN to share how the multi-day summit is gaining national attention and discuss why it is important that the event will be bringing in women from all facets of the industry. "The Horse Racing Women's Summit is designed to empower, connect and remove barriers in leadership in racing," said Jodie Vella-Gregory, a member of...

1/ST RACING and FanDuel TV are presenting sponsors for the inaugural Horse Racing Women's Summit that will take place Sept. 28-30 at Santa Anita Park. The core pillars of the HRWS are to remove barriers, to empower, to build inclusivity and leadership, to mentor, to develop and grow the sport. "1/ST RACING is proud to be a title sponsor of the inaugural Horse Racing Women's Summit being held at our historic Santa Anita Park," said Aidan Butler, Chief Operating Officer, 1/ST RACING. "While our industry has taken steps towards inclusivity...

For over two years, the simulcasting signal from 1/ST-operated racetracks, along with several others around the country, has been missing in Arizona--the residual fall-out from a long-simmering dispute between the owners of Arizona Downs and the arm of The Stronach Group (TSG) tasked with distributing the company's signal. In both California and Arizona, stakeholders argue that this simulcasting blackout has hit both the bettors and the industry--by how much appears open to debate. A recent analysis by the Arizona Horseman's Benevolent & Protective Association (AZHBPA) of the projected lost revenue...

Claiming that the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) has "destroyed" his reputation as a trainer by issuing a 47-count complaint pertaining to the alleged race-day administration of substances to his horses and then purportedly violating his rights to due process when he tried to resolve the charges, Richard Baltas is suing the CHRB, its commissioners, and executive director for at least $12 million in damages. According to a lawsuit filed Aug. 17 in Superior Court for the State of California (Los Angeles County), the lawsuit also stated that the CHRB...