The Oak Tree Racing Association, which for the second year in a row hosted the Breeders' Cup World Championships, reported double-digit declines in attendance and handle during the 31-day meet at Santa Anita Park that ended Nov. 8.
4 days ago
The popular Sunshine Millions, which was designed to match the best California-bred horses versus the best bred Thoroughbreds from Florida, will return to both Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park on Jan. 30 with $1.8 million in purses at stake.
6 days ago
Pam and Martin Wygod's locally-based Life is Sweet rallied from last on the far turn, engulfed the field in the stretch and drew away to a three-length victory in the $2-million Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic (gr. I) Nov. 6 at Santa Anita Park.
Friday, November 06, 2009
Great weather is expected for the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will air on ESPN2 Nov. 6, and ABC and ESPN on Nov. 7.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Gayego competed in two legs of the 2008 Triple Crown and captured the Arkansas Derby (gr. II) at 1 1/8 miles, but "we think we've found a niche for him in sprint races being a closing sprinter," said Rick Mettee, a key assistant to Godolphin Racing trainer Saeed bin Suroor.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
When Noble's Promise won the Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) at Keeneland Oct. 10, it seemed too good to be true for some of his owners. Now, they are back at the Breeders' Cup for a second consecutive year.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Reade Baker, the trainer of Fatal Bullet, has a message for Zensational, the 7-5 morning line favorite in the $2-million Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I), and the rest of the field: We're ready, and we're going to run hard.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Garrett Gomez is the 3-1 morning-line favorite for the new Breeders' Cup Jockey Bet Nov. 6-7 at Santa Anita Park. The line was set based on mounts the jockeys have in the 14 World Championships events.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Undefeated Lookin At Lucky drew the outside post 13 but was made the 8-5 morning-line favorite for the $2-million Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) Nov. 7 at Santa Anita Park.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Forever Together, winner of last year's $2-million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT), is the 5-2 morning-line favorite to repeat in the event Nov. 6 at Santa Anita Park.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
The Breeder's Cup World Championships experienced its first defections Nov. 2 with the withdrawal of three horses from consideration. They are Kodiak Kowboy, Allicansayis Wow, and Dave in Dixie.
Monday, November 02, 2009
After failing to attract a qualified bid for Santa Anita Park this summer, bankrupt Magna Entertainment Corp. is prepared to try it again early next year. Meanwhile, a committee of horse owners from the Thoroughbred Owners of California is continuing to negotiate the purchase of the picturesque 303-acre racetrack, site of the 2009 Breeders' Cup.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
The presence of the most accomplished United States-based colts thus far and a strong contingent from Europe should spell value for those who wager on the Nov. 7 Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Canadian champion and two-time grade I winner Kodiak Kowboy will be entered in the Nov. 7 Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park even though his experience on synthetic tracks is limited and he has enjoyed his greatest success on dirt.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Citing a sluggish local and national economy as primary factors, the Oak Tree Racing Association announced Oct. 21 that overnight purses will be cut 10%, effective Oct. 24.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Breeders' Cup management is working on a five- to 10-year rotation of racetracks to serve as host sites for the World Championships.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Chip Woolley Jr. sees the glass as half full for Mine That Bird in the $5-million Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) during Santa Anita Park's Oak Tree meeting Nov. 7.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Jockey Kyle Kaenel has retired due to extensive injuries the 21-year-old Oceanside, N.Y., native suffered in a riding spill at Fairplex Park in Southern California Sept. 27.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Breeders' Cup announced Sept. 14 that ESPN will televise three days of Breeders' Cup Challenge stakes in October in advance of the Nov. 6-7 World Championships at Santa Anita Park.
Monday, September 14, 2009
The Breeders' Cup board of directors Sept. 11 said the organization will increase the purse of the $5-million Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) by $1 million if Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta start in the 1 1/4-mile event Nov. 7 at Santa Anita Park.
Friday, September 11, 2009
An auction scheduled Sept. 8 on properties owned by bankrupt Magna Entertainment Corp. will not go forward after the company withdrew Santa Anita Park, Lone Star Park, and other assets from the bidding in court documents filed in U.S. bankruptcy court.
Friday, September 04, 2009
The Breeders' Cup will use the standard colored saddle towel system for horses competing in the 2009 World Championships races at Santa Anita Park.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
This year's Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) will be linked with a California Lottery promotion, officials announced Aug. 3.
Monday, August 03, 2009
Are you looking for an early Volponi for this year's Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I)? Well, you just might have seen him on Saturday...on the grass...finishing second. When it comes to the hard-knocking Awesome Gem, who has his good days and his bad days, I can't help hearing Ralph Kramden (yes, I'm a Honeymooners fanatic): "One of these days...one of these days - "Bang! Zoom!"
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Santa Anita Park has created a "Bobby Frankel Get Well Soon!!!" group on the Internet social networking site Facebook.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
The Thoroughbred Owners of California is among the interested bidders in Santa Anita Park, an organization official confirmed.
