Category: Blog Posts

Santa Anita Park Report (Feb. 14-17)

Santa Anita Recap for Friday (2-14-20) Fast main track and firm turf course. Three front running winners on dirt (6.5f, 6f, 8.5f). The turf course winners were a front runner at one mile, a stalker at a mile and an eighth, and a stalker at one mile (rail at 30 feet). Riding doubles for Abel Cedillo and Umberto Rispoli (turf routes). The Rainbow 6 pool was $97,222 and multiple winning jackpot ticket paid $1,331.72 each. There will be a jackpot carryover of $251,760 when live racing resumes on Saturday, Feb. 15. Feb. 14 Claims: Race 5 – Time for Ebby ($20k, Matthew Chew). ———– Santa Anita Recap for Saturday (2-15-20) Fast main track and firm turf course. One front running winner at six and one-half furlongs on dirt. The turf course winners were a last-to-first closer at a mile an an eighth, a dueling front runner at 5.5 furlongs, a

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Turfdom Horses To Watch List– February 19, 2020

SILK FROM HEAVEN (February 14): Four year old filly for Hector Palma made her 2nd start off of a layoff on Friday in a first allowance Cal bred condition for older fillies and mares at ¾ on the main track. Off at a whopping 35/1 in just a six horse field, she showed much improved early speed and dueled for the lead from the inside down the back stretch. She opened up a length and a half at the 3/8 pole and still had her head in front at the top of the lane. The heavy odds on favorite out gamed her down the lane, but she held second and it was another 3 lengths back to the third horse. Her next start will be her 3rd off the layoff, often a horse’s best race, and that combined with the new found early speed, make her a soon winner for

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TURFDOM NEWS AND NOTES for February 19, 2020

Eight weeks are now in the books at this winter meet and the weather continues to be rain free, which really helps the condition of both the main track and the turf course. For the 4th consecutive week at Santa Anita Park there have been no mishaps (knock on wood)  and the PETA people are getting tired of carrying their signs with nobody reading or listening. And there is no rain in sight in all of California for the next week as well. Both the main track and the turf course continue to play fair and favorites are dominating at the meet so far, mainly because of the small fields on most days. They raced four days this past week and they really struggled to put a card together for Monday. Favorites are winning at 39% overall, 42% on the main track and 36% on the lawn. The national average

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Kentucky Oaks 2020 Report: February 14

Venetian Harbor jumped onto the Kentucky Oaks 2020 trail with an emphatic win in the Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita Park on Saturday, Feb. 8. The Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) at Grounds on Feb. 15 is the next Oaks points race, and it is a big one. Juvenile filly champ British Idiom returns to action, and it is the first 50 points race of the season, so it is basically and win and you’re in contest. British Idiom won all three of her starts in 2019, including the Alcibiades (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). She is the deserving favorite at Fair Grounds on Saturday. Kentucky Oaks 2020 Points Race Recaps Suncoast Stakes Recap (2-8-20) – Winner: Lucrezia ($13.80) This race did not feel strong. Lucrezia attended the pace and scored comfortably, but the final number was nothing special. She won because she liked the Tampa Bay oval,

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Kentucky Derby 2020 Report: February 14

Sole Volante is the latest Kentucky Derby 2020 points race series winner, but a highly regarded sophomore not running in a points race stole the show last weekend at Santa Anita Park. Nadal became a graded winner in just his second career start for Bob Baffert, and he defeated 2-year-old champion and BC Juvenile hero Storm the Court in the San Vicente Stakes (G2) at seven furlongs. The El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields is the only 10 points race this week, and the Risen Star Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds has been split into two divisions. The first place finisher in both divisions on the Risen Star will each receive 50 points, so they are essentially win and you’re in races. The first division of the Risen Star (race 12) includes the top three finishers from the LeComte Stakes (Enforceable, Silver State, Mr. Monomoy). Anneau d’Or is

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Santa Anita Park Report (Jan. 31-Feb. 2)

