Recent graded stakes wins by Cabo Spirit and Gas Me Up at Santa Anita may lead to appearances in seven-figure races in Florida and Saudi Arabia later this winter.
Gas Me Up won his second Grade 2 race in four months in Monday’s $202,500 Joe Hernandez Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course. Gas Me Up was timed in a quick 1:10.88 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 100.
Full Serrano, winner of the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar, is training for a start in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 24 at Gulfstream Park, provided California weather cooperates in coming weeks.
“He needs three perfect works,” trainer John Sadler said Friday.
Full Serrano, who finished fifth in the BC Dirt Mile at Del Mar in November in his last appearance, worked five furlongs in 1:00.20 on Monday at Santa Anita, his third workout since the BC Dirt Mile. Joel Rosario, who rode at Santa Anita last Sunday and Monday, was aboard for the workout.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The first invitation list has been released for this year’s $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational on Jan. 24. The group of a dozen horses is topped by White Abarrio, the runaway winner of this event a year ago, and Florida Derby winner Tappan Street, the only horse to finish in front of likely Horse of the Year Sovereignty during the 2025 season.
Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and his wife, Julie, spent December celebrating some personal milestones in the lives of their sons, jockey Keith Asmussen and the stable’s accountant and bookkeeper, Darren Asmussen.
Darren was married on a recent Saturday in Texas.
“Darren’s wedding was one of the most significant events I’ve ever witnessed in my whole life,” Steve Asmussen said. “It was beyond emotional.”
Keith agreed.
“It was a beautiful wedding,” he said. “I was in awe the whole time. It was very special.”
Apprentice jockey Amir Mendoza ventured to the United States from his native Panama this winter and is making his mark in the standings at Oaklawn Park – all while getting to know a jockey from his country that he has long admired.
“He’s a huge Luis Saez fan, and they have the same valet at Oaklawn,” said agent Jose Santos Jr., the son of retired Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Jose Santos. “We got lucky. Mark Kelly, his valet, is an awesome guy and takes great care of him, and we were lucky to get in with him. Julien [Leparoux] recommended him.”
The near-millionaire Corningstone has been retired and is scheduled to be bred during the upcoming season, according to her trainer, Kenny McPeek.
The 6-year-old daughter of Kantharos won 10 of 31 starts and earned $979,978. She raced for Payson Stud Inc. and RTA Trust.
Corningstone made her final start Dec. 26, finishing fifth in the Pippin Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
Santa Anita canceled racing on Wednesday and Thursday this week because of rain. As of 10 a.m. on Thursday, areas close to Santa Anita had received approximately 2.1 inches of rain, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Much of the rain fell late Wednesday evening and into the early hours of Thursday. Racing is scheduled for Friday through Sunday this weekend.
With the loss of Wednesday’s program, a day of racing has been added to the schedule on Thursday, Jan. 8. Entries for that program will be taken on Saturday.
Baeza, the winner of the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby in September, has resumed galloping at Santa Anita for a comeback in the coming months.
Third in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes last spring, Baeza has not raced since he finished sixth of nine in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 1. Owned by CRK Stables and Grandview Equine, Baeza has shown eager behavior at times in his recent training, according to trainer John Shirreffs.
Antonio Fresu, one of the top riders in California, will be sidelined for as long as six weeks after sustaining an injury to the small toe on his left foot in an incident at Santa Anita on Sunday.
On Thursday, Fresu said that the toe was broken and severely cut when Anmer Hall struck the inside rail on the hillside turf course. The incident occurred when Fresu was forced to check his mount after one of the horses he was following drifted to the inside.
Fresu quickly pulled up Anmer Hall after the incident. Fresu was hospitalized on Sunday afternoon.
Sunland Park in New Mexico, which is under new ownership, opens a 55-date meet Friday. The season runs through April 5.
The Sunland Derby will share a card with the $250,000 Sunland Park Oaks on Feb. 15. There are a number of other stakes on the card, which will be worth a meet-high $1.1 million.
Sunland features races for both Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses.
Corrina Corrina, who is the all-time leading earner among New Mexico-bred Thoroughbreds, is scheduled to run Sunday in the $80,000 New Mexico State Racing Commission Stakes.
