Two-thirds of Ambitious Brew's victories entering racing Sept. 30 came on Santa Anita Park's unique downhill turf course and the Pamela Ziebarth homebred thrived again during the trip Friday in the first of two Eddie D. Stakes (gr. IIIT) divisions.
One day in, and four races down, the Southern California jockey colony had only positive comments about Santa Anita Park's brand-new turf course with just more than a month to go until the Breeders' Cup.
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).
Jockey Antonio Gallardo, the current national leader in victories with 287 wins in 2016, will move his tack to Southern California at the completion of the Presque Isle Downs race meeting on Oct. 6.
Santa Anita Park has developed and installed a state-of-the-art video surveillance system that enables close monitoring of the track's entire stable area on a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week basis.
The budding rivalry between champions Beholder and Stellar Wind will see its third round Oct. 1 in the $300,000 Zenyatta Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park.
Art Sherman was a swirling mixture of exasperation and confidence when he learned of California Chrome's draw for the $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes (gr. I) Oct. 1 at Santa Anita Park.
All eyes will be on American Cleopatra, the full sister to American Pharoah, as she takes a second shot to win a grade I in the Chandelier Stakes.
After securing the first graded stakes win of her career in her previous start, Avenge will try a grade I stakes for the first time in the $300,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes (gr. IT) Oct. 1 at Santa Anita Park.
After extending his win streak to three straight races and securing his first grade I score in the Del Mar Futurity (gr. I), Klimt will try two turns for the first time in the $300,000 FrontRunner Stakes (gr. IT) Oct. 1 at Santa Anita Park.
At the 24th annual International Simulcast Conference, Santa Anita Park earns Simulcast Award; NYRA honored for "Saratoga Live."
With the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IT) on the 6 1/2-furlong downhill course at Santa Anita coming up in early November, plenty of connections with top turf sprinters see the wisdom in prepping on the unique course in the Eddie D. (gr. IIIT).
Two of racing's biggest stars—California Chrome and Beholder—will make their final starts before the Breeders' Cup on the Oct. 1 Santa Anita Park card as they take advantage of the opportunity to prep at the site of this year's World Championships.
After Beholder's last timed workout in preparation for the $300,000 Zenyatta Stakes (gr. I), just more than a week out from the Oct. 1 race, trainer Richard Mandella said she is ready to take on Stellar Wind in a rematch of champions.
Victor Espinoza, regular rider of 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome, said the 5-year-old California-bred has never been doing better as he prepares for a start in the Awesome Again Stakes (gr. I) Oct. 1 at Santa Anita Park.
Sails through pre-Cotillion move Sept. 12
California Chrome wasn't the only star on the work tab Sept. 10 in Southern California. Champions of 2015 Stellar Wind and Nyquist both put in drills for upcoming starts, as did 2016 Travers Stakes (gr. I) winner Arrogate.
After her second work since a second-place run in the TVG Pacific Classic (gr. I), trainer Richard Mandella is leaning toward running Spendthrift Farm's Beholder in the Zenyatta Stakes (gr. I) Oct. 1 at Santa Anita Park.
Keith Desormeaux admitted Sept. 7 that 2014 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner Texas Red is a long way away from a return to the starting gate, but the trainer expects the 4-year-old Afleet Alex colt to return to his barn at Santa Anita Park soon.
Three Southern California racetracks and the Thoroughbred Owners of California have agreed to a three-year calendar that maintains year-round racing.
After more than two and a half hours of discussion July 13 during a California Horse Racing Board Race Dates Committee meeting, a racing schedule for 2017 in both Northern and Southern California remained unresolved.
Santa Anita Park reported a 3% increase in on-track attendance and a 5% decrease in all-sources pari-mutuel handle for its 99-day winter/spring meet, which ended July 10.
Thoroughbred owner and NBC Sports horse racing and hockey analyst Eddie Olczyk will deliver the keynote address at OwnerView's third Thoroughbred Owner Conference at Santa Anita Park in California Nov. 2, 2016.
Stellar Wind, champion 3-year-old filly of 2015, worked six furlongs in company under Victor Espinoza July 10 at Santa Anita Park in 1:14 1/5 in preparation for a rematch with Beholder in the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (gr. I) at Del Mar July 30.
