Santa Anita
Ce Ce (Elusive Quality), last seen upsetting the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Del Mar Nov. 6, returns to launch her 6-year-old campaign in Saturday's GII Santa Monica S. at Santa Anita. The 2020 GI Apple Blossom H. and GI Beholder Mile S. heroine focused on races going around one turn during her 2021 campaign. In addition to her victory at the Championships, her season also included strong wins in the GII Princess Rooney Invitational at Gulfstream July 3 and GIII Chillingworth S. at Santa Anita Oct....
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 and where. CALIFORNIA Track: Santa Anita Date: 01/28/2022 Licensee: Richard Dean Greenman, trainer Penalty: Required to participate in a fitness for licensure hearing before being permitted to get re-licensed (his license having expired in August of last year). Violation: N/A Explainer: Acting on an Order of...
Unbeaten Flightline (Tapit) tuned up for his expected 4-year-old debut in the Mar. 5 GII San Carlos S. with a four-furlong work in :47.80 (6/86) at Santa Anita Sunday. "I had him in :48 and one on my watch, but more important is the way he went," said trainer John Sadler. "He looked very comfortable and it was just a start on the road back. He'll return in the San Carlos, but the big goal is the [June 11 GI] Met Mile." Flightline, unchallenged in three lifetime starts, was tabbed...
Forbidden Kingdom (American Pharoah) upset the highly touted Bob Baffert trio to register a front-running victory in Santa Anita's GII San Vicente S. Saturday. Longshot What in Blazes (Straight Fire) burst from the outside post in this five-horse affair with the rest of the field breaking in tandem to his inside. Forbidden Kingdom sprinted up the fence to take command with Grade I winner Pinehurst (Twirling Candy) and his stablemate McLaren Vale (Gun Runner) tracking from about a half-length back through a :21.86 opening quarter. 'TDN Rising Star' Doppelganger (Into...
Bob Baffert has won Santa Anita's GII San Vicente S. 11 times and has a pretty good chance to secure his 12th victory Saturday when he saddles three of the five runners entered in this year's renewal. Leading that trio is last term's GI Del Mar Futurity S. winner Pinehurst (Twirling Candy). A debut winner at the seaside oval Aug. 1, the bay went wire-to-wire for a 4 1/2-length score in the Sept. 6 Futurity, but could only manage fifth behind stablemate and likely champion Corniche (Quality Road) in the...
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 and where. California Track: Santa Anita Date: 01/21/2022 Licensee: Ricardo Ramirez, jockey Penalty: Three-day suspension Violation: Excessive use of riding crop Explainer: Apprentice Jockey Ricardo Ramirez is suspended for 3 racing days (JANUARY 28, 29 and 30, 2022) for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule...
California's purse and handle numbers are in, and after the pandemic-stricken figures of last year, there's plenty of reason for encouragement. A 13% increase in California races over 2020 translated into a 17% increase in all source handle and a 19% increase in purse generation. "Handle is up everywhere, including Southern California, which generated really nice purses for us in 2021," said Gary Fenton, chairman of the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC). "It's created this momentum for us," Fenton said, pointing to the purse enhancements offered by Santa Anita and...
8th-Santa Anita, $73,140, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($50,000), 1-23, 4yo/up, f/m, 1m, 1:39.09, ft, 6 1/2 lengths. DISTRACTEDPRINCESS (f, 4, Distorted Humor--Celtic Princess {Brz} {Ch. 2-year-old Filly-Brz, Horse Of The Year-Brz, Ch. 3-year-old Filly-Brz, MG1SW-Brz, GSW & GISP-USA, $330,624}, by Public Purse) parlayed an uber-impressive 13-length debut seven-furlong romp Dec. 31 into a second career win on the slight stretch out to a mile Sunday at Santa Anita. She broke on top, dueled briefly with Eyes Open (Street Sense), but had a half-length advantage and was moving easily with her ears...
Acacia Courtney, Britney Eurton, Gabby Gaudet and Michelle Yu have been named as the hosts of the 51st Annual Eclipse Awards to be held Thursday evening, Feb. 10, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Courtney, Eurton and Gaudet began hosting the event together in 2020, while this will be Yu's first appearance as a host. Courtney is in her sixth year as on-air talent at Gulfstream Park, while also working for the New York Racing Association as the host for 'America's Day at the Races' and Saratoga Live on...
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 6th-OP, $84K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 3:51 p.m. ET The first of two strong-looking groups of sophomore fillies line up here in Hot Springs. Brad Cox-trained second timer Firewolves (Practical Joke) gets the tepid morning-line nod coming off a runner-up outing over track and trip Dec. 3 that earned her a 75 Beyer Speed Figure. The $140,000 Keeneland September yearling is half to MGSP Tap for Luck (Tapit) and to the dam of GSW/GISP Jeltrin (Tapizar). Peace Peddler (Gun Runner) set a solid pace in...
Three members of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), plus the agency's executive director, on Thursday advocated for the reinstatement of temporarily suspended CHRB equine medical director Jeff Blea on the eve of his hearing before the California Veterinary Medical Board (VMB) to rule on a list of allegations that include administering "dangerous drugs" to racehorses without examination or medical necessity. "For my own two cents as chairman, I think that the issues surrounding Dr. Jeff Blea brought forth by the veterinary medical board are both ill-advised and slanderous," said...
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 and where. California Track: Santa Anita Date: 01/14/2022 Licensee: Kent Desormeaux, jockey Penalty: $500 Violation: Excessive use of the riding crop Explainer: Jockey Kent Desormeaux is fined $500.00 for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1688(b)(8) (Use of Riding Crop--more than six times--first offense within...