Jockey Martin Pedroza sustained a leg fracture and is to be sidelined for an indefinite period after a starting gate mishap aboard first-time starter Sargentina in the eighth and final race Feb. 7 at Santa Anita Park.
There was no catching Blueskiesnrainbows Jan. 11 at Santa Anita Park in a frontrunning win in the $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes (gr. II).
Grade I winner Private Zone worked four furlongs on the Santa Anita Park main track Oct. 17 in a bullet :45 4/5 with regular rider Martin Pedroza aboard as he prepares for the $1.5 million Xpressbet Breeders' Cup Sprint.
Southern California shipper Private Zone outfought favored Justin Phillip to win the $400,000 Vosburgh Invitational Stakes (gr. I) Sept. 28 by a neck at Belmont Park.
Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer sent Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) contender Nonios to the track Oct. 30 for a four-furlong tuneup in preparation for the Nov. 3 World Championships and the colt responded with a bullet work.
Nonios, making his stakes debut for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, overcame some early trouble to post a 15-1 upset by a half-length over Liaison in the $100,000 Affirmed Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park June 3.
In search of firm turf, Wilkinson wound up in the Southern California barn of Jeff Mullins, who sent the 4-year-old colt out to spring a 44-1 shocker in the $150,000 American Handicap (gr. IIT) at Betfair Hollywood Park.
Determined Via Villaggio advanced along the rail to challenge overwhelming favorite Sister Moon in the stretch, then held on for a half-length upset in the $98,000 Railbird Stakes (gr. III) at Betfair Hollywood Park May 19.
Overlooked Willa B Awesome caught Reneesgotzip at the wire to post a 13-1 upset in the $300,000 Santa Anita Oaks(gr. I) March 31 as odds-on choice Eden's Moon disappointed.
Santa Anita stewards have handed jockey Martin Pedroza a seven-day suspension after citing him for willfully riding to cause interference in the seventh race on March 4.
Two-time Eclipse Award winning jockey Ramon Dominguez has been selected as the 63rd winner of the prestigious Santa Anita George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award.
Ultimate Eagle, a grade I winner on turf making his first start on dirt, won for fun in the $200,000 Strub Stakes (gr. II) at odds of 7-1 Feb. 4 at Santa Anita.
Willa B Awesome hit the front early and was never headed as she snuck away to an 11-1 upset in the $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes (gr. III) at Santa Anita Jan. 28.
Owner B.J. Wright and trainer Michael Pender capped their superb Turf Festival at Hollywood Park when front-running Ultimate Eagle employed thievery to win the $250,000 Hollywood Derby (gr. IT) at odds of 14-1 Nov. 27.
Ramon Dominguez, Corey Lanerie, Martin Pedroza, DeShawn Parker, and Scott Stevens are the finalists for the 63rd annual George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 2012, Santa Anita Park announced Nov. 23.
Ultimate Eagle, staked to an early lead by Martin Pedroza at odds of 34-1, avoided the calvary charge in the 14-horse Oak Tree Derby (gr. IIT) and held on to post a major upset in the $150,000 grass test at Santa Anita.
Three jockeys involved in a spill in the final race at Del Mar July 24 are returning to action without missing any time.
E Z's Gentleman, scraping paint for jockey Martin Pedroza, shook free in the homestretch to defeat his stablemate Sangaree and give trainer Bob Baffert the top two spots in the $250,000 Triple Bend Handicap (gr. I).
It came down to the last race of the year at Santa Anita, but Garrett Gomez notched his fourth straight national purse earnings title on Dec. 31.
Return of the King, the last horse owned by James Ortega, one of nine people slain in a Southern California massacre on Christmas Eve, scored a dramatic come-from-behind victory at Santa Anita Jan. 8.
Jockey Martin Pedroza won a record seven races on the opening day of Fairplex Park's meet Sept. 5 and in the process earned his 3,000th career victory.
Sprint champion Midnight Lute appears to be ready for his next start after working faster than the track record for seven furlongs on Del Mar's Polytrack racing surface Aug. 7.
Even-money choice Two Step Salsa passed his first distance test with flying colors in the $107,100 Affirmed Handicap (gr. III) at Hollywood Park June 15, going all the way on the front end to score a 3 3/4-length win on the Cushion Track.
Stoneside, a bit of a disappointment since being purchased privately in France by Marsha Naify last year, woke up in a big way when he easily captured the $112,400 San Simeon Handicap (gr. IIIT) on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita April 19.
Charlotte M. Wrather's Cheroot, a 28-1 outsider, squeezed through a narrow opening in the final stages to register a nose victory over Moth Ball in Santa Anita's $98,650 Daytona Handicap on the hillside turf course Feb. 17. Notional, sidelined since last March's second-place finish in the Florida Derby (gr. I), finished third in his comeback effort.
Trainer Darrell Vienna faces two complaints alleging that Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT) winner Medici Code ran with excessive levels of clenbuterol in his system in the two races prior to the most important victory of his career.
