After jockey Edgar Prado got his first Breeders' Cup win in the $1.59 million Alberto VO5 Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) the $1.6 million Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) provided the first Breeders' Cup win for trainer Doug O'Neill and rider Garrett Gomez.
Saturday, October 29, 2005With Saint Liam pretty much established as the early favorite for the Breeders' Cup Classic – Powered by Dodge (gr. I), a competitive field of eight will line up for Saturday's $1-million Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) to determine who will pose the most serious challenge to the Woodward (gr. I) and Stephen Foster (gr. I) winner.
Thursday, September 29, 2005The undefeated Estate Collection, making his stakes debut, set a lively pace for jockey Patrick Valenzuela in the Kentucky Cup Sprint (gr. III) for 3-year-olds at Turfway Park Saturday but refused to give in late, winning by three-quarters of a length over 23-1 Humor At Last.
Saturday, September 17, 2005Merv Griffin's favored Stevie Wonderboy circled the field on the turn for home and overwhelmed a full field under a steady ride from Garrett Gomez in the $250,000 Del Mar Futurity (gr. II) on closing day at the seaside Wednesday.
Thursday, September 08, 2005The pacesetter Whilly refused to give in when headed in the stretch by favorite King of Happiness and outlasted his rival to win the $250,000 American Invitational Handicap (gr. IIT) on the Hollywood Park turf Sunday.
Sunday, July 03, 2005Coming off a dazzling seven-length victory in the Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II) on June 4, Andujar is the 6-5 favorite among nine fillies and mares in the $300,000 Vanity Invitational Handicap (gr. I) at Hollywood Park.
Friday, July 01, 2005Trainer Doug O'Neill and owner J. Paul Reddam are at it again. Earlier at the Hollywood Park meet, Reddam purchased Andujar privately after an impressive allowance victory, transferred her to the O'Neill stable and watched her romp to a seven-length victory in the Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II) on June 4.
Sunday, June 19, 2005Former claiming horse Lava Man poked his head in front on the far turn and inched away for his first graded stakes win in the $250,000 Californian (gr. II) at Hollywood Park Saturday.
Saturday, June 18, 2005There seemed a strong likelihood of a speed duel in Saturday's $205,150 Milady Handicap (gr. II) at Hollywood Park, but outsider Andujar never allowed it to happen, simply running the rest of the field into the ground.
Saturday, June 04, 2005Races can hardly come any closer than Monday's featured event in the Texas Million series -- the $300,000 Lone Star Park Handicap (gr. III) -- where four noses hit the wire together. After the dust had cleared, Supah Blitz was declared the winner and 11-10 favorite Lion Tamer was off the board.
Monday, May 30, 2005Grade I winner Sharp Lisa, a star in Southern California this spring, heads a talented field of 3-year-old fillies in Friday's $250,000 Fantasy Stakes (gr. II) at 1 1/16 miles.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005Grade I winner Sharp Lisa, expected to be one of the favorites, was forced to scratch from Saturday's Ashland (gr. I) at Keeneland due to a bruised hind hoof.
Saturday, April 09, 2005Merv Griffin's versatile Cee's Irish, ridden by Corey Nakatani, pulled away from her rivals at the head of the stretch in winning the $259,000 WinStar Sunland Oaks Saturday in virtually gate-to-wire fashion.
Saturday, April 02, 2005Favored Supah Blitz won the $106,000 Tokyo City Handicap (gr. III) for older horses Saturday at Santa Anita Park, giving trainer Doug O'Neill his ninth stakes win of the meet and record 49th overall win.
Saturday, April 02, 2005Thor's Echo, who couldn't hold off Southern Africa when the two met the last time, turned the tables on his rival in the $500,000 WinStar Derby at Sunland Park Saturday.
Saturday, April 02, 2005Less than a week after breaking the Santa Anita record for wins at a meeting with his 48th victory, trainer Doug O'Neill is not resting. He'll saddle two of the six runners in Saturday's Tokyo City Handicap (gr. III) as he looks to extend his record.
Thursday, March 31, 2005Tyler Baze, a 22-year-old Seattle native, rode the 1,000th winner of his career Friday, guiding Mashiko to a five-length victory in the fifth race at Santa Anita Park.
Friday, March 11, 2005Leading trainer Doug O'Neill plans to double team champion filly Sweet Catomine in Sunday's Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I).
Wednesday, March 09, 2005Santa Anita's leading trainer Doug O'Neill won his seventh stakes of the meeting Sunday when Grand Appointment took the $137,875 Sensational Star Handicap for older horses bred in California.
Sunday, February 20, 2005Passed by Memorette in upper stretch, odds-on favorite Sharp Lisa refused to give in, coming back powerfully in the final sixteenth of a mile to tally a three-quarters of a length win in the $250,000 Las Virgenes (gr. I) for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita Saturday.
Saturday, February 12, 2005Crafty rider Felipe Martinez milked an easy lead with Irish-bred Whilly and had just enough left to hold off Puppeteer in the $150,000 San Marcos Handicap (gr. IIT) at 1 1/4 miles on the Santa Anita Park turf Saturday.
