The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training gets underway May 23 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium and there is expected to be stiff competition for the upper echelon lots and an uncertain market for the middle price range.
Fox Hill Farms' Songbird grabbed the early lead and easily captured her seventh win in seven starts to take the grade I Santa Anita Oaks at Santa Anita Park April 9 and remain the dominant favorite for the Kentucky Oaks.
With six perfect starts to her credit, Fox Hill Farms' Songbird has one more hurdle to clear -- the April 9 Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I) -- before heading to Kentucky as the favorite for the May 6 Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I).
Fox Hill Farm's undefeated filly Songbird continued to progress toward the April 9 Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I) the morning of March 29. The daughter of Medaglia d'Oro worked six furlongs in 1:12 4/5 with Mike Smith aboard.
A racing rarity, if not a first at Santa Anita Park, occurred when Seventh Sense captured the fifth race March 12 at the Southern California track.
Songbird, perfect in six races after her front-running, 3 3/4-length victory in the Santa Ysabel Stakes (gr. III) March 5, was fittingly "perfect" the morning of March 6.
Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith is generally a pretty cheerful guy, but when he brings Songbird back to the Jerry Hollendorfer barn after her workouts, his mood hits another level.
In her first timed workout since the easiest of scores in the Las Virgenes Stakes (gr. II), Fox Hill Farms' undefeated Songbird covered four furlongs on Santa Anita Park's fast main track Feb. 14 in :48 2/5.
Multiple graded stakes winner Reneesgotzip and Renda, who is the dam of grade I winner Rock Fall, each fetched seven figures at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale Nov. 1 in Lexington.
Victor Espinoza was fined $300 by the Santa Anita Park stewards May 8 for "causing a break in the skin" with his whip on Stellar Wind during her victory in the Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I) April 4.
Stellar Wind, prepping for the $1 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) May 1, worked six furlongs April 24 in 1:12 4/5 at Santa Anita Park for trainer John Sadler.
Stellar Wind, the 6-5 favorite for the Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I), delivered with a commanding 5 1/4-length win over Luminance April 4 at Santa Anita Park. The daughter of Curlin traveled the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.26.
Knowing she can always take Bolo back to the turf, trainer Carla Gaines tried him on the main track with success. Gaines also has Curlin's Fox making the move from turf to dirt in the Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I).
A memorial service has been set for highly respected pinhooker and trainer Ricky Leppala, 62, who died Nov. 4 at his home in Ocala, FL, after a brief battle with cancer.
With the retirement of Mizdirection, winner of the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. I) the last two years, this could be Reneesgotzip's year to emerge on top in the 6 1/2-furlong race.
With Mizdirection, two-time winner of the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IT) retired, this year's renewal drew 29 pre-entries, including Reneesgotzip and Tightend Touchdown, who finished in a dead-heat for second last year.
When the World Championships are renewed for a third straight year at Santa Anita Park, missing from the lineup will be one of the most dynamic Breeders' Cup winners of the past two years--Turf Sprint winner Mizdirection.
Judy the Beauty, able to sit off a hot pace duel, swung into action in the stretch and inched away to a clear victory in the $147,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap (gr. III) Aug. 17 at Del Mar.
Reneesgotzip returns to Del Mar Aug. 17 to defend her title in the $150,000 Rancho Bernardo Stakes (gr. III), but the speedster faces a salty cast in her first start since the 2013 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf Sprint.
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert sent Hoppertunity through his final move for the Kentucky Derby and Ria Antonia through her prep for the Oaks on April 28, squeezing in the drills between downpours at Churchill Downs.
In the early morning hours at Santa Anita Park when most Thoroughbred owners are still in their beds, Arnold Zetcher can often be found observing the progress of his horses in training at the Southern California oval.
Wood Memorial Stakes, Santa Anita Derby, Santa Anita Oaks, Ashland Stakes dead-heat, Mossfun in Australia and more! view slideshow
Fashion Plate, staked to an early lead by jockey Gary Stevens, repulsed a bid from 6-5 favorite Ria Antonia to record her second grade I victory in a row in the $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I) April 5.
This Saturday, Social Inclusion will make his much-anticipated stakes debut in the $1 million Wood Memorial (gr. I) at Aqueduct, one of four grade I races for 3-year-olds being run this weekend. read blog
In the $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I) April 5, they'll all be trying to catch Fashion Plate, the fleet-footed filly who could use the 1 1/16-mile race as a springboard to the Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I).
| Horse | Trainer | Breeder / Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Bella's Fantasy | Bob Baffert |
|
| Conjure the Spirit | Alexis Barba |
|
| Eden's Moon | Bob Baffert |
|
| Reneesgotzip | Peter Miller |
|
| Willa B Awesome | Walther Solis |
|
| Race | Track | Date |
|---|---|---|
| FrontRunner S. (gr. I) | SA | 10/1 |
| Awesome Again S. (gr. I) | SA | 10/1 |
| Rodeo Drive S. (gr. IT) | SA | 10/1 |
| Zenyatta S. (gr. I) | SA | 10/1 |
| Chandelier S. (gr. I) | SA | 10/1 |
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