Mon, 09/30/2024 - 12:05

Sunday longshots trigger Friday pick six carryover

Emily Shields
Santa Anita's Friday card will feature a pick six carryover of $83,940.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The $2 pick six at Santa Anita on Friday begins with a carryover of $83,940 after a tricky set of results on Sunday.

Wins by the outsiders Commander ($40) and Hacking It Up ($55.60) on Sunday helped to secure the carryover.

This is the first pick six carryover since Santa Anita changed the minimum bet amount for the pick six from $1 earlier this year to $2 at the current autumn meeting, which began last Friday.

The pick six covers the fourth through ninth races on a nine-race program that begins at 1 p.m. Pacific.

Mon, 09/30/2024 - 12:05

Cabo Spirit to use John Henry purse to get into BC Turf

Benoit Photo
After wiring the John Henry Turf Championship, Cabo Spirit will head to the Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar.

ARCADIA, Calif.– Cabo Spirit financed his way into the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 2 with a surprise win in Saturday’s Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship at Santa Anita.

The winner’s share of the $753,000 John Henry Turf Championship was $450,000, more than enough for owner Rustin Kretz to cover the hefty $150,000 in pre-entry and entry fees. The fees are still a sizable investment to start Cabo Spirit against an international field, however.

“It would have been nice if it was Win and You’re In,” trainer George Papaprodromou said on Sunday.

Mon, 09/30/2024 - 11:35

Truebelieve, Red River Rebel meet in third leg of Woodbine Turf Sprint Series

Michael Burns
Red River Rebel has accumulated 10 points in the Woodbine Turf Sprint Series.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Truebelieve and Red River Rebel, who are atop the point standings in the Woodbine Turf Sprint Series, will meet again in the third leg on Thursday. The 6 1/2-furlong main turf event is a $25,000 starter allowance with a $40,000 claiming option, and Red River Rebel is the lone entrant in for the tag.

Mon, 09/30/2024 - 10:10

Mandella believes Classic distance won't be a problem for Subsanador

ARCADIA, Calif. – Subsanador’s summer campaign was briefly in chaos in July after the 5-year-old Argentine-bred was withdrawn from the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar when he was erroneously given the wrong medication too close to race time.

“It was my fault,” trainer Richard Mandella said Sunday. “I made a mistake.”

The situation forced Mandella to alter Subsanador’s schedule. Since then, Subsanador is unbeaten in two starts, including a career-defining win in the Grade 1 California Crown Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita.

Fri, 09/27/2024 - 14:10

Lemonesse looks up to the test in Remington Park Oaks

Coady Media
Lemonesse, trained by Steve Asmussen, will step into stakes company in Sunday's Remington Park Oaks.

The unbeaten Lemonesse makes her much anticipated stakes debut Sunday in the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks. She’s come to hand over the last few months and will take on horses coming off races in Florida, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky.

The Remington Park Oaks, at 1 1/16 miles, shares a card with seven other stakes, including the Oklahoma Derby. There is a special first post of 3 p.m. Central.

Fri, 09/27/2024 - 14:05

Flying Connection steps into the void in Zenyatta Stakes

Debra A. Roma
Flying Connection was a troubled third in the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch at the Del Mar meet.

ARCADIA, Calif. – A jumbled cast of fillies and mares will try to fill a vacancy at the top of the female dirt division Sunday at Santa Anita.

The Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes looked like a layup for Adare Manor, but she retired this week. While none of the six remaining entrants are as accomplished, the defection of the division leader creates an ideal opportunity for a handful currently under the radar.

Fri, 09/27/2024 - 13:40

Brown has Gallant Bloom as bridge to Breeders' Cup for Ways and Means

Barbara D. Livingston
After winning the Grade 1 Test, Ways and Means headlines Sunday's Gallant Bloom at Aqueduct.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Chad Brown didn’t want Ways and Means to enter next month’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint without having raced in 13 weeks. In Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Gallant Bloom Stakes at Aqueduct, Brown appears to have found the perfect bridge race to get her to Del Mar on Nov. 2.

Ways and Means, coming off a victory in the Grade 1 Test against 3-year-old fillies, looms a heavy favorite in the Gallant Bloom, a 6 1/2-furlong race for fillies and mares that goes as race 2 on a nine-race Aqueduct card that begins at 1:05 p.m.

Fri, 09/27/2024 - 13:00

Straight No Chaser, For All Mankind may duke it out on lead in Sprint Championship

Barbara D. Livingston
Straight No Chaser will make his first start since May, and only his second since May 2023, in Sunday's Santa Anita Sprint Championship.,

The lineup for Sunday’s Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship has changed from what was expected earlier in the week.

Absent are such luminaries as Dr. Venkman and Speed Boat Beach, both graded stakes winners who were anticipated to have leading roles in the $200,000 race at six furlongs.

Dr. Venkman, winner of the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar in July, will be trained toward a start in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at six furlongs or the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 2, trainer Mark Glatt wrote in a text message on Thursday.

Fri, 09/27/2024 - 13:00

Trio of derby winners get showdown in Oklahoma Derby

Coady Media
St. Louis Derby winner E J Won the Cup will look to capture Sunday's Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park.

E J Won the Cup, Most Wanted, and Flat Hanby have won five derbies among them and on Sunday each will be out to nail down their most significant career win in the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park.

The 1 1/8-mile race is the richest offering of the meet, and it’s being showcased on a card of eight stakes worth a cumulative $1 million. There is a special afternoon post of 3 p.m. Central.

Fri, 09/27/2024 - 12:25

Carlos David brings northern division home; prominent in co-feature

Popstyle wins maiden at GP June 22 2024
Ryan Thompson/Coglianese Photos
Popstyle raced at Monmouth Park and Colonial Downs for Carlos David over the summer.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Carlos David, who split his stable between Gulfstream Park and Monmouth Park following the conclusion of the Championship meet here last spring, is back at full force in South Florida for the fall. In Sunday’s $61,000 allowance co-feature for 2-year-old fillies that lured a field of eight, David has likely favorite Me Governor and her speedy stablemate Popstyle, both of whom campaigned up north throughout the summer.