BloodHorse.com | Horse Racing News

10 Entered in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar

The morning line favorite is The Usual Q.T., ridden by Victor Espinoza.

Bullet Works for Two Pacific Classic Starters

Richard's Kid worked a quick half-mile in :46 4/5 at Del Mar on Aug. 23 as he continued to prep for a defense of his title in the Aug. 28 $1 million Pacific Classic Presented by TVG.

Del Mar: Attendance Up, Handle Down a Bit

Del Mar reported an increase in average daily attendance and decrease in average daily handle for the first five weeks of its 2010 meet.

Three Fillies Work Toward Alabama

Acting Happy put in her final work the morning of Aug. 16 at Saratoga in preparation for the Aug. 21 Betfair TVG Alabama Stakes (gr. I). Guided by jockey Jose Lezcano, she covered five furlongs in 1:02.64.

Sidney's Candy to Pass Del Mar Derby

Trainer John Sadler said the morning of Aug. 15 it's not likely that Sidney's Candy, winner of the Aug. 14 La Jolla Handicap (gr. IIT) will run at Del Mar again this meet.

CA Benefit Dinner Honors Van Berg, McAnally

A crowd of about 350 people turned out to honor trainers Jack Van Berg and Ron McAnally at The Grand Del Mar hotel in Del Mar, Calif. Aug 9 to benefit the Edwin J. Gregson Foundation.

Joe Talamo Out With Fractured Wrist

Jockey Joe Talamo suffered a fractured left wrist Aug. 5 at Del Mar after he was unseated during the running of the third race.

A Best Pal with Gusto

J P's Gusto, the odds-on winner of the July 5 Hollywood Juvenile Championship (gr. III), will take the next step on his life's journey Aug. 8 at Del Mar in the Best Pal Stakes (gr. II).

Final Mesa Headlines Sorrento

Wesley Ward's unbeaten filly figures to be the choice in the 6 1/2-furlong Sorrento Stakes (gr. III) at Del Mar; faces challenge from a pair of Bob Baffert-trained juveniles

Smith and Zenyatta Jerseys to Benefit Charity

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will sign limited edition collectible jerseys benefiting Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement and The Race for Education scholarship organization at Del Mar Aug. 7.

Temple City Sets Track Record in Cougar II

Spendthrift Farm's Temple City took advantage of an ideal set-up, going wire-to-wire under Joe Talamo to win the $125,000 Cougar II Handicap (gr. III) on Del Mar's Polytrack July 30.

Lookin At Lucky Sizzles in Five-Furlong Work

Preakness Stakes (gr. I) winner Lookin At Lucky, preparing for the IZOD Haskell Invitational (gr. I) Aug. 1 at Monmouth Park, drilled a quick five furlongs July 26 at Del Mar.

Breeders, Owners Discuss Issues With CTBA

California breeders and owners met with the state's Thoroughbred breeders association management for three hours at Del Mar to discuss issues facing the industry.

Eurton Recovering After Savaging Episode

Southern California trainer Peter Eurton was back at Del Mar on the morning of July 24 after he was savaged three days earlier during a gate training session.

Weekend Picks for Del Mar and Saratoga

The two premier summer meets get underway with plenty of exciting stakes action.

Read Blog

Zenyatta Fires Bullet at Hollywood

Zenyatta worked six furlongs in 1:12 2/5 July 22 at Hollywood Park as she continues to prepare for her next race.

Del Mar Cancels Training Due to Surface Issue

Del Mar canceled training on its main track the morning of July 22 when it was determined that there had been some separation of its Polytrack materials in the stretch area causing some inconsistencies in the surface makeup.

And They're Off: July 21, 2010

Lenny and Steve discuss the opening of racing at Del Mar and Saratoga, the 3-year-olds, including a preview of the Haskell, the travels of Rail Trip, and more.

Watch Video

Sweet Spot in Del Mar Opener

A restricted stakes for 3-year-olds on the turf and the "The One and Only Truly Fabulous Hats Contest" on the slate in Southern California can only mean one thing: opening day at Del Mar is just around the corner.

Macias Heads Oceanside Field as Del Mar Opens

Three-time stakes winner Macias is the most accomplished runner in a field of 10 3-year-olds entered for the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes on opening day of the Del Mar season July 21.

ZZ Top, Weezer to Appear at Del Mar

The popular four-man band Weezer and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers ZZ Top are among the music acts booked for California's Del Mar racing season that begins July 21.

Oak Tree Eyes Del Mar as Future Home

A day after the Oak Tree Racing Association received a one-year reprieve from its landlord at Santa Anita Park, its executive vice president said he's working on a long-term lease arrangement for the autumn meet at Del Mar.

CHRB OKs Safety Helmet Rule, Meet Licenses

A rule amendment requiring that any person mounted on horseback, riding in a sulky or working as a member of the starting gate crew must wear a safety helmet was passed by the California Horse Racing Board.

Mullins Suspended for 30 Days

The California Horse Racing Board has suspended Jeff Mullins for 30 days effective May 9 and also fined the trainer $2,500 for a TCO2 violation that occurred in 2008.

Del Mar to Keep $1M Purse for Pacific Classic

TVG's sponsorship of the Pacific Classic will help Del Mar maintain the major race's purse level. But the seaside track also announced that 13 stakes will take purse cuts for the 2010 summer meet.

Betty Mabee, Raced Best Pal, Dies

Betty Mabee, who with her late husband, John, built one of the West Coast's leading Thoroughbred empires, has died.

Tedesco Named Del Mar Track Superintendent

Veteran track maintenance specialist Richard Tedesco has taken the reins as track superintendent at Del Mar in anticipation of the 2010 racing season, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club has announced.