Santa Anita Recap for Thursday (1-30-20) Fast main track and firm turf course. Two front running dirt sprint winners (6f, 6.5f). The winning turf course running styles were a presser/stalker at one mile and a stalker at 5.5 furlongs (rail at 20 feet). No riding or training doubles on Thursday. The Rainbow 6 pool was $51,725 and multiple winning jackpot ticket paid $905.34 each. There will be a jackpot carryover of $50,049 when live racing resumes on Friday, Jan. 31. Jan. 30 Claims: None. ———– Santa Anita Recap for Friday (1-31-20) Fast main track and firm turf course. One front running winner at six furlongs on dirt. The winning turf course running styles were a stalker at 5.5 furlongs, and a pair of stalkers at one mile (rail at 30 feet). Hat trick for Joel Rosario, and a riding double for Flavien Prat. Richard Baltas saddled two winners and Rosario

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Kentucky Derby 2020 Report for Jan. 31

There have been four Kentucky Derby 2020 points races this year, and the LeComte Stakes (G3) at Fair Grounds has been the strongest race so far. There are three Derby preps this weekend (Holy Bull, Robert B. Lewis, Withers). Tiz the Law is the 3-5 morning line favorite for the Holy Bull Stakes (G2), and Thousand Words is 4-5 to remain unbeaten in the Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita Park. The final points race on Saturday, Feb. 1 is the Withers Stakes at the Big A. Shotski is the 2-1 choice on the line and is the most vulnerable of the three Derby points race favorites on Saturday. For analysis of those three Derby preps, check out my Today’s Racing Digest video. Kentucky Derby 2020 Points Race Recaps LeComte Stakes (G3) Recap from Fair Grounds (1-18-20) – Winner: Enforceable ($15.60) A big field with a solid pace and

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Santa Anita Horses To Watch Feb. 4

A MAN’S MAN (January 31): Four year old gelding for Brian Koriner tried the turf for the first time in Friday’s opener, a sprint for Cal bred maiden special weights for older runners. Off at 5/2 in a 7 horse field, he was unfortunate to draw the rail and though he broke well, took up sharply just after the dirt crossover, and nearly went down when he was cut off just after the break. Rosario was able to stay on and he circled the field at the top of the lane, got fanned six wide, but kept to his task and was up for third beaten a length and a half at the wire. The checking on the back side cost him at least 3 lengths and in this race, he was much the best. This was just the third start for the son of Mucho Macho Man and he

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Santa Anita News and Notes Feb. 4

• Week six at Santa Anita was completed on Sunday and for the second consecutive week, there were no racing mishaps. Both the turf course and the main track continue to play fair and the weather continues to be good with warm days that will continue throughout the coming week. However, the horse population continues to dwindle, especially now that Oaklawn Park has opened in Arkansas with their large purse structure. Because of that the track has decided to not race the next two Thursdays and will resume racing this Friday, the 7th. The goal is to have fuller fields and better quality racing, even if it means fewer days. They will race four days the following week as the 17th is Presidents Day with the Monday holiday. Average field size so far for the meet has been 7.56 runners per race and last year at this time the field

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Kentucky Oaks 2020 Report: Silverbulletday Stakes Recap + Points Race Previews

Finite picked up ten more points to move into third place in the Kentucky Oaks 2020 points race standings. The overwhelming favorite earned her victory the hard way in the Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds on Saturday, Jan. 18. The next three Oaks points races on the docket are the Forward Gal at Gulfstream Park (Feb. 1), the Martha Washington at Oaklawn Park (Feb. 1), and the Busanda at Aqueduct on Feb. 2. Tonalist’s Shape is the overwhelming 1-2 favorite in the Forward Gal at seven panels and she drew perfectly outside. Taraz is the strong even money chalk in the Martha Washington, and she might jump on the Kentucky Derby 2020 trail if she wins impressively. Finally, the Busanda attracted seven fillies and Persisto looks like the one to catch. Kentucky Oaks 2020 Points Race Recaps Silverbulletday Stakes Recap (1-18-20) – Winner: Finite ($3.20) Finite worked hard throughout in

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