Santa Anita

An indication of just how prickly an upcoming California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) Medication, Safety, and Welfare Committee meeting discussion will likely be--one on potentially penalizing trainers for equine injuries and fatalities--can be evinced through a tweet the agency's spokesperson, Mike Marten, issued on Sept. 26. The digital missive goes: "Considerable interest in this Oct. 19 CHRB committee agenda item: 'Discussion regarding the advisability of penalizing trainers for injuries and fatalities for horses in their care.' Emphasis on the word 'discussion.' Very early in a complicated process." A "complicated process"...

Trainer Doug O'Neill's Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) began tightening the screws for the Nov. 6 GI Breeders' Cup Classic with a four-furlong move at Santa Anita Saturday morning. Out at 7:45 a.m., the popular dark bay, known for his gritty style, had Mike Smith in the irons. The Hall of Famer was filling in for regular rider Flavien Prat, who was riding at Keeneland Saturday. "He went a half-mile in 48 and change and galloped out in 1:01 and three," said O'Neill. "He looked good. It was his first piece...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency PLETCHER UNVEILS PRICEY INTO MISCHIEF 1st-BEL, $90K, Msw, 2yo, 1mT, 12:35 p.m. Spendthrift Farm teamed up with My Racehorse on a $600,000 son of Into Mischief in KEESEP acquisition PROVOCATEUR, who debuts in this test for trainer Todd Pletcher. The bay is a full-brother to Grade III winner One Liner and SP Roderick. This is also the family of Grade I-winning stallions Daredevil (More Than Ready) and Albertus Maximus (Albert the Great). Christophe Clement unveils Ruthenian (Union Rags) here as well. He is a half...

As part of a continuing effort to attract new horses, Santa Anita will again be offering bonuses to horsemen bringing out-of-state horses to run at Santa Anita's upcoming winter/spring meet, which opens Dec. 26. Eligible horses will receive a $5,000 bonus as well as purse money 35% above their allotted purse percentage for one start. Horses who become eligible at the 2021 Del Mar fall meet will also be eligible for Ship & Win bonuses for their first start at Santa Anita's winter/spring meet. The $5,000 bonus will also apply...

September was a busy month for buzzers. On Sept. 15, the Monmouth Park board of stewards suspended jockey Tomas Mejia for 10 years and fined him $5,000 for possessing an electrical device--commonly referred to as a "buzzer"--during a race run there Sept. 3. That same day at Indiana Grand, leading Quarter Horse jockey, Sammy Mendez, was "summarily suspended for actions not in the best interest of racing," and is awaiting a full hearing before the track's board of stewards. According to the Paulick Report, the suspension is connected to use...

SURFER GIRL S., $203,000, Santa Anita, 10-3, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:34.27, fm. 1--CAIRO MEMORIES, 120, f, 2, by Cairo Prince 1st Dam: Incarnate Memories, by Indian Charlie 2nd Dam: Witness Post, by Gone West 3rd Dam: Most Likely, by Fappiano 'TDN Rising Star' 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. ($50,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-David A. Bernsen, LLC & Schroeder Farms LLC; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Robert B. Hess, Jr.; J-Kent J. Desormeaux. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $162,000. *Full to Cariba, SW, $221,750. 2--Helens Well (Ire), 120, f, 2, Kodi Bear (Ire)--Ever Evolving (Fr),...

7th-Santa Anita, $62,500, Msw, 10-3, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.38, ft, 4 1/4 lengths. WINNING MAP (c, 2, Liam's Map--Starlet O'Hara {SP}, by Discreetly Mine), sent off the 2-5 favorite, powered home an easy four-length winner of his debut at Santa Anita Sunday. The gray colt, a $55,000 KEESEP yearling turned $525,000 OBS March juvenile, went right to the early lead and was in control through a quarter in :22.08. He scampered further clear on the far turn, but Sir London (Malibu Moon) rushed up to challenge the favorite as the half...

For 110 seconds on an unseasonably hot Saturday afternoon in Southern California, all was right in the world of Zedan Racing Stables' Medina Spirit (Protonico). Having given last Saturday's GI Pennsylvania Derby a miss, the blue-collar colt was rerouted to Saturday's GI Awesome Again S. and a first try against some accomplished older horses. With a berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic on the line, the Florida-bred once again displayed the tenacity and raw ability that carried him past the post first in the GI Kentucky Derby, leading every...

Bob Baffert comes into Sunday's GII Zenyatta S. with a strong one-two punch in the form of Private Mission (Into Mischief) and the regally bred As Time Goes By (American Pharoah--Take Charge Lady). The winner of this event earns a spot in the upcoming GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar. A debut winner at this oval last October, Private Mission checked in fourth in Del Mar's Desi Arnaz S. a month later and was subsequently shelved. Making her belated sophomore bow in a June 12 optional claimer here, the...

Chicago-based invader One Timer took to the turf Friday to skate into the GII Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar with a guaranteed spot in the starting line-up. A 12 1/2-length debut romper at Arlington back in June over recent GIII Iroquois S. runner-up Tough to Tame (Speightster) and another future stakes performer, the bay paired up 80 Beyer Speed Figures when annexing Woodbine's Victoria S. July 31. He was scratched as a would-be heavy favorite from the Aug. 28 Arlington-Washington Futurity won by stablemate Nobals (Noble Mission {GB}),...

'TDN Rising Star' Ain't Easy (f, 2, Into Mischief--Ameristralia {Aus}, by Fastnet Rock {Aus}) put on a show to remain unbeaten while punching her ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in Friday's 'Win and You're In' GII Chandelier S. at Santa Anita. Electric Ride (Daredevil), a runaway debut winner at Del Mar Aug. 28, was second; second out Del Mar maiden winner Desert Dawn (Cupid) was third. Heavily favored GI TVG Del Mar Debutante S. heroine Grace Adler (Curlin) never factored while fifth. Ain't Easy, a sharp 5...

On the day Santa Anita unveiled a plaque commemorating six decades of dedicated service to its recently retired 100-year-old Paddock Captain John Shear, it was announced that the Santana Mile S. has been renamed in his honor as the John Shear Mile S. For older horses, the $75,000 John Shear Mile will be held Sunday, Apr. 10. Employed by Santa Anita since 1961, Shear, who retired this past June, gained national recognition when on Mar. 12, 2011, he sustained life threatening injuries as he threw himself between an on-rushing loose...