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Looking at Fresh Contenders in the Preakness

From a field of 19 for the Kentucky Derby, the runners now number nine for the Preakness. This year Departing, Titletown Five, and Govenor Charlie opted to forego the Run for the Roses to chase black-eyed Susans instead.

Liaison Shows His Fire in Santa Anita Return

Idle since he was well beaten in the Travers Stakes (gr. I) Aug. 25, Liaison came back running in the $71,500 Santana Mile March 31, defeating favored Midnight Transfer by a half-length at Santa Anita Park.

Govenor Charlie Charges to Sunland Derby Win

Fast-developing Govenor Charlie became the latest colt to jump into the Triple Crown fray when the Bob Baffert trainee dominated eight 3-year-old opponents in winning the $800,000 Sunland Derby (gr. III) March 24.

Sky Kingdom Reigns Supreme in Tokyo City Cup

Sky Kingdom, on the comeback trail for trainer Bob Baffert, spurted away from challenger Oilisblackgold in the stretch to easily record his first stakes victory in the marathon Tokyo City Cup (gr. III) at Santa Anita Park.

Paynter Progresses with Half-Mile Work

Haskell Invitational (gr. I) winner Paynter turned in his second work since making a comeback from severe illness and the subsequent surgery he underwent last year, breezing four furlongs in :50 1/5 at Santa Anita Park.

Coil Goes Out on Top in San Pasqual Thriller

In his final start before retiring to stud in California, grade I winner Coil outlasted Ultimate Eagle by a head after a terrific stretch duel in the $150,000 San Pasqual Stakes (gr. II) Jan. 5 at Santa Anita Park

Doinghardtimeagain Solves Soviet Problem

A fast pace worked perfectly for Doinghardtimeagain, who swept past the leaders to register a 2 1/4-length victory in the inaugural running of the $196,000 Soviet Problem Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park Dec. 9.

Lady of Fifty Shows Her Ability in Bayakoa

Lady of Fifty charged down the outside to sweep past the leaders in the stretch, registering her first graded stakes win in the $200,000 Bayakoa Handicap (gr. II) Dec. 8 at Betfair Hollywood Park.

Carving Takes Real Quiet for Bafferts, Miller

Favored Carving, co-owned by Olympic gold medalist skier Bode Miller, made it back-to-back wins for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert in the $100,000 Real Quiet Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park Nov. 10.

Chu Family Hoping for a Super Experience

Susan and Charles Chu purchase Super Ninety Nine at the OBS June sale...and come up with a starter for the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint.

Coil Spoils Santa Anita Sprint Championship

Coil earned his first stakes win since last year's Haskell Invitational and earned a spot in the XpressBet Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) with his upset victory in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (gr. I) Oct. 6.

Love and Pride Won't Be Denied in Zenyatta

Love and Pride, good enough to beat champion Royal Delta in her previous start, had little trouble dispatching her rivals in the $250,000 Zenyatta Stakes (gr. I), going gate to wire at Santa Anita Park Sept. 29.

My Best Brother Just Better in Del Mar Derby

My Best Brother proved he was the best 3-year-old on turf at the Del Mar meet with a smart, front-running victory in the $300,000 Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT) at 1 1/8 miles Sept. 2.

Fukunaga Winding Up His United States Visit

Yuichi Fukunaga, a leading jockey in Japan, is slated to ride in three races over Del Mar's closing weekend before he returns home. He enjoyed his stay, he said, though mounts were tough to acquire.

Martin Garcia Logs 1,000th Victory

Jockey Martin Garcia, a 27-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico, reached milestone victory 1,000 Aug. 30 when he booted home Bubba Fizz in the second race at Del Mar.

Drill Nails American Act for Laz Barrera Win

Drill remained perfect in three tries at seven furlongs when he rallied between horses in deep stretch to defeat pacesetter American Act by a half-length in the $98,000 Lazaro Barrera Memorial Stakes (gr. III) May 12.

Contested Shows Promise in Eight Belles Romp

The promising filly Contested disposed of pacesetter Good Deed near mid-stretch and cruised to victory in the $110,000 Eight Belles (gr. III), her stakes debut for trainer Bob Baffert May 4 at Churchill Downs.

