Mon, 12/10/2018 - 09:40

Spiced Perfection, Just Grazed Me rematch possible in La Brea Stakes

Benoit photo
Spiced Perfection and jockey Flavien Prat win the Betty Grable Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths.

CYPRESS, Calif. – Spiced Perfection and Just Grazed Me were first and second in the Betty Grable Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares at Del Mar on Nov. 11. They might meet again in a more difficult setting – the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.

Spiced Perfection won the Betty Grable Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths over Just Grazed Me, who returned to win an optional claimer at six furlongs by four lengths at Los Alamitos last Friday under jockey Tyler Baze.

Mon, 12/10/2018 - 09:36

Hollendorfer well stocked for year's final stakes in California

Benoit Photo
Galilean paid $3.80 in winning the Barretts Juvenile at Los Alamitos on Saturday.

CYPRESS, Calif. – From 2-year-old colts to established 4-year-olds, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has runners in several stakes at Los Alamitos and Santa Anita for the remainder of the month.

On Sunday, closing day for the Los Alamitos winter meeting, Hollendorfer will start Galilean in the $100,000 King Glorious Stakes for California-bred 2-year-olds at a mile. Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Denise Barker, and William Sandbrook, Galilean was second in the Golden State Juvenile at seven furlongs, finishing a neck behind Cruel Intention after disputing the pace throughout.

Sun, 12/09/2018 - 18:22

Accelerate begins workouts for Pegasus World Cup

Barbara D. Livingston
Accelerate, expected to start in the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream in January, trains at Santa Anita on Saturday.

Accelerate, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3, has started a series of workouts in preparation for his final career start in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 26.

At Santa Anita on Saturday, Accelerate worked a half-mile in 49 seconds under Juan Leyva, an exercise rider and assistant trainer to John Sadler.

“It was just the first work to get started,” Sadler said Sunday. “Juan thought his energy was good.”

Sun, 12/09/2018 - 18:01

Improbable, Chasing Yesterday show depth of Baffert team

Barbara D. Livingston
Chasing Yesterday won the Starlet Stakes by a neck.

CYPRESS, Calif. - Trainer Bob Baffert’s already deep team of juveniles showed its remarkable strength at Los Alamitos on Saturday when Improbable won the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity and Chasing Yesterday won the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes.

They join Game Winner, who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 2, as Grade 1 winners for the Hall of Fame stable this year.

Sat, 12/08/2018 - 20:10

Trainer Mike Reavis sends out 2,000th career winner

Four-Footed Fotos
The winner's circle celebration for trainer Mike Reavis's 2,000th career winner.

Longtime Chicago-circuit trainer Mike Reavis won his 2,000th race Saturday with a pair of victories at Hawthorne Race Course.

Saint Alexius won the opener to give Reavis win 1,999, and McKinli’sbabyblues came right back in race 2 for the milestone score.

Carlos Marquez Jr., Reavis’s first-call rider for several years now, was aboard both horses.

Fri, 12/07/2018 - 14:16

Axelrod points to Malibu Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Vibrance (left) has the potential to offer some value in Saturday's Grade 1 Starlet.

Axelrod, a two-time Grade 3 winner in the summer who was ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3, is on schedule for a start in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at seven furlongs for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.

“He’s training forwardly,” trainer Michael McCarthy said earlier this week. “He came out of his Breeders’ Cup in good shape.”

Axelrod was beaten eight lengths by winner Accelerate in the BC Classic at 1 1/4 miles, racing as close as fourth on the final turn.

Fri, 12/07/2018 - 14:00

Vasilika possible for Megahertz Stakes

Shigeki Kikkawa
Vasilika enters the Grade 1 Matriarch on an eight-race winning streak.

Vasilika, whose eight-race winning streak ended with a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar on Dec. 1, could have her first start of 2019 in the Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 21.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Friday that the $100,000 Megahertz at a mile on turf for fillies and mares is appealing because of the distance.

“We might look at that,” he said.

Fri, 12/07/2018 - 14:00

Microrithms continues comeback with speed display

CYPRESS, Calif. – The promising sprinter Microrithms is not the most durable runner in trainer Bob Baffert’s stable, but he showed his brilliant speed at Los Alamitos on Thursday.

Microrithms won an allowance race with a $40,000 claiming option at six furlongs in 1:07.82 on a sloppy track, just missing the 2016 track record of 1:07.79 set by Toews On Ice.

The optional claimer was the second win in four starts for Microrithms, who races for David Israel, Michael and Nadia Sigband, and David Shaw.

Fri, 12/07/2018 - 13:50

Apostle, Heavenhasmynikki work toward stakes engagements

Lauren King/Coglianese Photos
Apostle scores by half a length in an allowance Wednesday to improve his record to 2 for 4.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A couple of talented 3-year-olds looking to get in one more stakes opportunity before the end of the season, Apostle and Heavenhasmynikki, topped the workout tab Friday at Gulfstream Park.

Apostle, with regular rider Edgard Zayas aboard, went five furlongs in 1:03.91, just coasting home over the deep and cuppy strip shortly after dawn. Several hours later, Heavenhasmynikki breezed a similarly easy half-mile in 51.03 in company with stablemate Indian Paint.

Wed, 12/05/2018 - 15:16

Mihos may run in Mucho Macho Man

Elsa Lorieul/NYRA
Aqueduct maiden winner Mihos is likely stakes-bound at Gulfstream Park.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Mihos, who overcame a wide trip to win his maiden by 1 3/4 lengths at Aqueduct on Nov. 24, will stretch out in distance for his next start, which could come in the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 5.

The Mucho Macho Man is run as a one-turn mile race.

Mihos, a son of Cairo Prince, finished third to Vekoma at Belmont in his debut. Vekoma came back to win the Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 4.