This year, trainer Gregg Sacco enjoyed a terrific winter and early spring with Crazy Mason, who reeled off three straight wins at Aqueduct capped by a Grade 2 victory in the Carter Stakes in early April.
In 2026, Sacco hopes to experience similar success with Just Beat the Odds, who came off an eight-month layoff to win last Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Elite Power Stakes at Aqueduct.
It was the first stakes victory for Just Beat the Odds, but Sacco hopes not the last.
Pat Pope has the easiest job in racing. At least that was the case on Friday.
Oaklawn Park’s longtime racing secretary had owners, trainers, assistant trainers, and jockey agents beating down the doors and lighting up phone lines with entries for the 10-race season opener on Dec. 12.
That’s what happens when purses are projected to average more than $900,000 a card for the 64-date meet that runs through May 2.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Jockey Rajiv Maragh registered his 2,000th lifetime victory by guiding Lazio to a popular victory in Friday’s third race at Gulfstream Park.
Maragh, who recorded his first winner at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 1, 2004, stepped away from riding in January 2022 to devote his time to starting and building Road Jockey, a food delivery service in Jamaica. He resumed riding at Gulfstream on Oct. 29, 2024 with the goal of reaching the 2,000-win milestone.
Cliffs, a 3-year-old filly trained by Cherie DeVaux, arrived at Santa Anita on Thursday after a 30-hour van ride from Fair Grounds Racecourse in New Orleans for an intended start in the Grade 1 American Oaks on Dec. 26.
There was no other way to get there.
In late November, the shipping company Federal Express announced it was pausing equine transport via air until early January. The company made a similar decision last year in early December.
Antonio Fresu, one of the leading riders in California, is switching agents.
Fresu will be represented by Ron Anderson starting at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting that kicks off on Dec. 26, Anderson said on Friday.
Fresu, 34, led the standings at the Santa Anita spring meeting from mid-April to mid-June. He finished second in the standings at the Del Mar summer and autumn meetings earlier this year and fifth at the Santa Anita autumn meeting.
A water-main break outside the racetrack forced Fair Ground to cancel its eight-race program on Friday.
A main broke on Fortin Street, which runs the length of the Fair Grounds property on the south side of the grandstand and well away from the stabling area. While there was no water on the front-side buildings, the grandstand had to be shut down because of the break.
Fair Grounds expects to resume racing on Saturday.
The first opportunity to chase a big carryover at Turfway Park is already upon horseplayers, with a late pick five carryover of $163,847 into Friday night’s sequence.
Several big upsets on Thursday evening, the second night of the meet, resulted in no winning tickets and helped grow the pool, including Elle’s Dancer, who returned $46.90 for victory, and Dream On Stormy, who blew up the toteboard at $74.40.
California-based trainers Peter Eurton, Carla Gaines, and Michael McCarthy have been given 10-day suspensions this month for recent violations of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s rules regarding intra-articular injections.
Eurton was cited for working Lil Nas at Santa Anita on Sept. 21, six days after the gelding received an intra-articular injection, according to a ruling on HISA’s website. HISA rules state horses may not be given a workout within seven days of such treatment.
The two-time stakes winner Hey Nay Nay is out of serious training after finishing third as the 1-2 favorite in the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes for 2-year-old turf milers at Del Mar last Sunday.
Trainer John Sadler said on Thursday that Hey Nay Nay will miss the $100,000 Eddie Logan Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on Dec. 28, the first stakes opportunity on turf for foals of 2023 at the track’s winter-spring meeting.
“Hey Nay Nay will get a little break,” he said. “He’ll skip the first one and freshen up a little bit. He had a lively 2-year-old campaign.”
Om N Joy, a four-time stakes winner since April, is in the midst of a farm rest in central California, and will resume training in mid-December for a 2026 campaign intended to start in the Grade 1 B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile at Santa Anita on March 7.
Trainer Aggie Ordonez said on Wednesday that Om N Joy will have a slow build-up to her return to full training.
“I’ll jog here for a good long time before I work her,” she said. “I can try to make that race in March.
“She’ll need a couple of serious works to be ready for that kind of company.”