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Breeders' Cup has vastly changed its ticketing plan for the 2009 World Championships, with major price reductions of up to 80% single-day sales, and online transactions.
Friday, May 08, 2009
Magna Entertainment Corp. submitted a new court plan May 1 to auction off some of its racetracks, including Santa Anita Park, as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization.
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Breeders' Cup said April 29 this year's two-day World Championships will remain at Santa Anita Park.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Santa Anita Park concluded its 84-day winter/spring meeting in robust fashion on April 19, posting the first gain in on-track attendance at any major California racetrack since the summer of 2007 at Del Mar.
Monday, April 20, 2009
The City of Arcadia has proclaimed Sunday, April 19, as "Eddie Logan Day" in honor of Santa Anita's iconic shoeshine attendant who passed away on Jan. 31 at the age of 98.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
CARMA invited representatives from several California rescue organizations to a roundtable April 8 at Santa Anita to discuss ways the groups could work together to save Thoroughbreds and rehabilitate them for second careers.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Soul City Slew, who had run for a $50,000 claiming tag in March, pulled off an upset in the $126,000 Potrero Grande Handicap (gr. II) April 4 at Santa Anita Park in California, defeating favored Halo Najib by a half-length. It was the first stakes win of any kind for Soul City Slew, who had shown flashes of promise previously when he had finished third in both the 2007 Pat O'Brien Handicap (gr. II) and the 2008 San Carlos Handicap (gr. II).
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Purse winnings for the victorious effort of Einstein in the March 7 Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) are being contested by former clients of the horse's owners, Shirley Cunningham Jr. and William Gallion.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
The Pamplemousse, with his regular rider Alex Solis aboard, turned in a sharp final tune-up March 31 for the April 4 Santa Anita Derby (gr. I). The 3-year-old son of Kafwain worked three furlongs in :34.80 seconds at Santa Anita Park in California. He was the fastest of 15 workers at that distance.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
A settlement has apparently been reached over a federal lawsuit involving a controversial California claiming rule, but racetracks in the state are scrambling to deal with the fall-out left from the suspension of the regulation.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
A representative from the Magna Entertainment Corp. assured the California Horse Racing Board March 6 that the company "is not going out of business" in spite of its bankruptcy petition and that horsemen purse accounts and customer winnings will be paid on an ongoing basis.
Friday, March 06, 2009
Several assets owned by Magna Entertainment Corp. will apparently be offered separately for sale from a $195-million "stalking horse bid" its parent company has tendered in relation to MEC's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing March 5.
Friday, March 06, 2009
With Magna Entertainment Corp. reportedly in financial peril, the California Horse Racing Board has called an emergency meeting March 6 to determine the status of the MEC-owned tracks in the state, Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields, as well as the company's licensed advance deposit wagering entity, XpressBet.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
A dispute over hub-fee agreements has left some Churchill Downs Inc.-owned tracks and related off-track betting facilities without racing signals from California.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
David and Jill Heerensperger's Artiste Royal didn't show his age when he went from last to first to win the $150.000 San Marcos Stakes (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita Park Jan. 19.
Monday, January 19, 2009
The grade III Sir Beaufort Stakes Dec. 26 was downgraded to ungraded status after being switched to the main track, but after being reviewed by the American Graded Stakes Committee, the original status was reinstated.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
TrackNet Media Group is poised to cut off its signals to more than 80 Nevada casinos Jan. 7 unless a new agreement is met for what the content company feels are more equitable fees.
Monday, January 05, 2009
With the economy affecting all aspects of the racing industry, Santa Anita has adjusted its overnight purses downward about 10% for the upcoming winter-spring meeting that begins Dec. 26.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Cushion Track has answered speculation it would add third-party defendants to it case with the Los Angeles Turf Club, charging several contracted companies with fault in the development of the former troubled synthetic surface at Santa Anita Park.
Monday, December 08, 2008
The Todd Pletcher-trained Wait a While, champion 3-year-old filly of 2006, tested positive for procaine in the $2-million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Park, it was confirmed Dec. 5 by the California Horse Racing Board. Procaine is a local anesthetic found in the antibiotic procaine penicillin G.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Cushion Track and related defendants have filed a counterclaim against the Los Angeles Turf Club and its general counsel in the lawsuit over the troubled former synthetic surface at Santa Anita Park, asking a California federal court to award it at least $1.3 million in damages.
Friday, November 21, 2008
ABC/ESPN reports that television ratings for its Oct. 24-25 telecasts of the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park rose slightly from 2007 figures. However, ratings remain far below those posted by NBC before ABC/ESPN took over the event in 2006.
Friday, October 31, 2008
The federal lawsuit against Cushion Track and affiliates over the former synthetic racing surface at Santa Anita Park is geared to go forward after a judge recently denied most of the defendants' request for dismissal.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Though champion Curlin may not have handled the synthetic racing surface as well as some of his European rivals did in the $5-million Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I), Santa Anita Park's Pro-Ride racing surface performed safely during the two-day World Championships Oct. 24-25.
Monday, October 27, 2008
