For all her accomplishments, the millionaire mare Star Parade has never been able to win successive races. That dubious distinction held when the even-money choice in Saturday's $168,000 Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II) came up a head short of the winning Proposed after a stretch-long drive to the wire at Hollywood Park.
Saturday, June 03, 2006Heavily favored Magnum registered a convincing 1 ¼-length victory over Texcess in Monday's $400,000 Lone Star Park Handicap (gr. III) on a muddy track in Grand Prairie, Texas. The 1 1/16-mile race for older horses capped Lone Star Park's eighth annual Lone Star Million – a six-race stakes bonanza on Memorial Day.
Monday, May 29, 2006A $100,000 purse boost since last year is helping to lure the deepest field in race history for Monday's Grade III, $400,000 Lone Star Park Handicap.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006After 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, 2006Santa Anita Park concluded its 86-day winter/spring meeting Sunday with double-digit gains in on-track attendance and handle.
Monday, April 24, 2006Rail-skimming Pure as Gold slipped through an opening on the inside for jockey Patrick Valenzuela to gain the lead in mid-stretch and coasted to a 1 3/4-length upset in the $109,400 San Simeon Handicap (gr. IIIT) on the Santa Anita hillside turf course Saturday.
Saturday, April 22, 2006Patrick Valenzuela, who won the 1989 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) aboard Sunday Silence, has been named to ride Hutcheson (gr. II) winner Keyed Entry in the 2006 Run for the Roses, Todd Pletcher said Saturday in an interview with TVG.
Saturday, April 22, 2006Fred Carrillo and Dan Cassella's California-bred invader Bordonaro, the 2-5 favorite trained by Bill Spawr and ridden by Patrick Valenzuela, won the $150,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (gr. III) by 1 1/4 lengths over Friendly Island Thursday at Oaklawn Park.
Thursday, April 13, 2006Seafree, making the first start of her career around two turns for trainer Bobby Frankel, ran away from the prohibitive favorite Pussycat Doll early and staggered to victory in the $200,000 La Canada (gr. II) for 4-year-year old fillies at Santa Anita Park.
Sunday, February 12, 2006The Bobby Frankel-trained High Limit spoiled the return to the races of 2005 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner Giacomo with an authoritative win in the $300,000 Strub Stakes (gr. II) for 4-year-olds at Santa Anita Park Saturday.
Saturday, February 04, 2006Arnold Zetcher's 5-year-old California-bred mare House of Fortune drew off on the far turn of Saturday's $500,000 Sunshine Millions Ocala Breeders' Sales Distaff at Gulfstream Park and steered clear for a commanding 6 ½-length victory.
Saturday, January 28, 2006Favored Bordonaro roared off the turn for jockey Patrick Valenzuela and held off the challenge of Tacirring in the final stages to win the $300,000 Padua Stables Sprint to kick off the Sunshine Millions program for California and Florida-bred horses at Gulfstream Park Saturday.
Saturday, January 28, 2006Favored Proposed reached the front at the top of the stretch and overpowered her rivals in the run to the wire, easily winning the $150,000 El Encino (gr. II) for 4-year-old fillies at Santa Anita Sunday.
Sunday, January 15, 2006Favored High Limit and Buckland Manor hooked up shortly after the start and battled all the way to the wire before High Limit prevailed by a nose in a dramatic edition of the $150,000 San Pasqual Handicap (gr. II) at Santa Anita Park Saturday.
Saturday, January 07, 2006Itty Bitty Pretty left the 2-5 favorite Sabatini well behind in the stretch while registering her first stakes win by six lengths in the $109,200 Santa Ysabel (gr. III) for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita Park Saturday.
Saturday, January 07, 2006Making the first start of his career on the grass, the pacesetting Badge of Silver sped away from his rivals in the stretch to register a mild upset for trainer Bobby Frankel in the $150,000 San Gabriel Handicap (gr. IIT) on the turf at stormy Santa Anita Park Sunday.
Sunday, January 01, 2006Razor sharp Bordonaro sped to the front for jockey Patrick Valenzuela shortly after the start of the $100,000 Vernon O. Underwood (gr. III) and drew away for a three-length victory in his first graded stakes race Saturday at Hollywood Park.
Saturday, December 03, 2005Your 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, 2005Los Angeles Dodger right-hander Brad Penny experienced his first-ever win as a Thoroughbred owner when his 3-year-old gelding Excess Temptations broke his maiden last June at Hollywood Park.
Friday, October 28, 2005After a week on the sidelines due to an injured left foot and a "misunderstanding" about calling in to the stewards to report his ailment, Patrick Valenzuela worked horses Sunday morning and has been named on horses this Wednesday.
Sunday, October 23, 2005Stewards at Santa Anita excused injured jockey Patrick Valenzuela on Thursday from all of his commitments through Sunday's race card, one day after he failed to call in prior to taking off his mounts.
Thursday, October 20, 2005Jockey Patrick Valenzuela will meet with stewards Thursday morning after missing all his mounts at Oak Tree at Santa Anita on Wednesday. The oft-troubled rider said he was suffering from a sore foot that knocked him out of action following his ride in the second race on Sunday.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005With 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, 2005Favored Elusive Diva came off the hillside in a perfect position and drew away in the stretch for a three-length win in the $100,000 Senator Ken Maddy Handicap (gr. IIIT) on the turf Wednesday, opening day of the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita.