Respect has been hard to come by for the lightly bred Medici Code, but after the way the Darrell Vienna-trained gelding mowed down his rivals in the $400,000 Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT) Sept. 2, that should change.
Unheralded Medici Code got the stalking trip trainer Darrell Vienna was hoping for in the $150,000 La Jolla Handicap (gr. II) for 3-year-olds. The result was a convincing 1 1/4-length victory over a solid field on the Del Mar turf Aug. 11.
Three jockeys escaped serious injury at Hollywood Park May 17 when Royal Change, leading the field in the fourth race while approaching the quarter pole, suffered a fractured right foreleg and fell, tossing rider Alex Bisono.
Fairplex Park set a record for total handle during its 16-day run in 2006 that ended Sept. 25 when it averaged more than $7.1 million daily. It was the second straight year the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds racetrack surpassed its previous handle mark and the third time in the past four years.
Genre, closing from far back, was along just in time when the apparent winner of the $128,200 Cinema Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IIIT), New Joysey Jeff, lost rider Jose Valdivia Jr. in mid-stretch Sunday on the Hollywood Park turf course.
As trainer Julio Canani fidgeted, Charmo breezed four furlongs in :49 4/5 on turf Thursday under regular rider Martin Pedroza, the final step in the colt's preparations for Monday's $300,000 Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) at Hollywood Park.
After 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.
Charmo stormed down the center of the track from the top of the stretch to nab favored Aragorn by a length in the $330,000 San Francisco Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IIT) on the Golden Gate Fields turf course Saturday.
Gary Tanaka's Irish-bred Atlando swept past entry mate King's Drama in mid-stretch, then held off the late surge of T.H. Approval to win the San Luis Obispo Handicap (gr. IIT) in stakes record-tying time on the Santa Anita Park lawn Sunday.
Gary Tanaka's hard-hitting Star Parade suffered through a nine-race losing streak last year, but has now won her last two starts on the dirt after a two-length victory in the $250,000 Santa Maria Handicap (gr. I) for older fillies and mares at Santa Anita Saturday.
Tough luck Spellbinder gained his first graded stakes victory Sunday when he defeated With Distinction by three-quarters of a length in the $250,000 San Antonio Handicap (gr. II) at Santa Anita Park.
Jockey Martin Pedroza wrapped up the first major riding title of his 23-year career when he piloted California-bred Young Luck to win the fourth race at Hollywood Park closing day Dec. 19. The 40-year-old Pedroza, who finished the 27-day meet with 31 wins, became the oldest first-time title winner in the track's 67-year history.
Gary Tanaka's Star Parade, winless in nine races since taking the Milady Breeders' Cup (gr. I) in July 2004, pushed past heavily favored Dream of Summer in the stretch and drew off to an easy win in Sunday's $150,000 Bayakoa Handicap (gr. II) for fillies and mares at Hollywood Park.
Jockey Martin Pedroza, whose last four win-day at Hollywood Park came two years ago to the day, enjoyed his first-five win day at the Inglewood track Saturday with a little help from the stewards.
Bob and John's apparent six-length victory as the 1-5 favorite in Saturday's $100,000 Real Quiet Stakes for 2-year-olds was overturned by Hollywood Park stewards, who gave the victory to Genre, ridden by Martin Pedroza.
Jockey Martin Pedroza notched his fifth win of the afternoon as he guided 14-1 outsider General Fox to a one-length victory in Friday's $47,400 allowance feature at Oak Tree at Santa Anita.
Amorama avoided a traffic jam in the stretch run of Saturday's $400,000 John C. Mabee Handicap (gr. IT) by taking a wide route to prevail by a head over Island Fashion. It was her second grade I win in two lifetime starts on the Del Mar turf course.
Things may not have gone quite as planned when Truly a Judge got some unexpected company on the lead. But the 3-5 favorite had enough left at the end to defeat the closer Star Cross by a length in the $150,000 San Gabriel Handicap (gr. III) Saturday at Santa Anita Park.
Six-year-old gelding Truly a Judge was in control from the outset of Saturday's $100,000 Native Diver Handicap (gr. III), winning his first graded stakes comfortably at Hollywood Park.
Jockey Martin Pedroza, who earlier Saturday guided Semi Lost to victory in the $100,000 Pomona Derby, set a meet record for wins in a season at Fairplex Park. He finished with five victories on the day.
Southern California jockey Martin Pedroza could resume riding in late April at Hollywood Park "if everything goes perfectly,"his agent, Richie Silverstein reported Wednesday.
Sunday's $200,000 Potrero Grande Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II), won by McCann's Mojave, ended tragically when Casas Caballo broke down on the far turn at Santa Anita and was euthanized.
Except for designated races during the first eight days this meet, Patrick Valenzuela won't ride regularly until the 14th day of the 84-day Santa Anita meeting.
Thanksgiving came a day early for jockey Martin Pedroza, who rode five horses Wednesday at Hollywood Park and guided four of them into the winners' circle.
