Sun, 10/29/2023 - 15:25

Breeders' Cup Clocker: Ushba Tesoro impresses; sprinters tune up

Barbara D. Livingston
Cody's Wish works a half-mile in 47.31seconds while on cruise control Sunday at Santa Anita.

Santa Anita
Sunday, Oct. 29
Weather: Clear
Temperature: 53°
Track: Fast
Turf: Firm

Fri, 10/27/2023 - 15:05

Breeders' Cup Clocker: White Abarrio pours it on in delayed work

Barbara D. Livingston
White Abarrio, with Emily Ellingwood up, works five furlongs in 59.63 seconds on Friday at Santa Anita.

Santa Anita
Friday, Oct. 27
Weather: Cloudy
Temperature: 55°
Track: Fast

ARCADIA, Calif. – Any worries handicappers may have had regarding White Abarrio after he had a scheduled work postponed here earlier this week due to foot issues were likely laid to rest in the 59.63 seconds it took the Grade 1 Whitney winner to work five furlongs shortly before dawn on a crisp Friday morning at Santa Anita.

Thu, 10/26/2023 - 15:44

Caramel Swirl will miss Breeders' Cup Filly Mare Sprint

Barbara D. Livingston
Caramel Swirl did not ship to Santa Anita and has been withdrawn from the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Caramel Swirl did not ship to Santa Anita with the rest of trainer Bill Mott’s Breeders’ Cup contingent and was withdrawn from consideration from the Filly and Mare Sprint.

Mott said Thursday that Caramel Swirl had tied up, the equivalency of muscle cramps, earlier in the week and was then dull in her training thereafter. This, after Caramel Swirl had turned in two sharp workouts in consecutive weeks at Saratoga.

Thu, 10/26/2023 - 14:20

Breeders' Cup Clocker: Senor Buscador gets more serious in five-furlong move

Barbara D. Livingston
Senor Buscador works five furlongs in 59.62 seconds on Thursday morning at Santa Anita.

Santa Anita
Weather: Hazy
Temperature: 63 degrees
Track: Fast

ARCADIA, Calif. – Senor Buscador was the first Breeders’ Cup Classic contender to don his personal gold Breeders’ Cup towel here this week. He also was the most notable of the three Breeders’ Cup hopefuls to breeze over a fast track on a somewhat quiet Thursday morning at Santa Anita.

Wed, 10/25/2023 - 14:45

Breeders' Cup Clocker: Arcangelo puts in final serious drill for Classic

Barbara D. Livingston
Arcangelo worked a half-mile in 47.52 seconds on Wednesday in his final serious drill for the BC Classic.

Wednesday, Oct. 25
Santa Anita
Weather: Cloudy
Temperature: 63°
Track: Fast

ARCADIA, Calif. – Arcangelo trained about as well as a horse could train on a regular basis this summer at Saratoga as a prelude to his impressive victory in the Grade 1 Travers. He put the finishing touches on a terrific series of works with an easy, five-furlong maintenance breeze with jockey Javier Castellano aboard 10 days prior to the race.

Wed, 10/25/2023 - 14:00

Alvarado earns 4,000th career victory

Benoit Photo
Frank Alvarado is booked to ride Grand Slam Smile, who is possible for the $175,000 Golden State Juvenile Fillies on the Breeders' Cup undercard.

Frank Alvarado had a good indication he had achieved his 4,000th career win at Golden Gate Fields early Sunday afternoon while galloping back to the grandstand aboard Shout It Out.

Shout It Out won a six-furlong race for $4,000 claimers by a nose, but when the race ended Alvarado was not certain the 5-year-old mare reached the front in time.

“When I passed the wire, I said, ‘I might get it. I might not.’” He said. “When I came back, my friends from the racing office were running to the winner’s circle.”

Mon, 10/23/2023 - 14:10

Frey building momentum after self-imposed exile

Benoit Photo
Jockey Kyle Frey took several months off from riding for personal reasons and has returned to Santa Anita full time.

ARCADIA, Calif. – At the height of summer racing in Southern California, jockey Kyle Frey called timeout on his 2023 season in late July.

Frey needed a break, mentally exhausted after dealing with months of self-imposed pressure to succeed. While his fellow jockeys competed for the best prize money of the year through August and early September at Del Mar, Frey stayed away, waiting until late September to return at the much quieter Los Alamitos September meeting.

Mon, 10/23/2023 - 13:33

Raise Cain to get break after Perryville victory

Coady Photography
After an impressive win in the Perryville, Raise Cain will receive some time off before his 4-year-old season.

Raise Cain came out of his game head win over Dr. Venkman in the Perryville Stakes on Saturday in good shape but is scheduled for a short break at trainer Ben Colebrook’s Kentucky farm before gearing back up for a 4-year-old campaign.

Raise Cain got a 96 Beyer Speed Figure for running seven furlongs in 1:23.58. Not only was the Perryville his ninth start of 2023, and not only has Raise Cain been racing steadily since his career debut 13 months ago, the colt went through a June 2-year-old auction in 2022.

Mon, 10/23/2023 - 13:33

Chicago horses seeing success at Keeneland

Coady Photography
Lucky Boss is one of many horses based at Hawthorne that's been successful at Keeneland.

With Hawthorne, the lone remaining Chicago track, conducting a harness meet, there’s not even training, much less racing in Chicago this fall. So, what are Chicago horsemen up to this October? Winning races at Keeneland.

Illinois horses won four races in the span of three race days last week led by trainer Armando Hernandez going 3 for 3: Lucky Boss won on Oct. 19, Camp Daddy on Oct. 20, and Comiskey Park on Oct. 21.

Mon, 10/23/2023 - 13:15

DeVaux pointing Raven Run winner Vahva to La Brea Stakes

Vahva wins Raven Run at KEE Oct 21 2023
Coady Photography
Raven Run and Charles Town Oaks winner Vahva will try to stretch her win streak to three in the Grade 1 La Brea at Santa Anita.

Vahva continued a breakout season for trainer Cherie DeVaux with a gritty, half-length win in the Grade 2 Raven Run last Saturday at Keeneland. Vahva will look to put a bow on this season with one more outing against 3-year-olds in the Grade 1 La Brea at Santa Anita.

“She’s good,” DeVaux said Sunday. “Right now, the goal is the La Brea.”

The Grade 1, $300,000 La Brea Stakes will be run at the same seven-furlong distance as the Raven Run on Dec. 26.