Heavily favored Obrigado ended a 15-race losing streak when he overpowered a small field in the 1 3/4-mile Round Table Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Hollywood Park June 13.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Just five horses, including supplemental entry Plug Me In, are set to go in an uninspiring renewal of the $100,000 Round Table Handicap (gr. IIIT) on the turf June 13. At 1 3/4 miles, the Round Table is the longest race of the Hollywood Park meet.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Trainer Neil Drysdale has decided that the best target for grade I winner Marsh Side would be the $5-million Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-I) at Nad al Sheba on March 28.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
The Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International races set a new benchmark Nov. 26 when 38 individual trainers from 10 foreign jurisdictions declared to bring their horses to compete at Sha Tin Dec. 14.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Former Northern California trainer Jim Hilling, who sent out Show Dancer to a second-place finish behind Miesque in the 1987 Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) at Hollywood Park, died the night of Nov. 11 from pneumonia and other complications.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Marsh Side emerged from the pack at the midpoint of Woodbine's long homestretch to post a 29-1 upset on the turf in the $2 million Pattison Canadian Invitational (Can-I) for Southern California trainer Neil Drysdale.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Grade I winners Artiste Royal and Einstein are among the favorites for the $500,000 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (gr. IT), the race that precedes the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) as part of Churchill Downs' packed stakes schedule May 3.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Colina Verde, winner of the Brazilian Oaks two years ago, will attempt to win for the second time in three U.S. starts in the $100,000 Wilshire Handicap (gr. IIIT) on the turf as Hollywood Park opens its 70th anniversary spring/summer meeting April 23.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Artiste Royal, winner of Oak Tree's Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (gr. IT) on the Santa Anita lawn last fall, kicks off his 2008 campaign for trainer Neil Drysdale in the $300,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Handicap (gr. IT) March 1.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Artiste Royal, making just his second start of 2007 for trainer Neil Drysdale, drew alongside prohibitive favorite The Tin Man approaching the eighth pole and edged away to a one-length victory in Oak Tree's $250,000 Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Oct. 6.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Southern California shipper Fantastic Spain overcame traffic trouble at the eighth pole and surged late to win the $191,400 Golden Gate Fields Breeders' Cup (gr. IIIT) by a neck over the odds-on choice Notable Guest on the turf Monday at the Albany, Calif., track.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Steve Buttgenbach, a popular Southern California veterinarian, died May 15 in his La Canada home from complications of cancer.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Becrux, who won the $1 million Woodbine Mile (Can-I) in Toronto last year, is a slight favorite on the morning line to capture the 58th running of the $300,000 San Francisco Mile (gr. IIT) at Golden Gate Fields Saturday.
Friday, April 27, 2007
French-bred mare Live Life returns to action Saturday when she will carry high weight of 116 pounds in the $200,000 Santa Barbara Handicap (gr. IIT) for older fillies and mares at 10 furlongs on the Santa Anita turf, a race that in recent seasons was dominated by Megahertz.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Fourty Niners Son, one of the nation's leading turf horses two years ago, registered his first win in nearly 18 months Saturday when he held off Notable Guest and Prospect Park by one length in the $200,000 San Luis Rey Handicap (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Journeyman Brice Blanc, building a reputation as a premier turf rider in Southern California, could find himself on the favorite, One Off, for trainer Neil Drysdale Saturday in the $200,000 San Luis Rey Handicap (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Since the retirement of T.H. Approval, the Southern California male turf division has been a knot. In Sunday's $150,000 San Luis Obispo Handicap (gr. IIT), it was the French-bred Obrigado's turn to win.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale holds a heavy hand in Santa Anita's $150,000 San Luis Obispo Handicap (gr. IIT) on Sunday when he saddles co-high weights Obrigado and One Off in the 1 1/2-mile early season turf distance test.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale, 58, supervised the stable Wednesday after becoming a father for the first time Monday.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Favored Beautyandthebeast rallied between rivals in the stretch to take the lead and narrowly held off the furious charge of Clinet to win the $150,000 Las Palmas Handicap (gr. IIT) for fillies and mares Sunday as the Oak Tree meet ended at Santa Anita.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Breeders' Cup Classic – Powered by Dodge (gr. I) contender Brother Derek was put through his final preparations for Saturday by logging five furlongs in :59 1/5 over a fast Santa Anita main track Sunday morning. Also working in Southern California were Quick Little Miss, Malt Magic and Aragorn.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Illuminise gave Irish breds a sweep of Oak Tree's grass stakes for 3-year-olds this weekend when she captured the $100,000 Harold C. Ramser Sr. Handicap for 3-year-old fillies on Sunday at Santa Anita.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Aragorn tuned up for the NetJets' Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. I) in one month with a smart win as the overwhelming favorite in Saturday's Oak Tree Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. II) on the turf at Santa Anita.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
North America's premier miler Aragorn heads a cast of eight in the $250,000 Oak Tree Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IIT) at Oak Tree at Santa Anita Park Saturday.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Riding for the first time since July 16 because of a back injury, the subbing Patrick Valenzuela drove the 8-1 shot Becrux to a neck victory over Rebel Rebel in the $896,460(US) Bell Woodbine Mile (Can-I) on the E.P. Taylor turf course Sunday.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Aragorn, a two time grade I winner on turf this season and a leading contender for the 2006 NetJets Breeders' Cup Mile, will face seven rivals in Saturday's $400,000 Del Mar Breeders' Cup Mile Handicap (gr. IIT) on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Favored Aragorn smashed the Del Mar course record for nine furlongs on the turf with a scintillating four-length score in the $400,000 Eddie Read Handicap (gr. IT) Sunday under Corey Nakatani.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Red Fort, third in the Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap (gr. IT) at Hollywood Park, and Rush Bay, winner of his last two starts at Churchill Downs, share starting high impost of 118 pounds for Saturday's $200,000 Arlington Handicap (gr. IIIT).
