ARCADIA, Calif. - Talk about an immigration problem. The homegrown players intended for Saturday's $150,000 San Pasqual Handicap at Santa Anita have a right to complain about porous borders. Three of the seven entered in the 1 1/16-mile main track event hail from Old Europe. A fourth is from Brazil, and a fifth, though foaled in Kentucky, did his racing in England and the Middle East until his people wised up and figured America was easier pickings.
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DRF Past Performances
ARCADIA, Calif. - Any attempts to anticipate what the American voter will do during the 2008 presidential primaries probably will be futile. Thank goodness, then, for the Eclipse Award process. Those results are usually as predictable as the sunrise.
The majority of the voters rarely get past the results of the Breeders' Cup and the year-end statistical tables for purse earnings when selecting their champions. This reduces the racing season to a Cliff's Notes version of reality - accurate enough, but not the whole story - and discourages both creative and independent thinking.
NEW YORK - There are going to be more surprises when the three finalists in each of the 12 equine Eclipse Award divisions are announced next Friday than when the envelopes with the winners' names are opened 17 days later in Beverly Hills. There is an odds-on favorite for each award, so the real challenge in filling out this year's ballots, which are due Wednesday, was in casting the second- and third-place votes that will determine the two other finalists in each division.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Santa Anita Park president Ron Charles was having some fun with David Flores last Wednesday morning, a few hours before first post on the first day of the meet, while admiring a couple of upcoming promotional giveaways geared to jockeys.
"David, here you go," said Charles, picking up a wastebasket adorned with a wraparound group photo of the local riding colony. "Next time you really mess up a ride, just put this over your head and no one will know who you are."
ARCADIA, Calif. - What was supposed to be a wide-open version of the seven-furlong Malibu Stakes, played out on a picture postcard Santa Anita opening day, went terribly strange somewhere around the turn when the surprising Johnny Eves shook loose from his fellow pacesetters, opened sudden daylight on the field, and went on to win by a comfortable length.
Into Mischief became the leader of the West Coast Kentucky Derby hopefuls with a 1 1/4-length victory under Victor Espinoza in the CashCall Futurity.P
ARCADIA, Calif. - Wayne Hughes stood on the staircase overlooking the Hollywood Park winner's circle, clutching three free sweatshirts and beaming like he'd just won a $403,000 pot, which he had.
"I wouldn't have even come if they didn't have a giveaway," Hughes cracked. "Now I've got Christmas presents for everybody - for next year."
TUCSON, Ariz. - You can go to your computer and Google the term "removing stains" and find 251,000 references, including instructions for removing stains of ink, mustard, oil, and blood.
But you can find none for removing stains on reputations. It is almost impossible to do.
NEW YORK - The holidays can be hard on horseplayers.
The wagering opportunities dwindle down to a precious few. Only nine tracks were open on the 23rd, a rare Sunday when California and New York were both dark. By Christmas Eve it was down to just three: Calder, Fair Grounds, and Philadelphia Park. As for Christmas Day, not a single call to the post. Bah humbug.
But it all gets better quickly on the 26th. It's Opening Day at Santa Anita and Resumption Day at Aqueduct, which reopens after 10 dark days with a $162,694 pick-six carryover that started back on Dec. 14.