Sun, 11/02/2014 - 14:34

Stewards explain why no disqualification in BC Classic

Nikki Sherman
Shared Belief was bumped and had to check within the first quarter-mile of the Breeders' Cup Classic, but stewards ruled that neither event cost him a better placing in the race.

ARCADIA, Calif .- Steward Scott Chaney spoke for 20 minutes at a press conference in the Santa Anita press box on Sunday morning, discussing the decision not to alter the order of finish in Saturday’s $4.6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic after race winner Bayern drifted to the inside shortly after the start and collided with race favorite Shared Belief.

The stewards focused their decision on whether Shared Belief was cost a placing when he was bumped by Bayern or when he checked behind Toast of New York in the opening quarter-mile.

Sun, 11/02/2014 - 14:13

Texas Red, Take Charge Brandi no locks for Eclipse Awards

Barbara D. Livingston
Trainer Keith Desormeaux says he feels Texas Red beat the best field of 2-year-olds assembled this year in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

ARCADIA, Calif. - For the second consecutive year, the winners of the two Breeders’ Cup races for juveniles are far from certain to win divisional championships.

Though Texas Red was a dominant winner of Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita, it was his first win in a stakes. In September, he finished third behind American Pharoah in the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes. American Pharoah, who also won the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity, was withdrawn from the Juvenile on Tuesday with an injury.

Sun, 11/02/2014 - 12:57

Work All Week earns vacation in Florida

Nikki Sherman
Work All Week earned a career-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure for his win in the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Roger Brueggemann said Sunday that both he and Work All Week were doing well the morning after combining to upset the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita. The victory establishes Work All Week as the favorite to win the Eclipse Award in the Sprint division.

Sat, 11/01/2014 - 22:44

Breeders' Cup all-sources handle declines

Preliminary all-sources handle on the 13 Breeders’ Cup races held this year at Santa Anita on Friday and Saturday was $127.8 million, according to charts of the races, down 5.7 percent compared with  betting last year on 14 races, when the numbers were also juiced by a carryover in the pick five.

Sat, 11/01/2014 - 22:19

Shared Belief finishes fourth in BC Classic after finding trouble throughout

Debra A. Roma
Shared Belief ran into trouble early and finished fourth Saturday in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park.

ARCADIA, Calif. – To hear Mike Smith tell it, Shared Belief was finished at the start.

Shared Belief, last year’s 2-year-old champion, couldn’t overcome a severe bump at the break, some steadying through the stretch the first time, and a wide trip down the backside as he suffered his first career defeat when finishing fourth in Saturday’s $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita.

Sat, 11/01/2014 - 20:29

Santa Anita pick six carryover of roughly $1.3 million for closing day

ARCADIA, Calif.- Breeders’ Cup fever will give way to pick six fever at Santa Anita on Sunday.

There were no winners of the pick six at Santa Anita on Saturday’s big day of Breeders’ Cup races, leading to a carryover of $1,335,505 million for Sunday’s 10-race program. Track officials said the exact figure of the carryover may not be known until Sunday morning.

The pick six must be paid out on Sunday, the final day of the autumn meeting. As a result, interest will be enormous.

Sat, 11/01/2014 - 13:55

Hootenanny to race overseas in 2015

Nikki Sherman
Hootenanny and jockey Frankie Dettori win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf by three-quarters of a length Friday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Hootenanny, the winner of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on Friday, probably will be pointed for a race in England – perhaps the English 2000 Guineas – next spring, trainer Wesley Ward said Saturday.

Fri, 10/31/2014 - 21:04

Napravnik says she's pregnant, will retire

Barbara D. Livingston
Rosie Napravnik celebrates her Breeders' Cup Distaff victory Friday aboard Untapable.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Rosie Napravnik stunned the racing world Friday by announcing her retirement after she rides at Santa Anita on Saturday.

Napravnik, 26, said she is pregnant.

“I am announcing my retirement,” Napravnik said at a post-race press conference. “My husband Joe [Sharp] and I will start a family. His career is brand new and thriving, so it’s kind of good timing.”

Sharp, a former assistant to Mike Maker, launched his own stable in early September.

Fri, 10/31/2014 - 20:56

Handle declines on Friday Breeders' Cup races

Overall handle on the four Breeders’ Cup races held Friday at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., was $28.2 million, compared with handle of $34.9 million on five Friday Breeders’ Cup races held at the same track last year, according to charts of the races.

Fri, 10/31/2014 - 12:08

Hastings sees handle dip at 2014 meet

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The daily average was off only slightly, but nine fewer racing days resulted in a sharp decline in the total live mutuel handle at the 2014 Hastings meet, which ended Sunday.

The total all-sources handle of $25,935,417 wagered over 54 days was off more than 16 percent compared with the $31,071,594 bet over 63 days in 2013. Ontrack, the numbers were $6,856,403 compared with $8,187,552 in 2013, also a decrease of more than 16 percent.