Recovered from ulcers, Mensa Heat was on top of his game once again as he defeated a solid group of California-bred sprinters in the $84,500 On Trust Handicap, the closing day feature at Hollywood Park Dec. 18.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Pacific Ocean, bursting to the lead from his rail post, overpowered his rivals for the first graded stakes tally of his career in the Vernon O. Underwood (gr. III) at Hollywood Park Nov. 26.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Several horses posted their final workouts the weekend of Oct. 28-30 in preparation for the Nov. 5 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. II).
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Mike Mitchell hopes to break a string of seconditis with Camp Victory in Santa Anita's Columbus Day holiday feature, the $100,000 Morvich Stakes (gr. IIIT) Oct. 10.
Sunday, October 09, 2011
Grade II winner St Trinians has been retired from racing and will be sold as a broodmare prospect at the Fasig-Tipton November sale, trainer Mike Mitchell said Sept. 28.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Favored Tanda turned the tables on Irish Gypsy to record her first victory since May 2010, taking the $147,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap (gr. III) at Del Mar Aug. 21.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Mike Mitchell placed his name in the Del Mar record books as the track's winningest trainer when his charge Backwoods Belle won the fifth race Aug. 12 at the Southern California track.
Friday, August 12, 2011Del Mar Turf Club reported that its "Ship and Win" program, in which horsemen bringing runners from out-of-state are rewarded with bonus payments when those horses start during the current meet, is proving successful.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Trainer Mike Mitchell sent out two winners at Del Mar Thursday, Aug. 11, to tie Hall of Famer Ron McAnally for the title as winningest trainer in the history of the seaside track.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert won his first spring/summer meet title at Hollywood Park with 36 wins at the just-concluded stand.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Camp Victory was declared the official winner of the $100,000 Los Angeles Handicap (gr. III) at Hollywood Park when Amazombie, first across the line, was disqualified after bulling his way to the front in mid-stretch May 30.
Monday, May 30, 2011
A pair of graded stakes on the Cushion Track for females, the $150,000 Milady Handicap (gr. II) and the $100,000 Railbird Stakes (gr. III), highlight an 11-race Preakness Day program at Hollywood Park May 21.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Mike Mitchell, one of the leading Southern California trainers, has begun serving a 15-day suspension resulting from one of his horses testing positive for an excessive level of total carbon dioxide.
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Jaycito turned the tables on J P's Gusto in the $250,000 Norfolk Stakes (gr. I) Oct. 2 at Oak Tree at Hollywood Park, running down the leader inside the sixteenth-pole to win by a length.
Saturday, October 02, 2010
Sporting Art, a $40,000 claim by trainer Mike Mitchell this spring in New Jersey, makes his first California start for his new connections in the Del Mar Handicap (gr. IIT) Aug. 29.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Two-time champion Zenyatta attempts to remain perfect in a modern-day record 17 consecutive races when she faces five opponents in the $250,000 Vanity Handicap (gr. I) at Hollywood Park June 13.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Grade I winner Ever a Friend will return to Santa Anita's hillside turf course searching for his first stakes win in more than two years in the $100,000 San Simeon Handicap (gr. IIIT) April 17.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Asked to go 12 furlongs for the first time in his career, Tap It Light answered the call in the $100,000 Tokyo City Cup Handicap (gr. III) at Santa Anita March 27.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
St Trinians will attempt to become the first female to win the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) March 6. Trainer Mike Mitchell likes her chances in the $750,000 fixture presented this year by San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
St Trinians, impressive winner of the Santa Maria Handicap (gr. II) Feb. 13, is expected to tackle males in the $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) on March 6 instead of running against female champion Zenyatta a week later
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
St Trinians recorded her fourth victory in succession since arriving in the United States and soundly defeated Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (gr. I) winner Life Is Sweet in the $250,000 Santa Maria Handicap Feb. 13.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Even-money favorite Munnings shrugged off a more than four-month layoff and showed his class by recording a one-length score in the $150,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship Stakes (gr. II) on Feb. 13 in South Florida.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
The Feb. 3 Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by Zayat Stables shows that Keeneland sales company, a handful of trainers across the country, and breeding farms are among the creditors of Ahmed Zayat's racing operation.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
X-rays taken of jockey Garrett Gomez's elbow and shoulder were negative following his fall in the ninth race at Hollywood Park Nov. 21.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Even-money morning-line favorite Grazen drew post position 3 for the $200,000 California Cup Classic presented by City National Bank at the draw breakfast Sept. 30.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009The California Horse Racing Board plans to meet in closed session prior to its general meeting July 23 to consider complaints and appeals that have been filed against the board challenging Ingrid Fermin's appointment as a steward at Del Mar this season.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
European invader Sixties Icon, who has won three consecutive group III events in England, was installed as the 2-1 morning-line choice for the inaugural $500,000 Breeders' Cup Marathon Oct. 25 at Santa Anita Park.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008The California Horse Racing Board entered into a stipulated agreement with trainer Doug O'Neill, who agreed to pay a fine of $7,500 and to serve a 30-day suspension, which shall be stayed pending a one-year probation.
