Wrona gets his turn at the mic

ARCADIA, Calif. – Michael Wrona will call the races for the rest of the Santa Anita meeting, which ends April 10, including the Santa Anita Derby on April 9.

Wrona and Frank Mirahmadi have been the primary announcers this season since Trevor Denman announced that he was stepping away from the Santa Anita job a few weeks prior to this meet.

When Mirahmadi or Wrona have been at Santa Anita over the past few months, the other has called the races at Golden Gate Fields. Two other announcers, both from overseas, called one weekend each during the meet. One of those four is expected to be announced soon as the track’s new full-time announcer.

◗ Ziconic, the second foal from the great racemare Zenyatta, makes his second start in race 4 on Friday, a 1 1/16-mile race for maidens. Ziconic, 3, a son of Tapit, finished third going seven furlongs in his debut Feb. 20.

Zenyatta is on the ballot for the Hall of Fame for the first time this year and is expected to be one of the four inductees.

◗ Jane Goldstein, the former director of publicity and communications at Santa Anita, is back home in nearby Sierra Madre after undergoing surgery last week. Goldstein worked at Santa Anita for more than 20 years before retiring in 1995. Among the tracks she worked at prior to Santa Anita was Fair Grounds. She serves on the nominating committee and historic review committee of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

◗ Jockey David Lopez has had his apprenticeship extended 16 days, through April 11, by Santa Anita’s stewards, who granted it after receiving medical documentation to verify Lopez’s request for the extension.

◗ Jockeys Brice Blanc, Victor Espinoza, Mario Gutierrez, and Flavien Prat are gone this week to ride the Dubai World Cup card on Saturday.