Grade 3 winner Ms Peintour retired

Ms Peintour, winner of the Grade 3 Astra Stakes at Santa Anita in 2020, has been retired and will be bred to Not This Time, owner Samantha Siegel said Thursday.

By Paynter, Ms Peintour, 6, finished her career with a sixth-place finish trying to defend her title in the Astra on Jan. 17. Trained by Brian Koriner, Ms Peintour won 3 of 15 starts and earned $167,534. She was third in the Grade 2 Honeymoon Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita in 2018.

Not This Time, by Giant’s Causeway, is the sire of Princess Noor, winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante in 2020.

:: Enhance your handicapping with DRF’s Santa Anita Clocker Report

Jockeys fined for whip use

Jockeys Ricardo Gonzalez and Mario Gutierrez were fined $500 by Santa Anita stewards last Sunday for using their whip more than six times in a race on Jan. 23.

Gonzalez was cited for his ride on Cruel Intention, who finished second by a nose as the 8-5 favorite in the day’s first race. Gutierrez was penalized for his ride on Justin’s Quest, who finished third, beaten a head and a neck, in the third race.

The California Horse Racing Board enacted tougher whip rules on Oct. 1, limiting jockeys to no more than six strikes in an under-handed motion during a race. Jockeys are not permitted to use their whips more than twice in succession without giving their mount a chance to respond.

Since Oct. 1, there have been 51 rulings, resulting in $18,800 in penalties and eight suspensions of three to five days.