Saturday, October 18, 2008Trainer Mike Mitchell has an Oct. 11 hearing with stewards at Santa Anita Park on a complaint filed against him by the California Horse Racing Board charging medication violations for the use of procaine on one of his horses.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Eight older sprinters will try to knock off Everest Stables' homebred Sailors Sunset, who looks for the repeat in the $100,000 Los Angeles Handicap (gr. III) May 10 at Hollywood Park.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Hurt by its early-season cancellation of 11 racing days, Santa Anita concluded its winter/spring meet April 20 with decreases in overall handle and attendance. But officials were breathing a sigh of relief that it wasn't worse.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Ever a Friend, dominant winner of the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Handicap (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Park March 1 for trainer Mike Mitchell, worked four furlongs in :52 2/5 under Tyler Baze at Hollywood Park March 31.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Multiple grade I winner Nashoba's Key was named California-bred Horse of the Year for 2007 during the Feb. 18 California Thoroughbred Breeders Association's (CTBA) annual meeting and awards dinner at the Langham Huntington Hotel and Spa in Pasadena, Calif.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008Shipping cross-country for Southern California trainer Mike Mitchell, favored Sindy with an S took command mid-stretch en route to a 3 1/4-length win in the $200,000 Safely Kept Breeders' Cup (gr. III) on the Laurel Park main track Oct. 6.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Bongo Racing Stable's Sun Boat, a former claiming horse and 6-1 winner of the July 21 San Diego Handicap (gr. II), was euthanized Sept. 18 due to a severe case of laminitis.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
The leaders were seven abreast mid-stretch of the $300,000 San Diego Handicap (gr. II), but it was the former claiming horse Sun Boat who finished best of all, winning in style by one length on the Polytrack Saturday at Del Mar.
Saturday, July 21, 2007On the heels of his sharp victory in the San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap (gr. IIT) less than three weeks ago, the ex-claimer On the Acorn came right back Saturday with a well-timed finish to capture the $250,000 Jim Murray Memorial Handicap (gr. IIT) on the Hollywood Park turf.
Saturday, May 12, 2007On the Acorn, a $40,000 claim by trainer Mike Mitchell last November, closed with a rush to win the $250,000 San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap (gr. IIT) on the final day of the Santa Anita meeting Sunday.
Sunday, April 22, 2007Trainers Mike Mitchell and Paul Aguirre were fined for Class 3 violations by Santa Anita stewards after horses in their care were found to have exceeded the regulatory limit for total carbon dioxide, the California Horse Racing Board reported March 15.
Thursday, March 15, 2007Romance Is Diane drew away from the field at the head of the stretch to post a major upset in the $459,250 Hollywood Starlet (gr. I), giving jockey David Flores his fifth win Sunday and providing a measure of satisfaction for winning trainer Mike Mitchell.
Sunday, December 17, 2006All horses trained by Mike Mitchell will run out of the detention barn for a period of 45 days that begins with those entered for Dec. 17, Hollywood Park announced, after a horse under his care exceeded the permitted total carbon dioxide level.
Friday, December 15, 2006Symphony Sid turned Saturday's 38th running of Oak Tree's Carleton F. Burke Handicap (gr.IIIT) into a laugher on the Santa Anita Park grass, bringing an eight-race losing streak to an end in stakes-record time.
Saturday, October 21, 2006When trainer Mike Mitchell sends out Remembering Star in the $150,000 Lazaro Barrera Memorial Stakes (gr. II) at Hollywood Park on Saturday, fond memories of both the horse after which the colt is named and the trainer after which the race is named will be rekindled.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006Trainer Mike Mitchell still gets emotional when he speaks of Leprechaun Kid, who runs in Sunday's Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship (gr. IT) at 1 ΒΌ miles. The gray gelding reminds Mitchell of his best claim, Star Over The Bay, a horse that became a multiple stakes winner after being claimed for $80,000. Unfortunately, Star Over The Bay was euthanized after being injured racing in Singapore.
Friday, September 30, 2005Leprechaun Kid, claimed for $80,000 a month ago, turned out to be a good luck charm for trainer Mike Mitchell and struggling jockey Tyler Baze in Sunday's $250,000 Del Mar Handicap (gr. IIT).
Sunday, August 28, 2005All horses trained by Mike Mitchell will undergo 24 hour surveillance before racing after one of his horses tested positive for an excessive amount of TC02, which is the total carbon dioxide in plasma from a blood sample obtained pre-race.
Monday, August 01, 2005Trainer Mike Mitchell tried to concentrate on work in his Hollywood Park stable office Wednesday but found it impossible to forget about grade I winner Star Over the Bay, whose winner's circle pictures hung on the wall.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005The front-running Star Over the Bay enhanced his reputation for being tough to beat in the stretch, holding off a determined A to the Z in a grueling stretch duel to win the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Turf at Santa Anita Park Saturday.
Saturday, January 29, 2005Grade II stakes winner Quintons Gold Rush died Jan. 17 while undergoing surgery at San Luis Rey Equine Hospital in California.
Thursday, January 20, 2005Trainer Mike Mitchell called an audible Friday morning, supplementing grade I winner Kela to the $100,000 Vernon O. Underwood Stakes (gr. III) at Hollywood Park Sunday for $2,000.
Friday, December 03, 2004
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