Champions Beholder and Songbird both worked July 9 at Santa Anita Park toward top-level summer affairs on opposite coasts.
Trainer Ted H. West, 43, announced his retirement July 8. A licensed trainer in his own right for the past 17 years, West started with his father, retired trainer Ted West, when he was a young boy.
It may not be the splashy return to racing that was expected from Arnold Zetcher's Firing Line, but trainer Simon Callaghan is hoping a July 9 allowance race at Santa Anita Park will set the colt up for a big summer.
Owners of horses of racing age currently not nominated to the Breeders' Cup program can nominate their runners at discounted rates on or before July 15 for competition in this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships Nov. 4-5 at Santa Anita.
Trainer Doug O'Neill continues to put the foundation under Reddam Racing's champion Nyquist for his first start since a third in the May 21 Preakness Stakes (gr. I), although exactly where that race will be has not yet been revealed.
Only in the United States for two weeks, the 23-year-old jockey from Arequipa, Peru, which is the same hometown as perennial leading Southern California jockey Rafael Bejarano, won in his first day of racing at Santa Anita Park July 2.
Dalmore continued his rapid improvement on the Southern California circuit July 2 with an upset of odds-on favorite Danzing Candy in the $100,000 Affirmed Stakes (gr. III) at Santa Anita Park.
Songbird worked five furlongs on Santa Anita Park's main track in 1:01 July 2 in preparation for her East Coast summer campaign.
Santa Anita Park June 29 completed the installation of its new turf course, which will be ready for use for the Southern California track's fall meet, which begins Sept. 30.
Danzing Candy, who moved to Bob Baffert's barn after finishing 15th on the First Saturday in May for trainer Cliff Sise, will make the first start for his new trainer July 2 in the $100,000 Affirmed Stakes (gr. III) at Santa Anita Park.
Rood & Riddle, one of the world's leading equine veterinary practices, will begin its second year as the Official Equine Hospital of the Breeders' Cup World Championships and Title Sponsor of the 2016 Breeders' Cup post-position draw.
The Breeders' Cup and the Japan Racing Association announced the addition of three Japanese group I races to the 2016 Breeders' Cup Challenge series schedule.
Richard Mandella would have run Team Valor International's Juno (Brz) on the Santa Anita Park turf in her first U.S. start if the Southern California track hadn't ripped up the grass course earlier in June.
Tarabilla Farms' Melatonin, now three-for-three at Santa Anita Park in 2016 after his second grade I win of the year June 25 in the Gold Cup, came out of the 1 1/4-mile race in good order, according to trainer David Hofmans June 26.
Tarabilla Farms' Melatonin clinched his second grade I of the year June 25 in the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita.
Doug O'Neill didn't want Reddam Racing's Nyquist to burn up the track June 25 in just his second work back following his run in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) and the son of Uncle Mo gave his trainer just what he wanted.
Juddmonte Farms' Arrogate had the look of something special June 24 at Santa Anita Park.
Champion Nyquist, unraced since his third in the May 21 Preakness Stakes (gr. I), will work five furlongs prior to the first race at Santa Anita Park June 25, according to trainer Doug O'Neill.
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.
Officials at Santa Anita Park and Fairplex have stepped up to stable horses evacuated from the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains as fires rage on in the region.
Lord Nelson steps back into graded company and Kobe's Back hopes to rebound in the $300,000 Triple Bend Stakes (gr. I) June 25 at Santa Anita Park.
If the 1 1/4 miles truly is his sweet spot, Melatonin should be primed for another big run in the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita (gr. I) June 25, a "Win and You're In" event for the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I).
With an expert ride from Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, Cheekaboo broke through for her first graded stakes win in her first start against open company June 19 in the $200,000 Honeymoon Stakes (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita Park.
Wanting an easy half-mile breeze from Beholder in her first timed work since a victory in the Vanity Mile (gr. I), the final two clicks on Richard Mandella's stopwatch showed :35 and change for three furlongs and :47 and change for the half.
Songbird didn't have the early lead for the first time in her career, but the result remained the same in the $200,000 Summertime Oaks (gr. II) June 18 at Santa Anita Park.
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert sent American Cleopatra—the 2-year-old full sister to Triple Crown champion American Pharoah—through her first official breeze at Santa Anita Park June 17.
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