Santa Anita

Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has filed a petition for writ of mandate and damages in San Diego County Superior Court against the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) arguing the agency has failed to exercise its regulatory authority and intercede in disputes where several California racing associations have barred the trainer from their grounds. The petition also raises bias and conflict of interest concerns within the CHRB, contending that these issues have compromised the board's ability to exercise its oversight authority in an impartial manner. In June of last...

In a settlement agreement and mutual release with the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), leading California trainer John Sadler has been fined $15,000 and handed a 60-day suspension--45 days of which are stayed--for three medication violations dating from 2019. The suspension runs June 29 through June 13. As part of the agreement, Sadler has been placed on probation for one year, ending June 28, 2021. If he incurs any medication violations during that period, the 45 days of stayed suspension will be imposed following a noticed hearing. As first reported...

While the racing industry has made important strides forward in detecting horses at risk of suffering catastrophic injuries before they occur, that system is far from perfect. But better use and understanding of the various diagnostic tools at our disposal could help to plug those existing gaps--that's the main takeaway from a recent article published in the Equine Veterinary Journal. The seven-page paper provides a summary of the findings that came from a symposium held this past March at Newmarket, during which various veterinarians and experts shared their research into...

Sunday May 17 at Santa Anita rather disappeared into the ether of a weekend dominated by the resumption of live racing after a COVID-fueled two-month hiatus. But Sunday May 17 was notable in itself given how it christened the first 2-year-old race in California under the state's new Lasix-free rules. The chronology of events leading to that watershed is now something approaching lore. During Santa Anita's much-publicized troubles early last year, the track instituted a ban on Lasix, an action the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) synthesized into a state-wide...

11th-Santa Anita, $52,000, Msw, 6-21, 3yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2f, 1:16.93, ft. PROVOCATION (f, 3, Into Mischief--Meadow Breeze {GISW, $301,301}, by Meadowlake), fresh off a jaw-dropping win in Saturday's GI Acorn S. by stablemate Gamine, became the latest Bob Baffert-trained daughter of Into Mischief to watch out for as she led start to finish Sunday evening at Santa Anita. The $350,000 OBS April pick-up (:20 3/5) was bet early and often as if the race had already been run off of a strong series of local works (see May 29, via...

Dismissed at 21-1 despite a flashy local tab, Chris Drakos and Ryan Hanson's Weston (Hit it a Bomb) blasted out of the gate and never looked back to become the first winner for his freshman sire (by War Front) at Santa Anita Sunday. Scrubbed along to seize a narrow advantage on the fence, the $7,000 KEESEP bargain buy headed for home with a clear advantage as only $550,000 OBSMAR purchase Ambivalent (Constitution) seemed to have any shot to catch him. Weston had no thoughts of stopping, however, and streaked home...

Those who backed him into 2-5 would have had a few nervous moments late, but Collusion Illusion kicked it in for the final furlong and rolled past pacesetting Ragtime Blues en route to an ultimately convincing victory in the GIII Laz Barrera S. at Santa Anita. Ragtime Blues won the break and dictated terms early, while Collusion Illusion, last of the five in the opening exchanges, tugged Flavien Prat into a share of second after a quarter in :21.90. The front-runner pinched a break without really being asked by Mike...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 2nd-BEL, $64K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:50 p.m. Wesley Ward has a pair of Keeneland-based juveniles entered in this spot. Breeze Easy's Roderick (Into Mischief) was a $550,000 KEESEP yearling and is a full-brother to two-turn GSW One Liner. He hails from the extended female family of highest-level winners Albertus Maximus, Daredevil and King Charlemagne. Roderick's stablemate Copley (Air Force Blue) is from a Ned Evans family that includes the likes of Grade I winners Swagger Jack and Malibu Prayer. Winfromwithin (Into Mischief), just a...

Collusion Illusion (Twirling Candy) tops a five-horse renewal of the GIII Lazaro Barrera S. Saturday at Santa Anita. Opening his account with a pair of wins last summer at Del Mar, including the GII Best Pal S., the bay was pulled up and walked off in the GI American Pharoah S. when trying two turns at Santa Anita Sept. 27. Cut back to six panels for his sophomore bow in Arcadia May 17, he scored a decisive three-length victory. Ragtime Blues (Union Rags) represents the powerhouse barn of Bob Baffert....

2nd-Santa Anita, $56,200, Msw, 6-14, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, :52.90, ft. MY GIRL RED (f, 2, Texas Red--Morakami {SP, $145,532}, by Fusaichi Pegasus), sent off at 2-1 for the same connections that campaigned her sire (by Afleet Alex) to victories in the 2014 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and 2015 GII Jim Dandy S., became the freshman's first winner with a sharp showing at Santa Anita Sunday. Sharp from the blocks, the bay dueled along the fence with a longshot early  before shaking loose at the top of the stretch. She...

Sprinting for the first time in her career, Gingham (Quality Road) was the recipient of a supremely confident Mike Smith ride and jumped out of the ground at the eighth pole, rolling past her chief market rival Been Studying Her (Fast Anna) to register an impressive victory in Saturday's Angels Flight S. at Santa Anita. Not surprisingly beaten for speed and last after breaking from gate one, the $420,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase rode the rails into the stretch while in hand. Been Studying Her struck to the lead approaching...

Racing was allowed to continue Friday at Santa Anita after tests conducted earlier in the week returned some inconclusive results. With the results still being evaluated Friday morning, jockeys were not allowed the participate in workouts. Exercise riders were still permitted on track. Santa Anita officials issued a release, saying: "All of the jockeys at Santa Anita Park have tested negative for COVID-19 and racing will continue as schedule this afternoon.  Jockeys were asked not to be onsite this morning while some screenings were rechecked. A retest of their initial...