Wednesday, September 28, 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, 2005Juddmonte Farms' Three Valleys nosed out We All Love Aleyna in the $338,000 Del Mar Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IIT) on the turf Sunday to record his first graded stakes victory in the United States.
Monday, September 05, 2005Del Mar stewards fined Corey Nakatani and Patrick Valenzuela $500 apiece Wednesday for fighting in the jockeys' room following a race Monday in which Rene Douglas drew a three-day suspension.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005Wild Desert gave jockey Patrick Valenzuela and stand-in trainer Bobby Frankel their first victory in the $1 million Queen's Plate, the first leg of the Triple Crown for 3-year-old Canadian-breds at Woodbine Sunday.
Sunday, June 26, 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, 2005Trainer Bobby Frankel dialed Maryland Wednesday to obtain the services of Ramon Dominguez to replace the injured Patrick Valenzuela aboard Vangelis in the $350,000 Jim Murray Memorial Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Hollywood Park Saturday.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005Jockey Patrick Valenzuela will undergo knee surgery in the next couple of days and is expected to be out of action some four to eight weeks.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005Jockey Gary Stevens will be the only rider attempting his fourth Kentucky Derby (gr. I) victory this year as he takes the mount on Florida Derby (gr. I) runner-up Noble Causeway, trained by Nick Zito. If Stevens succeeds he will join the rank of Hall of Fame jockey Bill Shoemaker who had four victories from a record 26 Derby mounts.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005Immediately after post positions were drawn for Friday's Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), trainer Bernie Flint enthusiastically said, "I like that" in response to his Runway Model drawing post one for the 1 1/8-mile race.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005Under an emphatic ride from Patrick Valenzuela, Herrick Racing LLC's Short Route wore down the heavy favorite Inspiring to win the $109,700-added Railbird (gr. III) for 3-year-old fillies by a neck at Hollywood Park Sunday.
Sunday, May 01, 2005Trainer 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, 2005Jockey Patrick Valenzuela, who suffered a knee injury when unseated following the start of the fourth race at Hollywood Park April 22 and has not ridden since, will rest his aching knee until Saturday, agent Ronnie Ebanks said Wednesday.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005Jockey Patrick Valenzuela won four races from five rides at Santa Anita Park Thursday, capping the day with a victory aboard favored Dreams Come True in the $56,000 feature.
Thursday, April 14, 2005Naveed Chowhan's Runway Model, second by 10 ½ lengths to Sis City in Saturday's Ashland Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland, will carry Southern California's leading jockey, Patrick Valenzuela when she heads postward next in the May 6 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I).
Wednesday, April 13, 2005Elusive Diva won her second stakes on the downhill turf course at Santa Anita this meeting, shooting through an opening at the head of the stretch and drawing off to a four-length victory in the $111,100 Las Cienegas Handicap (gr. IIIT) in stakes-record time.
Sunday, April 10, 2005James Weigel's front-running Dream of Summer not only held off favorite Ashado in winning Saturday's $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I), she also successfully fended off the challenges of two outsiders, unlucky Star Parade and Shadow Cast, in the final strides at Oaklawn Park.
Saturday, April 09, 2005Just one day after jockey Patrick Valenzuela announced he had sold a two-month advertising deal to the offshore gambling Web site Betcris.com for $15,000, Santa Anita Park stewards informed the rider he'd be unable to wear the ads on his pants and his collar. Valenzuela, meanwhile, has terminated the deal.
Thursday, March 31, 2005Scrofa, ridden patiently by Patrick Valenzuela, rallied between horses and prevailed by a half-length Thursday in the $140,625 Irish O'Brien Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares at Santa Anita Park.
Thursday, March 17, 2005The pacesetting Tarlow, ridden to a frantic finish by Patrick Valenzuela, reached the wire a nose in front of Dream of Summer to win the $300,000 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park Saturday.
Saturday, March 12, 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, 2005Given his head by jockey Patrick Valenzuela, Brazilian-bred License To Run spurted away from the field on the final turn and romped to a five-length victory Saturday in the $150,000 San Luis Obispo Handicap (gr. II) at muddy Santa Anita Park.
Saturday, February 19, 2005Front-running Tarlow pulled jockey Patrick Valenzuela to the lead soon after the start and was never headed while recording a two-length victory in the $200,000 La Canada Stakes (gr. II) for 4-year-old fillies at Santa Anita Saturday.
Saturday, February 12, 2005Saint Afleet won the first graded stakes race of his light career, holding off Hombre Rapido in the final yards for a three-quarters of a length victory Sunday in the $150,000 Palos Verdes Handicap (gr. II) at Santa Anita Park.
Sunday, January 23, 2005Embattled jockey Patrick Valenzuela received his California riding license and is expected to be back in the saddle for the first time since last July on Jan. 15. Valenzuela, 42, received a conditional license (Jan. 13-Dec. 31) after he and his attorney, Neil Papiano, met Jan. 12 with Santa Anita Park stewards.
Thursday, January 13, 2005The California Horse Racing Board Friday cleared the way for jockey Pat Valenzuela to regain his riding license when it voted to adopt the ruling of an administrative law judge that overruled a board of stewards' suspension of the rider.
Friday, January 07, 2005The California Horse Racing Board is scheduled to meet Jan. 7 in executive session to discuss an administrative law judge's ruling regarding the suspension of rider Patrick Valenzuela.
Monday, January 03, 2005