Return of the King, the last horse owned by James Ortega, one of nine people slain in a Southern California massacre on Christmas Eve, scored a dramatic come-from-behind victory at Santa Anita Jan. 8.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Jockey Martin Pedroza won a record seven races on the opening day of Fairplex Park's meet Sept. 5 and in the process earned his 3,000th career victory.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Sprint champion Midnight Lute appears to be ready for his next start after working faster than the track record for seven furlongs on Del Mar's Polytrack racing surface Aug. 7.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Even-money choice Two Step Salsa passed his first distance test with flying colors in the $107,100 Affirmed Handicap (gr. III) at Hollywood Park June 15, going all the way on the front end to score a 3 3/4-length win on the Cushion Track.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Stoneside, a bit of a disappointment since being purchased privately in France by Marsha Naify last year, woke up in a big way when he easily captured the $112,400 San Simeon Handicap (gr. IIIT) on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita April 19.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Charlotte M. Wrather's Cheroot, a 28-1 outsider, squeezed through a narrow opening in the final stages to register a nose victory over Moth Ball in Santa Anita's $98,650 Daytona Handicap on the hillside turf course Feb. 17. Notional, sidelined since last March's second-place finish in the Florida Derby (gr. I), finished third in his comeback effort.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Trainer Darrell Vienna faces two complaints alleging that Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT) winner Medici Code ran with excessive levels of clenbuterol in his system in the two races prior to the most important victory of his career.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Respect has been hard to come by for the lightly bred Medici Code, but after the way the Darrell Vienna-trained gelding mowed down his rivals in the $400,000 Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT) Sept. 2, that should change.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Unheralded Medici Code got the stalking trip trainer Darrell Vienna was hoping for in the $150,000 La Jolla Handicap (gr. II) for 3-year-olds. The result was a convincing 1 1/4-length victory over a solid field on the Del Mar turf Aug. 11.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Three jockeys escaped serious injury at Hollywood Park May 17 when Royal Change, leading the field in the fourth race while approaching the quarter pole, suffered a fractured right foreleg and fell, tossing rider Alex Bisono.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Fairplex Park set a record for total handle during its 16-day run in 2006 that ended Sept. 25 when it averaged more than $7.1 million daily. It was the second straight year the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds racetrack surpassed its previous handle mark and the third time in the past four years.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Genre, closing from far back, was along just in time when the apparent winner of the $128,200 Cinema Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IIIT), New Joysey Jeff, lost rider Jose Valdivia Jr. in mid-stretch Sunday on the Hollywood Park turf course.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
As trainer Julio Canani fidgeted, Charmo breezed four furlongs in :49 4/5 on turf Thursday under regular rider Martin Pedroza, the final step in the colt's preparations for Monday's $300,000 Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) at Hollywood Park.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
After a disappointing effort in the Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) one month ago, Gary Tanaka's veteran mare Star Parade returned to the familiar surroundings of Hollywood Park to capture the $100,000 Hawthorne Handicap (gr. III) in determined front-running fashion Sunday.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Charmo stormed down the center of the track from the top of the stretch to nab favored Aragorn by a length in the $330,000 San Francisco Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IIT) on the Golden Gate Fields turf course Saturday.
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Gary Tanaka's Irish-bred Atlando swept past entry mate King's Drama in mid-stretch, then held off the late surge of T.H. Approval to win the San Luis Obispo Handicap (gr. IIT) in stakes record-tying time on the Santa Anita Park lawn Sunday.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Gary Tanaka's hard-hitting Star Parade suffered through a nine-race losing streak last year, but has now won her last two starts on the dirt after a two-length victory in the $250,000 Santa Maria Handicap (gr. I) for older fillies and mares at Santa Anita Saturday.