Saturday, January 22, 2005FJ's Pace, a popular campaigner with California fans for many years, has been retired.
Friday, January 21, 2005Sharp Lisa, the 9-10 favorite, wore down No Bull Baby in the stretch run and scored a 1 1/2-length victory in the $150,000 Santa Ynez Stakes (gr. II) for 3-year-old fillies on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day card at Santa Anita Park.
Monday, January 17, 2005Sharp Lisa, a strong second in the Hollywood Starlet (gr. I) last month, is the clear standout in Monday's $150,000 Santa Ynez Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita Park.
Sunday, January 16, 2005Areyoutalkintome was under pressure all the way in the $110,500 El Conejo Handicap (gr. III) on a soupy Santa Anita Park main track, but he refused to give way and pulled off under Tyler Baze in the closing stage to win handily Sunday.
Sunday, January 02, 2005Merv Griffin's Cee's Irish, the even-money favorite, wore down pacesetter Island Escape in the final sixteenth of a mile for a nose victory in the $60,400 Corte Madera Stakes Sunday at Golden Gate Fields.
Monday, December 20, 2004Trainer Doug O'Neill hopes to cap his second Hollywood Park autumn meet championship Sunday with a victory by Sharp Lisa in the Hollywood Starlet (gr. I) for 2-year-old fillies.
Thursday, December 16, 2004Four-year-old Supah Blitz, now a California resident, returned to his roots Saturday at Calder Race Course and won the $200,000 Carl Rose Classic, a race for Florida-breds that is part the track's Florida Million program.
Saturday, November 13, 2004Trainer Doug O'Neill set a record for most victories at Fairplex when Blairs Roarin Star won the sixth race on the Pomona oval on Friday.
Friday, September 24, 2004Supah Blitz, winless in nine starts this year, became a grade II winner in his first start for new trainer Doug O'Neill while all out to hold off Domestic Dispute in the $250,000 Del Mar Breeders' Cup Handicap at one mile Sunday.
Sunday, September 05, 2004Royce S. Jaime's Perfect Moon, who last summer won the Best Pal Stakes (gr. II) and then was third to Siphonizer in the Del Mar Futurity (gr. II), cruised to a decisive 4 1/2-length victory Friday night in the $79,550 El Cajon Stakes for 3-year-olds.
Saturday, September 04, 2004Areyoutalkintome rallied from last place in a five-horse field to win the $100,000 Real Good Deal for California-bred 3-year-olds Friday night at Del Mar.
Saturday, August 07, 2004Favored Pohave, ridden for the first time by Victor Espinoza, rolled to a three-quarters of a length victory in the $300,000 Triple Bend Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IT) Saturday at Hollywood Park for his first grade I triumph.
Saturday, July 03, 2004Odds-on favorite The Dempsey Look lacked a late punch on Sunday when Winendynme delivered the knock-out blow with a late outside rally to win the $79,950 Manhattan Beach for 3-year-old fillies by two lengths at Hollywood Park.
Monday, May 31, 2004Pohave ended an eight-race losing streak at Hollywood Park, winning his first graded stakes in the $150,000 Los Angeles Times Handicap (gr. III) Saturday.
Saturday, May 08, 2004Such is the strength of the big two –- Pleasantly Perfect and Medaglia d'Oro -- in Saturday's Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) that Leandro Moro, supervising the preparation of Fleetstreet Dancer, has said he would be happy to finish in the first five.
Friday, March 26, 2004Trainer Doug O'Neill has two shots at repeating last year's victory in the inaugural $500,000 WinStar Derby at Sunland Park Sunday with speedster Hosco and Perfect Moon.
Thursday, March 25, 2004Merv Griffin's improving 3-year-old colt Skipaslew can gain legitimacy as a Kentucky Derby candidate Saturday when he faces nine rivals in the $200,000 El Camino Real Derby (gr. III) at Golden Gate Fields.
Thursday, March 11, 2004Merv Griffin's improving 3-year-old colt Skipaslew can gain legitimacy as a Kentucky Derby candidate Saturday when he faces nine rivals in the $200,000 El Camino Real Derby (gr. III) at Golden Gate Fields.
Thursday, March 11, 2004Television magnate Merv Griffin will try to win the $100,000 Golden Gate Derby (gr. III) Saturday at Golden Gate Fields with his surprising 3-year-old colt Skipaslew.
Thursday, January 08, 2004Airwave romped to a three-length win in Monday's Tripleprint Temple Stakes (Eng-II) for fillies and mares at Sandown, cementing her reputation as one of the top sprinters in Europe.
Monday, May 26, 2003Sky Jack utilized a front-running trip under Laffit Pincay Jr. to win Sunday's $150,000 Mervyn Leroy Handicap (gr. II) by 5 1/2 lengths over Bosque Redondo at Hollywood Park. The 6-year-old gelded son of Jaklin Klugman completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.36 on a fast track.
Sunday, May 12, 2002