Del Mar's Summer Meet Sees Drop in Equine Fatalities
Del Mar's annual summer meeting came to a close Sept. 4 and the most crucial issue facing the seaside racetrack saw a marked improvement.
Keyword: Phil D'Amato
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Spectator Has More to Prove in Del Mar Debutante
For Spectator the bigger picture of her 2-year-old campaign, if everything goes right, will feature the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), but a most important step comes Sept. 2 in the $300,000 Del Mar Debutante (G1).
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D'Amato Trainees Back on Grass for Big Del Mar Weekend
There's a common thread in three of Phil D'Amato's older grass horses running in stakes on TVG Pacific Classic (G1) weekend at Del Mar. All three have dabbled, with varying degrees of success, on the dirt.
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Spectator Blows Away Sorrento Field
Trainer Phil D'Amato was never dissuaded from taking on the "big girls" with the homebred Spectator, and she took full advantage of her opportunity.
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Homebred Spectator Takes on the 'Big Girls' in Sorrento
The $200,000 Sorrento Stakes (G2), the first graded stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Del Mar, provides a little bit of everything.
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Drefong, Ransom the Moon Eye Future After Hectic Crosby
A day after a rodeo of a race in the July 29 Bing Crosby Stakes (G1), the connections of the top horses involved are mostly looking forward.
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Hunt Overcomes Trouble to Win Eddie Read
Michael House's Hunt provided a moment of drama in the stretch, but even a blocked-off trip wasn't enough to prevent the Dark Angel gelding from winning his first graded race.
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Supplement Pee Wee Reese Upsets Om in American
With even-money favorite Om close behind all the way in the $100,000 American Stakes (G3T) July 4 at Santa Anita Park, Nick Alexander's Tribal Rule homebred turned back the multiple graded stakes winner and picked up a graded victory of his own.
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Enola Gray Speeds to Wilshire Win
A five-time California-bred stakes winner before her start in the $100,000 Wilshire Stakes (G3T), Nick Alexander's Enola Gray had yet to beat open-company stakes competition in three tries, but she cleared that hurdle impressively July 1.
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Multiple Grade 1 Winner Obviously Retired
The retirement of Anthony Fanticola and Joseph Scardino's Obviously brought the end of an era in Barn 24 on the Santa Anita Park backside.
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Cupid Returns From Layoff to Win Gold Cup
An eight-month layoff seemed to have little effect on Cupid in the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes (G1) as he won the 1 1/4-mile test May 27 by 3 1/4 lengths.
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Midnight Storm Seeks Grade 1 Dirt Win in Gold Cup
Midnight Storm will have another shot at a grade 1 win on dirt in the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita, and he won't have to contend with Shaman Ghost, who came back to win the Pimlico Special Handicap (G3) May 19 off his Big 'Cap victory.
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Ransom the Moon Steps Up in Kona Gold
Ransom the Moon stepped up in class May 20 when he took the $200,000 Kona Gold Stakes (G2) by 2 1/4 lengths in his first stakes attempt.
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Farhaan Makes the Grade in Thunder Road
In his second start for trainer Phil D'Amato, Matthew Schera's Farhaan took an impressive step forward April 29 to win his first graded stakes in the $100,000 Thunder Road (G3T) at Santa Anita Park.
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Big John B Seeks Tokyo City Cup Repeat
With a relatively short turf prep race under his belt, Michael House's Big John B will attempt to repeat his 2016 victory in the $100,000 Tokyo City Cup (G3) April 2 at Santa Anita Park.
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Midnight Storm Rolls Into Santa Anita Handicap
All it took was a couple starts on dirt for Midnight Storm to go from gutsy turf miler to highweight in the premier handicap race on the West Coast.
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Conquest Enforcer Back for More in Arcadia
Conquest Enforcer's first start in Southern California couldn't have gone much better.
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Midnight Storm Speeds to San Pasqual Victory
He may not have beaten Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Arrogate, but Midnight Storm still found a way to impress in the $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes (G2) Jan. 1.
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Midnight Storm Challenges Arrogate in San Pasqual
California Chrome had his prep for the Pegasus World Cup (gr. I) Dec. 17 at Los Alamitos Race Course. Now it's Arrogate's turn across town.
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Taking on 'Chrome' in Winter Challenge
Trainers taking on California Chrome in the Winter Challenge Dec. 17 at Los Alamitos Race Course, are doing so for various reasons.
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Veteran Obviously Scores in Turf Sprint
A two-time grade I winner at a mile, Obviously cut back a bit in distance to take the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IT) Nov. 5 at Santa Anita Park.
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Heberts' Pride Gloryzapper in F&M Sprint
Jeff and Kathleen Hebert fell in love with a Kentucky-bred daughter of Ghostzapper at the 2013 Keeneland yearling sale. She had some veterinary issues, which scared enough bidders away that the couple got her for just $15,000.
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Metaboss Retired After Injury on Turf Course
Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) entrant Metaboss was pulled up and transported off the Santa Anita Park turf course in an equine ambulance Nov. 2 during a routine gallop in preparation for the Nov. 5 race.
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Enola Gray Scores on Grass in CA Distaff 'Cap
Jockey Tyler Baze got a good feeling Nick Alexander's Enola Gray would take to a new surface for her first grass start Oct. 15, when the Grazen filly warmed up and traveled up the Santa Anita Park hillside turf course.
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Gloryzapper Makes the Grade in L.A. Woman
Herbert Bloodstock, Richard Leggio, and Peter Peluso's Gloryzapper earned her first graded win Oct. 9 with a game effort in the $100,000 L.A. Woman Stakes (gr. III) at Santa Anita Park.
