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: Richard Baltas
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Madam Dancealot Chases Rare Double in Del Mar Oaks
Famous Digger (1997) and Sicy d'Alsace (1998) won the San Clemente (G2T) and Del Mar Oaks (G1T) in back-to-back years, but since then only Evening Jewel (2010) has completed the task.
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Retirement Considered for Grade 1 Winner Big Macher
Trainer Richard Baltas said there's a good chance Tom Mansor and Tachycardia Stables' grade 1 winner Big Macher will be retired after a suspensory injury knocked him out of the July 29 Bing Crosby Stakes (G1).
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Madam Dancealot Closes From Last to Win San Clemente
The ocean breeze at Del Mar may have brought out the best in the Sir Prancealot filly, who displayed an eye-catching turn of foot with a last-to-first winning move in the $200,000 San Clemente Handicap (G2T) July 23.
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Big Macher Wins Thor's Echo Off Layoff
Unraced since November 2015, grade 1 winner Big Macher returned a winner in Santa Anita Park's $100,000 Thor's Echo Handicap June 11 for trainer Richard Baltas.
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Big Macher Nearing Return to Racing at Santa Anita
Tom Mansor and Tachycardia Stables' Big Macher has a special place in trainer Richard Baltas' heart.
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Inordinate Outlasts Syntax in San Juan Capistrano
It was a long road back to the winner's circle for Paymaster Racing's Inordinate, but he found his way April 22 at Santa Anita Park.
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Hillhouse High Gives Baltas Royal Heroine Exacta
After running third in her last two graded stakes attempts, Golden Eagle Farm's Hillhouse High broke through in the $200,000 Royal Heroine Stakes (G2T) when holding off a late run from Mokat, giving trainer Richard Baltas the 1-2 finish.
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Goodyearforroses Completes Stakes Trio in Santa Ana
Abbondanza Racing's Goodyearforroses continued her roll in Southern California and earned her first graded stakes win March 12 in the $200,000 Santa Ana (G2T) at Santa Anita Park.
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Goodyearforroses Seeks Stakes Triple in Santa Ana
Abbondanza Racing's Goodyearforroses will look to claim her third straight stakes since relocating to Southern California, and will seek her first graded score March 12 in the $200,000 Santa Ana (G2T) at Santa Anita Park.
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Watch This Cat Takes Sloppy Las Cienegas
Harry Bederian, Harout Kamberian, and Hagop Nakkashian's Watch This Cat had raced on turf, synthetic, and a fast dirt track, but it was in slop that she secured her first stakes win.
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Goodyearforroses Scores in Sloppy Frankel
Under the care of Richard Baltas for the first time in the Frankel, the Irish-bred Azamour filly took command in the backstretch of the sloppy, 1 1/8-mile test and pulled away late to win by 5 1/4 lengths under jockey Corey Nakatani.
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Brown Ships in Three for Hollywood Derby
Trainer Chad Brown will send three representatives west to Del Mar for the $300,000 Hollywood Derby (gr. IT) Dec. 3, but they'll have to deal with other invaders as well as some 3-year-olds who have done their best running at the seaside racetrack.
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Free Rose Out to Shine in Twilight Derby
Multiple graded stakes winner Free Rose seeks to build upon the best form of his career as the 3-year-old gelded son of Munnings heads a field of 12 entered for the Nov. 4 $200,000 Twilight Derby (gr. IIT) going 1 1/8 miles.
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Free Rose Holds Tough for Del Mar Derby Win
Abbondanza Racing and Nathan McCauley's Free Rose roared to the lead on the far turn and held on for a narrow win the $250,000 Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT) Sept. 4 as a the field threatened to engulf him.
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Mokat Seeks Grade I Score in Del Mar Oaks
On the Del Mar grass for the San Clemente Handicap (gr. IIT), Mokat found her best footing and won impressively. On Aug. 20 she'll return to the turf for the Del Mar Oaks (gr. IT).