Liaison Breezes 6 Furlongs at Churchill

Liaison, the 2011 CashCall Futurity (gr. I) winner, breezed six furlongs in 1:12 4/5 under jockey Shaun Bridgmohan at Churchill Downs April 25.

Nearly Deja Vu in the Sunland Park Oaks

It nearly was for Peachtree Stable and trainer Bob Baffert March 25 when Princess Arabella ran off to win the Sunland Park Oaks at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino by eight lengths while never tested.

Eden's Moon Shines Bright in Las Virgenes

Eden's Moon took a major step toward the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) when she drew away from 6-5 favorite Reneesgotzip in the homestretch to take the $250,000 Las Virgenes Stakes (gr. I) in her stakes debut March 3 at Santa Anita.

The Factor Refuses to Fold in San Carlos

The Factor, making his seasonal debut in the $200,000 San Carlos Stakes (gr. II) Feb. 25, started his 2012 campaign the same way he finished up last year, winning at seven furlongs on Santa Anita's main track.

Drill Digs Deep in San Vicente Stakes Duel

Rebounding from four consecutive disappointing efforts, Drill won the $150,000 San Vicente Stakes (gr. II) by a desperate nose over a determined American Act Feb. 19 at Santa Anita. Creative Cause finished third at 1-2 odds.

Ellafitz Keeps Fighting to Win Santa Maria

Front-running Ellafitz demonstrated her gritty determination when she turned back several challenges to capture Santa Anita's $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes (gr. II) Feb. 18.

Baffert Happy With The Factor's Outside Post

With The Factor giving way badly after setting a hot pace from the rail in his past two starts, trainer Bob Baffert was feeling better after his grade I winner drew the far outside post for the $300,000 Malibu Stakes (gr. I).

Ellafitz Leaves Her Bayakoa Rivals Behind

Ellafitz, allowed to go it alone on a lackadaisical pace, proved too much to handle in the stretch as she scored her first stakes victory in the $150,000 Bayakoa Handicap (gr. II) by 3 1/4 lengths at Hollywood Park Dec. 4.

So Brilliant Wire-to-Wire in Hollywood Prevue

Favored So Brilliant fought hard to get the early lead and never gave it up, taking a field of juveniles all the way in the $100,000 Hollywood Prevue (gr. III) on Thanksgiving in Southern California.

Up In Time Surges to Ramser Triumph

Up In Time picked up her second graded stakes win this year when she surged past Celestial Kitten in the final furlong to win the $100,000 Harold C. Ramser Sr. (gr. IIIT) on the turf at Santa Anita Oct. 16.

Jeranimo Gets Jump in Oak Tree Mile Victory

Always close to the leaders, Jeranimo got the jump on Mr. Commons and proved to be too much for the 4-5 favorite to handle, winning the $150,000 Oak Tree Mile (gr. IIT) in brisk fashion at Santa Anita Oct. 8.

The Factor Makes Huge Impact in Pat O'Brien

The Factor, knocked off the Triple Crown trail by an ankle injury more than four months ago, outfought crack sprinter Smiling Tiger and drew off in the stretch to win the $250,000 Pat O'Brien Stakes (gr. I) at Del Mar.

Hangin' With Haskin: Magic According to Coil

Bob Baffert and Martin Garcia perform more magic with Coil in the Haskell.

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Coil Unwinds Knockout Punch in Haskell

A forced change of tactics helped Coil capture the the $1 million Resorts Casino Hotel Haskell Invitational (gr. I) in a spirited stretch duel with favored Shackleford at Monmouth Park July 31.

Irish Gypsy Gets A Gleam Victory by an Inch

Front-running Irish Gypsy, all-out under urging from Martin Garcia, got to the wire in the $200,000 A Gleam Handicap (gr. II) by an official nose over favored Ultra Blend at Hollywood Park July 16.

Baffert's 'Dudes' Abide in 1-2 Gold Cup Show

Two dudes from trainer Bob Baffert's barn proved better than heavy favorite Twirling Candy in the Hollywood Gold Cup (gr. I) when First Dude came from off the pace to defeat Game On Dude by a nose July 9.