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Obrigado, a three-time winner in Europe, will aim for his first North American victory in Sunday's $100,000 Cinema Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IIIT) for 3-year-olds on the Hollywood Park turf.
Friday, June 23, 2006
Jockey Corey Nakatani earned his 2,999th career win Monday when he guided Ballygallon Stud's homebred Aragorn, the longest shot on the board, to victory in the $321,000 Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) on the Hollywood Park turf.
Monday, May 29, 2006
Your Tent Or Mine will be tested by seven other 2-year-old colts Saturday in Hollywood Park's $401,250 Hollywood Futurity (gr. I), a 1 1/16-mile event that has produced six Kentucky Derby (gr. I) champions.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Owner Anthony Speelman, a London art dealer, and bloodstock agent Shawn Dugan, wife of trainer Neil Drysdale, have enjoyed more than their share of success together.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Your Tent Or Mine, the longest shot in the five-horse $100,000 Hollywood Prevue (gr. III) for 2-year-olds, rallied between horses in upper stretch and carried jockey Patrick Valenzuela to a convincing win Saturday at Hollywood Park.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
With the expected heavy favorite Willow O Wisp scratched from the Oak Tree Derby (gr. IIT) due to a slight virus, Irish-bred Aragorn nosed out Eastern Sand in a stirring stretch battle on the Santa Anita turf Saturday.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Favored Fourty Niners Son, who has pounced on the American grass handicap division with passion this summer, scored his first graded stakes victory in Sunday's $250,000 Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship (gr. IT) at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
British-bred Always First made a successful American stakes debut when he closed impressively along the inside to capture the $165,300 Sunset Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IIT) on Sunday, the final day of the Hollywood Park spring/summer meeting.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Splendid Blended became the first 3-year-old filly to capture Hollywood Park's Vanity Handicap (gr. I) since It's In The Air in 1979 when she won by a head over determined Island Fashion in a desperate finish Sunday.
Sunday, July 03, 2005
King of Happiness, who lost the Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) a month ago by one-half length to Castledale, has been accorded 9-5 favoritism among nine entrants in the $250,000 American Handicap (gr. IIT) at 1 1/8 miles on the Hollywood Park turf Sunday.
Friday, July 01, 2005
Trainer Neil Drysdale, who has won the Vanity Handicap (gr. IT) three times, will try to capture Sunday's $300,000 invitational for fillies and mares with 3-year-old Splendid Blended, a feat last accomplished in 1979 by It's In The Air.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Neil Drysdale, who has trained three of the past seven winners of the Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap (gr. IT), saddles the likely favorite Red Fort in Saturday's wide open $350,000 renewal Saturday.
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Red Fort worked seven furlongs on turf in a bullet 1:27 4/5 Sunday in his final drill for the $350,000 Charles Whittingham Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IT) at 1 1/4 miles on the Hollywood Park turf on Saturday.
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Trainer Neil Drysdale, fresh off a one-two finish with King of Happiness and Red Fort in the Inglewood Handicap (gr. IIIT) Saturday, may seek another stakes sweep on turf in the $350,000 Jim Murray Handicap (gr. IIIT) on May14.
Sunday, May 01, 2005
Trainer Neil Drysdale was the coolest character at Hollywood Park as his turf horses King of Happiness and Red Fort battled to a desperate finish in the $107,200 Inglewood Handicap (gr. III) Saturday. King of Happiness won the head bob by a nose.
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Fusao Sekiguchi's Fusaichi Samurai, co-future book favorite for the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) despite only a maiden victory to his credit, has sustained a pulled muscle in his left hind leg, suffered in a workout, and has been taken off the Derby trail, trainer Neil Drysdale said Friday.
Friday, February 04, 2005
Girl Warrior battled along the inside to narrowly hold off the odds-on choice A.P. Adventure by a head in her stakes debut for trainer Neil Drysdale, winning the $150,000 El Encino Stakes (gr. II) for 4-year-old fillies Sunday at Santa Anita Park.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Bad weather in Southern California will keep Fusaichi Samurai, the much-publicized $4.5 million colt who broke his maiden in his only start thus far, out of Sunday's San Miguel Stakes for 3-year-olds.
Sunday, January 02, 2005
With no Sweet Catomine to be concerned with, Peter Vegso's homebred Splendid Blended was the star of Sunday's $389,000 Hollywood Starlet (gr. I) for 2-year-old fillies.
Sunday, December 19, 2004
In a field lacking a graded stakes winner, Splendid Blended, whose only setback came to probable 2-year-old filly champion Sweet Catomine, looks best of seven entered in Sunday's $380,000 Hollywood Starlet (gr. I) at Hollywood Park.
Friday, December 17, 2004
Fusaichi Samurai, a record-priced $4.5 million son of Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner Fusaichi Pegasus, was an impressive two-length winner in his debut Saturday at Hollywood Park.
Saturday, December 11, 2004
Fusaichi Samurai, whose purchase by Fusao Sekiguchi for $4.5 million earlier this year set a record for a juvenile sold at public auction, is scheduled to make his first career start Saturday in the fourth race at Hollywood Park.
Friday, December 10, 2004