Hearing in CHRB's Rosario Complaint to Resume

A hearing into charges from the California Horse Racing Board that jockey Joel Rosario "did not put forward his best effort" in a race this summer at Del Mar is set to resume Dec. 3.

Rosario, Sadler, Zetcher Claim Del Mar Titles

Jockey Joel Rosario, who claimed his first-ever riding title during the 2009 spring/summer meet at Hollywood Park, came right back to easily capture the division championship at the just-concluded Del Mar stand.

Del Mar Says Shorter Race Week a Success

A shorter racing week helped Del Mar register gains in average daily attendance and pari-mutuel handle, the California racetrack reported Sept. 9, closing day of the meet.

Thumb Injury Sidelines Bejarano

Jockey Rafael Bejarano, who missed 27 days of the 37-day Del Mar meeting because of multiple facial injuries suffered in an opening-day spill, was off his mounts Sept. 5 following an injury to his right thumb on only the sixth day after his return from the earlier injury.

Still No Signs of Life for Total U.S. Handle

Pari-mutuel handle on United States racing continued its decline in August despite the country's two premier summer meets at Del Mar and Saratoga.

Del Mar On-Track Totals Still Outpacing 2008

Regardless of how you slice it, the average on-track figures for the 2009 Del Mar meet continue to run ahead of last year as the 37-day stand heads into the final week of action.

Nineteen Nominated to Pacific Classic

Nineteen top-notch runners, including four millionaires and a pair of 3-year-olds, have been nominated to run in Del Mar's $1 million Pacific Classic (gr. I) on Sept. 6.

Del Mar Handicap Up For Grabs

The top four finishers of Hollywood Park's July 19 Sunset Handicap (gr. IIT), including two-length winner Black Astor, return for the Aug. 30 Del Mar Handicap (gr. IIT) in Southern California.

And They're Off: August 26, 2009 (Video)

Topics include Rachel Alexandra and Jess Jackson, the continued breakdowns at Del Mar, plus a look at the second season of Animal Planet's hit reality program, JOCKEYS.

Tyler Baze Out of Action With Broken Finger

Tyler Baze, second in the Del Mar rider standings to Joel Rosario, is expected to be out of action for a week as the result of suffering a broken little finger on his left hand. Baze was unseated by his mount, R. Bee Ess, as they went to the gate for the 10th race Aug. 22.

Comebacking Bejarano Works Two at Del Mar

Jockey Rafael Bejarano, preparing to return to action soon after being injured in a spill on opening day at Del Mar, showed up a day early on the morning of Aug. 22, to work two horses.

Mabee Becomes a Reality For Magical Fantasy

Magical Fantasy earned her third consecutive graded stakes score by coming from off the pace to win the $350,000 John C. Mabee (gr. IT) under Alex Solis Aug. 16 at Del Mar.

Meteore Rises to the Top in La Jolla Handicap

Meteore was in last place coming off the far turn with seemingly nowhere to go. But once jockey Alex Solis found room with a sweeping four-wide move it was clear sailing from there, as the son of Pulpit picked up all eight of his rivals en route to a 1 1/2-length victory in the $150,000 La Jolla Handicap (gr. IIT) Aug. 15 on the Del Mar turf course.

Mabee Looks Like Wide-Open Affair

Tuscan Evening has taken tremendous strides in going from a maiden to a graded stakes winner in just one season, but the 4-year-old filly will now get her stiffest test yet when she faces a solid field of fillies and mares that includes multiple grade I winner Magical Fantasy in the $350,000 John C. Mabee Stakes (gr. IT).

And They're Off: August 12, 2009 (Video)

Lenny and Steve are back! Topics include night racing, breakdowns at Del Mar, Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta, Gio Ponti, and Bob Baffert's Hall of Fame induction.

Ten to Face Off in La Jolla Handicap

Glen Hill Farm's Florida homebred I'll Show Them puts his two-race undefeated record on the line Aug. 15 as he steps up to stakes company in the $150,000 La Jolla Handicap (gr. IIT) for 3-year-olds on Del Mar's Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

Solis, Gryder Apparently OK After Breakdown

Jockeys Alex Solis and Aaron Gryder apparently escaped injury at Del Mar Aug. 9 when both were unseated following the backstretch breakdown of a horse in the 10th race.

Mi Sueno Scores an Upset in the Sorrento

The first foal out of millionaire Madcap Escapade won a graded stakes in her third start Aug. 7 in the grade III Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar. The filly by Pulpit was sold as a weanling in 2007 for $1.7 million.

Del Mar 'House Rule' to Require Softer Whips

Jockeys at Del Mar will be using softer equine friendly riding crops in all races under a "house rule" that will take effect at the track on Aug. 12, the Jockeys' Guild announced.

Colonel John Wins Wickerr in Return

Colonel John, who had not raced since finishing fourth in the Malibu Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita late last December, exhibited no signs of rust as he scored an impressive victory July 31 in the $91,970 Wickerr Stakes at one mile over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course at Del Mar.

Ten Nominated to Meet Zenyatta on Aug. 9

Ten fillies and mares have been nominated for the Aug. 9 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (gr. I), the anticipated next start for unbeaten Zenyatta.

Six Catastrophic Breakdowns at Del Mar

Six horses have died from catastrophic breakdowns at Del Mar during a 10-day span that includes the first week of racing. Three occurred during morning training on Polytrack, two happened during races on Polytrack, and one was in a turf race.

Del Mar Opening Week On-Track Business Up

Del Mar officials announced that figures for the Southern California track's first week of its summer meet was up in both on-track attendance and on-track handle.