ARCADIA, Calif. - Mike Machowsky scored the richest win of his training career with Southern Image in the $250,000 Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26, opening day of the Santa Anita meeting.
The record may hold up for a month.
On Saturday, Machowsky has two starters in the Sunshine Millions for California-breds and Florida-breds at Santa Anita - Fencelineneighbor in the $500,000 Filly and Mare Turf and Southern Image in the $1 million Classic.
ARCADIA, Calif. - In Sunday's $150,000 El Encino Stakes, Island Fashion will try to take another step toward sweeping Santa Anita's La Canada Series, but there are several 4-year-old fillies trying to trip her up. Whether they are good enough to get in her way is another matter entirely.
ALBANY, Calif. - Tonco and Club Forty One, two runners who have transcended supposed limitations in turf breeding, are the ones to beat in Sunday's Golden Gate Fields feature, a $50,000 optional claimer at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.
Tonco, who has four wins, a second, and a third in seven turf starts, is the only member of the six-horse field running for a tag.
His last win came at this level on Oct. 30 at Bay Meadows. He should stalk Constant Thunder early and get first run.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Things really didn't pan out for Kissin Saint after he finished third behind Empire Maker and Funny Cide in last year's Wood Memorial, but perhaps a new year signals new beginnings for Kissin Saint, who makes his 4-year-old debut at Aqueduct on Sunday.
Kissin Saint, who has been away from the races for 128 days, returns in a third-level allowance for older males. Seven were entered in the 1 1/8-mile race, which is the feature.
Lisa Lewis, Kissin Saint's trainer, is looking forward to getting him back to the races.
Fletcher Mauk is one of the winningest trainers at Turfway Park this winter. He also happens to be one of the youngest.
Mauk, 26, is in his first year as a trainer. But since Turfway began racing in late November, he has won with four of seven starters while managing a seven-horse stable. His latest winner came Thursday night, when Mauk Place won the seventh race following a nine-month layoff, paying $53.80.
Mauk said he has learned by keeping his eyes and ears open.
"I try to pay extremely close attention to others," he said. "There is still so much I don't know."
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Handicappers were forced to wait one more day to take a crack at a near-record pick six carryover at Aqueduct when Friday's racing card was canceled due to the brutally cold weather.
The carryover of $761,021 - believed to be the third-largest pick six carryover at a New York track - will be available on Saturday's 10-race card. The temperatures are supposed to moderate over the weekend, so the Saturday card likely will be run. The pick six encompasses races 5 through 10.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - They are mere teases, these two preliminary Kentucky Derby prep races that will be run on opposite coasts Saturday. Although it is certainly possible that viable Derby prospects could emerge from the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park or the Santa Catalina Stakes at Santa Anita, the prep races of considerably greater importance are still a few weeks down the Derby trail.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Seven of the last 10 winners of the Santa Catalina Stakes at Santa Anita have gone on to start in the Kentucky Derby. It is not just the winners who have merited attention. In 1999, Charismatic finished last of five in the Santa Catalina, but later won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
Getting to such races is the goal of the people behind the nine 3-year-olds entered in Saturday's running of the $150,000 .
Run over 1 1/16 miles on dirt, the Grade 2 Santa Catalina includes four colts and geldings who have placed in graded stakes around two turns.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Nothing to Lose risks his unbeaten record on turf when he makes his California debut and first start for trainer Bobby Frankel in Monday's $150,000 San Marcos Stakes at Santa Anita.
He may need a performance superior to his wins in the Palm Beach Stakes and Tropical Park Derby last winter in Florida to beat a field expected to include fellow 4-year-olds Californian, Fairly Ransom, and Sweet Return, as well as the older horses Puerto Banus, Runaway Dancer, and Sharbayan.