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Free Rose Speeds to La Jolla Victory
In his second start since moving to trainer Richard Baltas and owner Abbondanza Racing, Free Rose provided a weekend stunner at Del Mar Aug. 6 in the $150,000 La Jolla Handicap (gr. IIIT).
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Mokat Surges to San Clemente Victory
J K Racing Stable's triple stakes-placed Mokat put it all together for her first stakes win July 23 at Del Mar, bursting past rivals nearing the home turn and galloping away to win the $200,000 San Clemente Handicap (gr. IIT).
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Baltas Ready for First Oaks Start With Mokat
The last time Baltas was at Churchill with a Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) horse was back in 1992, as an assistant to Richard Mandella, when Golden Treat ran fourth under his care. Mokat is his first Oaks entry on his own.
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Imperative, Page McKenney Return for Charles Town Classic
Imperative and Page McKenney, second and third, respectively, behind Moreno in last year's Charles Town Classic (gr. II), are among 10 older horses entered in the $1.25 million event April 23 at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races.
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Final Test for Songbird in Santa Anita 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).
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Paulina's Love Scores in Buena Vista
A visually impressive last-out allowance score proved to be an indicator of future success for Paulina's Love in the $200,000 Buena Vista Stakes (gr. IIT) Feb. 20 at Santa Anita Park.
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Asmussen Has Solid Pair in Rachel Alexandra
Mike Rutherford's homebred Stageplay, who will be seeking her second consecutive Fair Grounds stakes, has been installed the 7-5 morning-line favorite for the $200,000 Twinspires.com Rachel Alexandra Stakes (gr. II) Feb. 20
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'Darling' Follows BC With Santa Ynez Score
Forever Darling showed her potential again Jan. 2, when she took the $200,000 Santa Ynez Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita Park.
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'Amigos,' 'Passion' Meet in Midnight Lute
Multiple grade III winners Salutos Amigos and Distinctiv Passion will seek another Jan. 2 in the $100,000 Midnight Lute Stakes at Santa Anita Park, one of three graded events on the Saturday card.
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Maiden Winners Train for Longshot BC Runs
Two maiden-winning fillies were out on the main track at Santa Anita Park Oct. 24, with their connections hoping for upset scores in the upcoming Breeders' Cup at Keeneland.
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Kobe's Back Works Toward Keeneland Return
Although he's yet to win on the Southern California sprint circuit this season, Kobe's Back is heading to Keeneland for the Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) for good reason.
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Big Macher Breezes at Santa Anita Park
Grade I winner and Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) contender Big Macher turned in an easy five-furlong move in 1:01 2/5 Oct. 5 at Santa Anita.
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Stryker Phd Aims for Second Longacres Mile
With two straight stakes wins at Emerald Downs, local star Stryker Phd appears poised to defend his title in the $200,000 Longacres Mile Handicap (gr. III) Aug. 16.
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Spanish Queen Carries On in American Oaks
Spanish Queen continued her upward trajectory May 30 and is now a grade I winner after claiming the $400,000 American Oaks (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Park.
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Brown Sends Two West for American Oaks
A winner of five Breeders' Cup events over the Santa Anita Park turf, trainer Chad Brown should be a significant factor in the $400,000 American Oaks (gr. IT) May 30 on the Southern California grass course.
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Majestic City Strong in Lone Star Handicap
Bloom Racing Stable's Majestic City made his trip from California to Texas worthwhile with a wire-to-wire victory in the $200,000 Lone Star Handicap at Lone Star Park May 25.
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Spanish Queen Unmatched in Honeymoon Victory
A neck back in her first stakes try in the Providencia (gr. IIIT), there was no denying Spanish Queen in her second, the $200,000 Honeymoon (gr. IIT) May 3 at Santa Anita Park.
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Big Macher Mounts Cal Cup Sprint Defense
Grade I winner and defending champ Big Macher, along with multiple stakes winner Rousing Sermon and potential star San Onofre, head a deep and competitive field of nine older horses for the $150,000 California Cup Sprint.
