Tim Yakteen

Monday's rescheduled Affirmed Stakes was run at a breakneck clip, and that suited the class-dropping SECURED FREEDOM (c, 3, Practical Joke--Securely, by Uncle Mo), who made a long run from three furlongs out and overcame some late greenness to win for the first time in stakes company. Settled in fifth position as Mo Koko (Mo Town) and 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Decisive Win (Nyquist) match-raced into the clubhouse turn, Secured Freedom was content to bide his time from midfield and improved past a rival to be fourth approaching...

Secured Freedom (Practical Joke), last seen finishing third to the now-sidelined Plutarch (Into Mischief) in the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 7, worked five furlongs in :59.60 (3/52) over the local main track Saturday morning and will make his next start in the Mar. 7 GII San Felipe Stakes, trainer Tim Yakteen said. "It was a nice drill," Yakteen said. "He had company the first half mile, finished up strong. We're on track." A $110,000 Keeneland September yearling, the Virginia-bred was fourth to future GII...

Several notable sophomores were out on track Saturday morning at Santa Anita Park, including Grade I winner Intrepido (Maximus Mischief) and fellow GIII Robert B. Lewis alumnus Secured Freedom (Practical Joke)--both of whom put in their first moves since the aforementioned race. The former finished closest to GISP Plutarch (Into Mischief) in the Lewis, that one claimed top prize by three-quarters of a length, and took a spin over the main track for trainer Jeff Mullins in an easy four-panel move. Clocked in :48.80 with jockey Hector Berrios in the...

DEL MAR, CA - A swing through the course of American Thoroughbred history yields the widely-accepted conclusion that dirt plays the king in these parts, while turf is the patient understudy offstage left--turns are configured in that direction over here. It was not all that long ago that droves of U.S. tracks debated whether putting in a bladed surface and acquiring something called a going stick made any sense. Progressive places like Del Mar's Thoroughbred Club damned the salt in the marine layer and forged ahead with its first course...

Johannes (Nyquist--Cuyathy, by Congrats), the winner of the GI Shoemaker Mile as well as five other graded stakes on the turf, will begin his stallion career at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky., following a final start in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile on Nov. 1 at Del Mar, the farm announced Tuesday. The 5-year-old enters this year's Breeders' Cup with nine wins in 15 starts and earnings in excess of $1.2 million. Of those nine wins, eight wins have come in stakes company, and six were against graded stakes competition....

The connections of Johannes (Nyquist), Nevada Beach (Omaha Beach), and GI Goodwood Stakes runner-up Full Serrano (Arg) (Full Mast) have confirmed their charges as Breeders' Cup bound in November after their stellar performances Saturday. One-two finishers Nevada Beach and Full Serrano were both doing well Sunday morning after the Goodwood, and barring any hiccups between now and the Breeders' Cup, will both be targeting respective Breeders' Cup races--the former having earned an automatic berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Classic with his victory. A 3-year-old making just his fourth start,...

3rd-SA, 60k, Msw, 2yo, f, 6fT, 5:01 p.m. ET Randall Lowe homebred Essential Lady (Essential Quality), a half-sister to two-time Breeders' Cup winner and young Coolmore stallion Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), debuts for Tim Yakteen sprinting over the Santa Anita lawn. Her talented dam Lady Shipman (Midshipman) was a GSW and narrow runner-up in the 2015 GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland. Lady Shipman's yearling colt by Flightline brought $1.5 million from Resolute Bloodstock at the recently concluded Keeneland September sale. The field of eight also includes Ramayana (Uncle...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Just after 6:30 on a dreary, rainy Thursday morning, a 4-year-old gelding named Corruption (Medaglia d'Oro), with a long white blaze on his face, stuck his dark brown head out of his stall at Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse's barn on the Saratoga backstretch. Bright-eyed and inquisitive, he gobbled up a peppermint. If he could have spoken, he might have said, 'what's the big deal? I feel fine." About 15 1/2 hours prior, he wasn't. After winning Saratoga's fourth race on Wednesday and returning to...

GISW Johannes (Nyquist) has emerged from his victory in the GII San Gabriel Stakes with bone bruising and will need time off, Camilla Yakteen tweeted on X Friday. A three-quarter-length winner of that graded contest for trainer Tim Yakteen, his fifth in a near perfect 2024 season blemished only by a game second in the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile, Johannes will be given time off to heal and will resume his 2025 campaign once fully recovered. "Coming out of the San Gabriel Stakes, Johannes developed a mild case of...

The Santa Anita racing community continues to feel the impacts of the nearby Eaton fire. While the track itself and the 1,800 horses stabled on grounds have not been threatened, the fire has burned more than 13,900 acres while forcing over 100,000 people from their homes and destroying over 1,000 structures in the surrounding area. Agent Mike Ciani confirmed two-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Mario Gutierrez is among those who have lost their home from the fire. Among those forced to evacuate were trainers Michael McCarthy, Phil D'Amato, Dan Blacker and...

Look Forward (Bolt d'Oro) was a nice first-out winner for the late Ben Cecil at Del Mar when she took she took her competition gate to wire while posting an 82 Beyer Speed Figure Nov. 8. Transferred to Michael McCarthy's care, she was then tested for class in the GII Starlet Stakes, stretching out to 1 1/16 miles at Los Alamitos Dec. 7. She dueled late into the race with GISW and eventual winner Tenma (Nyquist) and just yielded close to home when second by 1 3/4 lengths. Cutting back...

Last year, the Santa Ynez Stakes was issued a downgrade from its grade III status and tabbed as a listed race for 3-year-old fillies in 2025. However, Kentucky Oaks points remain on the table--10 will be deposited in the winner's account--when the bell rings at Santa Anita on Sunday. The Santa Ynez is now part of 1/ST Racing's 3-Year-Old Filly Series, which is sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. Made the morning-line favorite at 5-2 is Hronis Racing's A.Z. Wildcat (Munnings). The chestnut stalked the pace nicely and ended up breaking her maiden...