Santa Anita
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 7th-SA, $61K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, post time: 7:03 p.m. ET SIR LONDON (Malibu Moon) was led out unsold on a bid of $135,000 at the 2020 Keeneland January Sale, but improved over the next 17 months and was knocked down to agents Alex Elliott and Ben McElroy for $700,000 after breezing a furlong on his wrong lead in :10 flat (see below) at this year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale. The priciest of 24 juveniles (32 ring) for his late sire in 2021, Sir London is a...
Medina Spirit (Protonico) looks to secure his spot in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic as he faces his elders Saturday in the GI Awesome Again S. at Santa Anita. Winner of the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. here in January, the Florida-bred was second in both the Mar. 6 GII San Felipe S.--won by his former stablemate and recent GII Kelso H. victor Life is Good (Into Mischief)--and Apr. 3 GI Santa Anita Derby. The dark bay went wire to wire in the May 1 GI Kentucky Derby, a win...
LNJ Foxwoods' sends out a pair of homebreds from two different barns in Luck (Kitten's Joy) and Dogtag (War Front), both of whom have a good chance to secure a spot in the gate for the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf next month in Saturday's GI Rodeo Drive S. at Santa Anita. Luck kicked off her career in France for trainer Alain De Royer-Dupre, winning two of four starts going long on the synthetic, including an Apr. 1 allowance. Sixth in her final European start on turf May 8, she...
Surface tensions in our business have run pretty deep in recent years, nowhere more so than at Santa Anita. After a failed revolution, with a synthetic track, they eventually backed into a terrifying breakdowns crisis. Racing in California still has its problems, of course, not least the cloud currently over its premier barn--which, after that curious hesitation last week, instead gives its most controversial resident a home game Saturday in the GI Awesome Again S. But given our community's fury right now with another racetrack proprietor, who this week cashed...
As springboard--or tripwire--before the ultimate Breeders' Cup showdown at Del Mar this November, Santa Anita's opening weekend sure ticks a lot of boxes. "Really happy with the job my staff did putting all these races together," said Santa Anita racing secretary, Chris Merz, on Thursday morning. "Stakes coordinator James Kasparoff did an outstanding job." In all, there are seven Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" races. The three on Friday--the GI American Pharoah S., GII Chandelier S., and the Speakeasy S.--are geared around the sport's young blood. The Saturday and...
'TDN Rising Star' Corniche (Quality Road) looks to stamp his ticket to the upcoming GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile in Friday's GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita. Topping the OBS April sale at $1.5 million, the Speedway Stable colorbearer wired the field for an effortless 4 1/4-length graduation in his 5 1/2-panel unveiling at Del Mar Sept. 4, earning a gaudy 98 Beyer Speed Figure. His breeding indicates this extension to a route of ground should be no problem and with his rail draw, pilot Mike Smith is likely to...
Grace Adler (Curlin) looks to take her record to three-for-three and provide Hall of Famer Bob Baffert with his 12th victory in Santa Anita's GII Chandelier S. Friday, a "Win and You're in Event" for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in November. A debut winner at Del Mar July 31, the $700,000 FTKSEL purchase already secured her spot in the gate for the World Championships with a dominant late-running score in the Sept. 5 GI Del Mar Debutante S., which she won by 11 1/4 lengths over Dance to...
If any ducks have been careless enough to stray at the Michael McCarthy barn at Santa Anita, they've been promptly herded back into row. The McCarthy office has a new lick of bright white paint and a navy accent wall to compliment the trainer's coat of arms. There's the fancy new desk--one of those good-for-the-back ergonomic types that moves to fit the owner and not the other way around--and a blazing new flatscreen high in one corner. Then there's the trainer himself, freshly shorn from an in-office trim--a precision 10-minute...
Next year's 51st annual Eclipse Awards dinner and ceremony, honoring Thoroughbred racing's champions of 2021, will be held at Santa Anita Park, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters announced Tuesday. Held in conjunction with the Stronach Group, the Eclipse Awards dinner and ceremony at Santa Anita will take place Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022, prior to the NFL's Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 13. Additional information will be announced in the coming weeks. The Stronach Group hosted the...
Santa Anita's Winter/Spring Meet, which opens Sunday, Dec. 26, will be highlighted by 10 Grade I stakes among the 59 graded races on tap for the season. Three Grade I events will be featured on opening day: the Runhappy Malibu S., the La Brea S., and the American Oaks. The $750,000 GI Santa Anita Derby will be held Apr. 9. A total of 94 stakes will be offered throughout the season, which ends June 19. "We have added a significant amount of money to our stakes program along with some...
The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) on Wednesday unanimously approved a 2022 race dates schedule that looks similar to this year's version, with two significant tweaks: 1) Santa Anita Park will take a mid-April break in the midst of its six-month meet; 2) Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (DMTC) will have a summer-meet closing date of Sept. 11, a departure from tradition that will extend the meet six days beyond Labor Day. The dates allotment was unanimously approved at the Sept. 15 CHRB meeting. The process itself was surprisingly streamlined and...
Santa Anita will host a charity poker tournament Oct. 23 to benefit the Folds of Honor Foundation, which supports families of fallen or disable veterans. Players will make a $300 charitable donation, which includes a day at the races and a night of No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em. There will also be a silent auction. Folds of Honor has awarded more than 35,000 educational scholarships to the families of fallen or disabled veterans and will be represented by retired United States Marine Corps Sergeant and P.O.W. Rocky Sickmann, one of 65...