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Tough luck Spellbinder gained his first graded stakes victory Sunday when he defeated With Distinction by three-quarters of a length in the $250,000 San Antonio Handicap (gr. II) at Santa Anita Park.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Jockey Martin Pedroza wrapped up the first major riding title of his 23-year career when he piloted California-bred Young Luck to win the fourth race at Hollywood Park closing day Dec. 19. The 40-year-old Pedroza, who finished the 27-day meet with 31 wins, became the oldest first-time title winner in the track's 67-year history.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Gary Tanaka's Star Parade, winless in nine races since taking the Milady Breeders' Cup (gr. I) in July 2004, pushed past heavily favored Dream of Summer in the stretch and drew off to an easy win in Sunday's $150,000 Bayakoa Handicap (gr. II) for fillies and mares at Hollywood Park.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Jockey Martin Pedroza, whose last four win-day at Hollywood Park came two years ago to the day, enjoyed his first-five win day at the Inglewood track Saturday with a little help from the stewards.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Bob and John's apparent six-length victory as the 1-5 favorite in Saturday's $100,000 Real Quiet Stakes for 2-year-olds was overturned by Hollywood Park stewards, who gave the victory to Genre, ridden by Martin Pedroza.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Jockey Martin Pedroza notched his fifth win of the afternoon as he guided 14-1 outsider General Fox to a one-length victory in Friday's $47,400 allowance feature at Oak Tree at Santa Anita.
Friday, November 04, 2005
Amorama avoided a traffic jam in the stretch run of Saturday's $400,000 John C. Mabee Handicap (gr. IT) by taking a wide route to prevail by a head over Island Fashion. It was her second grade I win in two lifetime starts on the Del Mar turf course.
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Things may not have gone quite as planned when Truly a Judge got some unexpected company on the lead. But the 3-5 favorite had enough left at the end to defeat the closer Star Cross by a length in the $150,000 San Gabriel Handicap (gr. III) Saturday at Santa Anita Park.
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Six-year-old gelding Truly a Judge was in control from the outset of Saturday's $100,000 Native Diver Handicap (gr. III), winning his first graded stakes comfortably at Hollywood Park.
Saturday, December 11, 2004
Jockey Martin Pedroza, who earlier Saturday guided Semi Lost to victory in the $100,000 Pomona Derby, set a meet record for wins in a season at Fairplex Park. He finished with five victories on the day.
Saturday, September 25, 2004
Southern California jockey Martin Pedroza could resume riding in late April at Hollywood Park "if everything goes perfectly,"his agent, Richie Silverstein reported Wednesday.
Wednesday, March 31, 2004
Sunday's $200,000 Potrero Grande Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II), won by McCann's Mojave, ended tragically when Casas Caballo broke down on the far turn at Santa Anita and was euthanized.
Sunday, March 28, 2004
Except for designated races during the first eight days this meet, Patrick Valenzuela won't ride regularly until the 14th day of the 84-day Santa Anita meeting.
Friday, December 26, 2003
Thanksgiving came a day early for jockey Martin Pedroza, who rode five horses Wednesday at Hollywood Park and guided four of them into the winners' circle.
Wednesday, November 26, 2003
Three-year-old Naskra Nick was euthanized after sustaining an injury to his left front leg during the running of the 10th race, a maiden $25,000 claimer at Del Mar Saturday, starting a three-horse spill during the running of the 6 1/2-furlong heat.
Saturday, August 16, 2003
Rags to riches Bluesthestandard became a multiple graded stakes winner Saturday with an authoritative four-length score over Bonapaw in the $300,000 Texas Mile (gr. III) at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas.
Saturday, April 26, 2003
Fourteen 3-year-olds, including a pair of also-eligibles, have been entered for Sunday's $100,000 Baldwin Stakes (gr. IIIT) at 6 1/2 furlongs on turf at Santa Anita Park.
Saturday, February 22, 2003
From preceding page Monday, January 13, 2003
Jockey Martin Pedroza was handed two five-day suspensions for his part in a pair of disqualifications at Hollywood Park on Dec. 1.
Thursday, December 05, 2002
Men's Exclusive, the 9-year-old gelding who won the last two runnings of Hollywood Park's $100,000 Vernon O. Underwood (gr. III), will seek an unprecedented third victory in Saturday's 22nd running of the six-furlong stakes event.
Thursday, December 05, 2002
Martin Pedroza, leading rider during the current Fairplex meet at the Los Angeles County Fair in Pomona, escaped without injury following a nasty spill in the sixth race Friday, then dusted himself off and won each of the next two races.
Friday, September 27, 2002
Martin Pedroza has accomplished much in his career of more than 20 years, but he has yet to attain the world class recognition of his peers in the Southern California jockey colony.
Wednesday, September 18, 2002
Jockey Martin Pedroza won each of the first four races of Wednesday's eight-race program at Santa Anita and just missed adding a fifth when beaten by a nose in the sixth race.
Wednesday, March 20, 2002
Continued from part 1
Tuesday, October 10, 2000