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Vyjack Sets Course Record in City of Hope
Pick Six Racing's Vyjack knocked off Wise Dan as the fastest turf miler in Santa Anita's history Oct. 8 with a record-setting performance in the $200,000 City of Hope Mile (gr. IIT).
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Obviously Speeds Toward BC in City of Hope
Obviously will take his fifth shot at the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) after a run in the grade II City of Hope Mile.
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Another Try for Metaboss in John Henry Turf
You'd be hard-pressed to find a more impressive performance in a losing effort than what Metaboss did Aug. 20 in the Del Mar Handicap (gr. IIT).
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Bendable Upsets Enola Gray at Los Alamitos
Claiborne Farm's Bendable, off the first loss of her career, handed Enola Gray her first defeat Sept. 11 in the $75,000 Beverly J. Lewis Stakes at Los Alamitos Race Course.
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Enola Gray Tries Open Company at Los Al
After a minor illness knocked her out of the Torrey Pines (gr. III) at Del Mar Aug. 28, Nick Alexander's undefeated Enola Gray will take another shot at her first start against open company Sept. 11 in the Beverly J. Lewis Stakes.
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California Chrome Named Del Mar Horse of Meet
California Chrome was the unanimous choice as Del Mar's Horse of the Meeting for 2016.
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Unbeaten Enola Gray Steps Up in Torrey Pines
Nick Alexander's homebred Enola Gray will take an undefeated record into the $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes (gr. III) Aug. 28 at Del Mar, but the lightly raced Grazen filly will be up against the toughest field she's ever faced.
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Midnight Storm Speeds to Del Mar Mile Victory
A Veneri Racing and Little Red Feather Racing's Midnight Storm put in a repeat performance on the Southern California grass Aug. 21 to win the $200,000 Del Mar Mile Handicap (gr. IIT) in front-running fashion.
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Midnight Storm Takes Streak into Del Mar Mile
Midnight Storm has been rolling of late, with back-to-back scores in the Shoemaker Mile (gr. IT) and Eddie Read (gr. IIT), but could face a challenge for his ideal spot at the front of the pack July 21 in the $200,000 Del Mar Mile (gr. IIT).
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Quality Field to Contest Del Mar Handicap
Multiple graded stakes winners Ashleyluvssugar, Flamboyant, and Finnegans Wake will take the logical step forward on the Del Mar turf schedule for a run in the Del Mar Handicap (gr. IIT) Aug. 20.
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Enola Gray Still Perfect After Del Mar Run
Nick Alexander's homebred Enola Gray continued her blitz through the Californa-bred ranks July 22 in the $150,000 Fleet Treat Stakes at Del Mar.
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'Vegas,' Be Mine Meet Again in San Clemente
A head and a nose apart in their last two outings, Stays in Vegas and Be Mine will once again do battle in the $200,000 San Clemente Handicap (gr. IIT) July 23 at Del Mar.
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Midnight Storm Game in Eddie Read Win
There's something about the Del Mar turf course that brings out the best in A Venneri Racing and Little Red Feather Racing's Midnight Storm.
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Flamboyant Back in SoCal For Eddie Read
David Bienstock and Chuck Winner's Flamboyant just started to hit his stride early in 2016, when he shipped overseas for the Dubai Turf (UAE-I) in March.
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Coppa Game in Victory Ride Stakes Score
Undefeated Coppa proved up to the test in her first graded stakes try, holding off stretch challengers to her inside and outside to win the $150,000 Victory Ride Stakes (gr. III) July 9 at Belmont Park.
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Lost Raven Takes Win Streak into Victory Ride
Repole Stable homebred Lost Raven will look to win her third straight stakes July 9 in the $150,000 Victory Ride Stakes (gr. III), but the Uncle Mo filly will have to take on an intriguing invader from the West in the 6 1/2-furlong test.
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Vyjack Moves West to D'Amato
Vyjack, previously trained on the East Coast by Bill Mott, logged a half-mile drill in :47 2/5 June 23 at Santa Anita Park, the fastest of 68 works at the distance in his first move for D'Amato.
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Obviously All the Way in Poker Stakes
Anthony Fanticola and Joseph Scardino's Obviously (IRE) returned from a four-month break between races and led gate to wire to win the $300,000 Poker Stakes (gr. IIIT) on the turf at Belmont Park.
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Stays in Vegas, Be Mine Back for Honeymoon
Stays in Vegas and Be Mine, only a head apart last time out in the Senorita (gr. IIIT) May 7, will be back for another graded grass stakes at Santa Anita Park June 19 in the $200,000 Honeymoon (gr. IIT).
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Songbird Back for Summertime Oaks
A low-grade fever may have knocked Fox Hill Farms' undefeated champion Songbird out of the Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), but her 3-year-old campaign will restart June 18 in the $200,000 Summertime Oaks (gr. II) at Santa Anita Park.
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Midnight Storm Gets Shoemaker Mile Revenge
Midnight Storm lost the $400,000 Shoemaker Mile (gr. IT) last year by a half-length, but this time he would not be denied.
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Lani Works for Belmont, Three Shippers Arrive
Koji Maeda's UAE Derby (UAE-II) winner Lani turned in a characteristically lengthy breeze early the morning of June 1 at Belmont Park, his penultimate work for the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes (gr. I) on June 11.
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Enola Gray Passes Two-Turn Test in Melair
Stepping up into stakes competition off a standout debut score, Nick Alexander's homebred Enola Gray didn't disappoint in the $200,000 Melair Stakes May 28 at Santa Anita Park.
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Adventist, Unified Meet in Peter Pan
Adventist and Unified may find a tough contender in Federico Tesio runner-up Governor Malibu in the May 14 Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II) at Belmont Park.
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Fanticola Up to Defend Royal Heroine Title
A wide-open field of 14 will contest the May 5 $200,000 Royal Heroine Stakes (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita Park.