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Baltas, Pedroza Square Off at Los Alamitos
Jockey Martin Pedroza and trainer Richard Baltas will face a meeting with the stewards after reported verbal and physical confrontations at Los Alamitos Race Course Sunday, Dec. 21.
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Big Macher Shows Star Quality in Cary Grant
Rebounding from a troubled effort in the Xpressbet Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I), favored Big Macher outfought a determined Rousing Sermon to score a game neck victory in the $100,000 Cary Grant Stakes Nov. 23 at Del Mar.
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Rich Tapestry, Big Macher in Sprint Works
Hong Kong's Rich Tapestry and California's Big Macher each worked Oct. 25 at Santa Anita Park in preparation for the Xpressbet Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I).
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Big Macher Collects Grade I Bing Crosby Win
Former maiden claimer Big Macher became a grade I-winning sprinter when he denied 3-5 favorite Goldencents by half a length in the $300,000 Bing Crosby Stakes (gr. I) at Del Mar July 27.
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Big Macher's Foot Doing Well After Treatment
Grade II-winning sprinter Big Macher, vanned off the course with a right front foot problem following a workout May 10 at Santa Anita Park, is doing well after treatment, trainer Richard Baltas reported.
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GII Winner Big Macher Vanned Off After Work
Former claimer Big Macher, a two-time stakes-winning sprinter at the current Santa Anita Park meet, was vanned off following a five-furlong workout in :59.80 the morning of May 10.
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Big Macher Denies Wild Dude in Potrero Grande
Big Macher prevailed in a thrilling finish to the $200,00 Potrero Grande Stakes (gr. II) April 12 at Santa Anita Park, denying 7-5 favorite Wild Dude by a nose for his first graded stakes win.
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Big Macher Runs Huge in Cal Cup Sprint Score
Big Macher, always traveling well in his stakes debut in the $125,000 Donald Valpredo California Cup Sprint, took command nearing the furlong mark and won comfortably Jan. 25 at Santa Anita Park.
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Flashy Ways Seeks Rebound in Miesque Stakes
Three weeks after suffering her first defeat in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT), Flashy Ways will try to redeem herself in the $100,000 Miesque Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Betfair Hollywood Park Nov. 24.
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Trainer Barry Abrams Visits Del Mar
Trainer Barry Abrams, one month removed from surgery for recurring throat cancer, made an unexpected visit to Del Mar Aug. 5.
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Barry Abrams Recovering from Throat Surgery
Southern California trainer Barry Abrams came out of surgery for throat cancer in excellent condition, his brother David Abrams reported July 6.
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Jockey Guild Effort to Recover Purse Called 'Ridiculous'
The head of California's trainer association labeled "ridiculous" a Jockeys' Guild petition seeking payment on a rider's behalf from a trainer whose winning horse was later disqualified because of a positive drug test.
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Guild Wants Jockey Paid in Drug-Positive Disqualification
The Jockeys' Guild has filed a petition with the California Horse Racing Board asking that a jockey be paid his share of the purse from a Bay Meadows race in which his mount was later disqualified for a drug positive.
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Stewards Suspend Trainer Baltas for 15 Days
Trainer Richard Baltas is serving a 15-day suspension issued by stewards at Bay Meadows and he was fined $2,500 after a horse he ran Feb. 4 tested positive for a pair of Class 3 prohibited substances.
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Decarchy, White Heart on Comeback Trail
Decarchy, White Heart and Freedom Crest, three major stakes winners who all went to the sidelines this spring, are ready to launch comebacks Sunday in the $70,000-added Steinlen Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on turf.
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Student Versus Teacher in Bel Air
It will be student versus teacher in the $100,000 Bel Air Handicap at Hollywood Park when trainer Richard Baltas and Freedom Crest meets the Richard Mandella-trained Out Of Mind. Baltas assisted Mandella for 1 1/2 years before going out on his own.