Baffert, Garcia Cap Big Day With Irish Gypsy

Irish Gypsy capped a big card at Hollywood Park for trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Martin Garcia on Father's Day when she captured the $76,050 Desert Stormer Handicap by 1 1/4 lengths as the favorite June 19.

Coil Springs Forward With Affirmed Victory

Coil appears to be the latest top-notch 3-year-old in the barn of trainer Bob Baffert after the son of Point Given passed his initial route test in the $100,000 Affirmed Handicap (gr. III) at Hollywood Park June 11.

Ventana Survives Maryland Sprint Handicap

Ventana returned to his winning ways, as the 5-year-old finally did May 21 at Pimlico Race Course when he outdueled longshot Immortal Eyes to score the $100,000 Maryland Sprint Handicap (gr. III).

Plum Pretty Pulls Out Kentucky Oaks Thriller

Peachtree Stable's Plum Pretty, a daughter of Medaglia d'Oro, holds off the late charge of St. John's River to win the May 6 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) at Churchill Downs.

Midnight Interlude Cruises Through the Slop

He turns in the fastest time among seven workers at five furlongs May 2 at Churchill Downs, covering the distance over a sloppy track in 1:00 4/5.

Inglewood Latest Haul for Liberian Freighter

Liberian Freighter dictated the pace and once again proved too tough to pass in the lane, posting a half-length win in the $98,000 Inglewood Handicap (gr. IIIT), the Easter Day feature over the Hollywood Park turf April 24.

Jockey Garcia Thrown From Mount

Martin Garcia took off the rest of his mounts at Santa Anita April 17 following a spill in the third race.

Liberian Freighter Steams to Arcadia Victory

Liberian Freighter made everyone wait, but once he got out of the starting gate he never looked back, leading all the way to win the $150,000 Arcadia Handicap (gr. IIT) by a half-length at Santa Anita April 9.

Plum Pretty Squishes Sunland Oaks Foes by 25

Plum Pretty, shipping from Southern California for trainer Bob Baffert, humbled five rivals by a Rachel Alexandra-like 25 lengths as the 1-20 favorite in the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks in New Mexico March 27.

Mexico to be Featured on Preakness Day

The Maryland Jockey Club has chosen Mexico as the host nation of the 2011 International Pavilion at Pimlico for the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) May 21.

The Factor Sounds Rebel Yell

Add The Factor to this year's list of serious contenders on the Triple Crown trail. The brilliant colt, trained by Bob Baffert, proved his ability to get a route of ground with a crushing win in the Rebel Stakes March 19.

Misremembered Shows No Rust in Santana

Making his first start since winning last year's Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I), Misremembered showed little sign of rust in capturing the $80,200 Santana Mile Stakes by three lengths at Santa Anita March 6.

The Factor Dazzles Again in San Vicente

Odds-on The Factor showed his speedy reputation is no hype when he turned back a good group of 3-year-olds in winning the $150,000 San Vicente Stakes (gr. II) by three-quarters of a length at Santa Anita Feb. 20

'Princess Delivers Royal Romp in La Canada

Always a Princess reprised her front-running victory over champion Blind Luck last month when she kicked away at the head of the stretch and scored a convincing 3 1/4-length win in the $147,000 La Canada Stakes Feb. 13.

Jockey Martin Garcia Set to Return to Action

Jockey Martin Garcia, arriving from Mexico following an absence of more than two months, worked five horses at Hollywood Park on the morning of Jan. 22, agent Jim Pegram reported.

Borel, Castellano Fined for Post-Race Mayhem

Jockeys Calvin Borel and Javier Castellano were fined for their post-rate fight in the winner's circle following the Breeders' Cup Marathon (gr. III) and Castellano was additionally handed a six-day suspension.

Fighting Jockeys Meet With Kentucky Stewards

Kentucky racing stewards conducted a hearing Nov. 6 with the three jockeys involved in a nearly disastrous bumping incident in the homestretch and an ensuing brawl following the Breeders' Cup Marathon (gr. III).