Wednesday, September 26 2012

Santa Anita - STABLE NOTES BY ED GOLDEN Tuesday September 25, 2012

GAME ON DUDE HAS HOME COURT ADVANTAGE IN AWESOME AGAIN

Game On Dude hasn’t disappointed Bob Baffert often since he took over as trainer of the 5-year-old gelding two years ago. Sure, Game On Dude has lost a few races in that span, but overall, he’s been a consistent money winner against world-class competition, winning eight of 19 career starts, six of them stakes.

Baffert hopes Game On Dude maintains his perfect record at Santa Anita on Saturday when he heads the inaugural running of the Awesome Again Stakes, formerly the Goodwood Stakes, at 1 1/8 miles on the main track.

Saturday, September 22 2012

SANTA ANITA STABLE NOTES (Friday September 21, 2012)

TEAM O’NEILL HOPES FOR ANOTHER WILD RIDE IN 2013

When Dennis O’Neill last encamped at Santa Anita, it was three weeks before the

Kentucky Derby. At that time, Dennis, brother of trainer Doug O’Neill, had wittingly or “un” suggested that I’ll Have Another had as much chance as the next horse to win the Run for the Roses, which he ultimately did. He would go on to capture not only the Preakness but the hearts of America in his bid to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

Friday, September 21 2012

SANTA ANITA STABLE NOTES (Thursday September 20, 2012)

EDDIE D. HAPPY TO SMELL THE ROSES IN STAKES NAMED FOR HIM

Eddie Delahoussaye is not only excited to have a stakes race named for him by Santa Anita on opening day next Friday, more importantly, he’s thrilled to be here in person to see history unfold.

The popular Hall of Fame rider, who retired due to injuries in 2003, is looking forward to the inaugural running of the Grade III Eddie D Stakes, formerly run as the Morvich Stakes, at about 6 ½ furlongs on the turf.

Thursday, September 20 2012

SARATOGA SPECIAL WINNER SPURIOUS PRECISION EUTHANIZED

Klaravich Stables, Inc. and William H. Lawrence's Spurious Precision, the undefeated winner of the GII Saratoga Special S. Aug. 12, was euthanized Tuesday morning. The 2-year-old, who was preparing for the Oct. 6 GI Champagne S., suffered a fractured left knee during a workout at Aqueduct Monday. The preliminary diagnosis indicated the injury might be repaired surgically, and he was sent to the Hogan Equine Clinic in Cream Ridge, NJ, but additional X-rays revealed extensive damage to the bone structure of the knee.

"He went a mile Monday and he looked super," trainer Rick Violette Jr. said. "But [exercise rider Rodney Payne] felt his stride change as they finished the work, and he pulled him up right away. The horse ambulance brought him back to the barn, and after looking at the initial X-rays, there was some hope that surgery was an option. We sent him down to Dr. Patricia Hogan, but the comprehensive set of X-rays taken at the clinic showed that, in addition to a slab fracture, he had significant damage that could not be repaired."

STABLE NOTES BY ED GOLDEN Wednesday September 19, 2012

TALAMO’S STAR ON THE RISE AT START OF SANTA ANITA MEGA-MEET

Joe Talamo won 43 races, 12 of them stakes, at the recent Del Mar meet, placing the 22-year-old Louisiana native second in the standings behind champion Rafael Bejarano, who won 52.

Talamo and his agent, Scott McClellan, hope to continue riding the crest of success at Santa Anita’s 24-day Breeders’ Cup World Championship run next Friday, Sept. 28. Among Talamo’s scheduled stakes mounts of the five “Win and You’re In” events on Sept. 29 is multiple stakes winner Include Me Out for trainer Ron Ellis in the inaugural Zenyatta Stakes, formerly the Lady’s Secret.

Wednesday, September 19 2012

SANTA ANITA STABLE NOTES (Tuesday September 18,2012)

STATUE OR NO, SMITH WILL NEVER FORGET ZENYATTA

Mike Smith was aboard Zenyatta in all but three of her 19 straight victories before suffering her only defeat in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2010, so it’s understandable that the 46-year-old Hall of Fame jockey has nothing but fond memories of the great mare, who has since retired to the breeding shed.

In the mind of Smith and Zenyatta fans worldwide, and in light of her greatest victory, in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita in 2009, it’s with proper justification that Santa Anita unveils a life-sized statue of her on Saturday, Sept. 29 in the Paddock Gardens area.

Wednesday, August 15 2012

SANTA ANITA AUTUMN MEET TO FEATURE 28 STAKES RACES WORTH OVER $4 MILLION

ARCADIA, Calif. (Aug. 14, 2012)—Santa Anita Park has announced a 28-event stakes schedule worth over $4 million in purses for its 24-day Autumn Meet which begins Sept. 28. The meet offers one of the world’s most lucrative stakes programs which will be keynoted by six Grade I “Win and You’re In” Breeders’ Cup prep stakes, five of which will be run on Saturday, Sept. 29, with the remaining Grade I event to be run Saturday, Oct. 6.

The meet will reach a crescendo with the two-day, $25.5 million Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Nov. 2 & 3, and will conclude the following day, Sunday, Nov. 4.

Thursday, August 09 2012

2013 BREEDERS’ CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TO BE HELD AT SANTA ANITA PARK

LEXINGTON, Ky. (August 9, 2012) - The Breeders’ Cup announced today that the 30th Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., on Friday, November 1 and Saturday, November 2, 2013.

The Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing’s most prestigious global event, annually attracts the best horses from around the world. The Breeders’ Cup consists of 15 races with purses totaling more than $25 million over the two-day event.

Tuesday, May 08 2012

DERBY WINNER I’LL HAVE ANOTHER SPELLS $16,300 IN CASH TO SANTA ANITA ‘DERBY OWNER FOR THE DAY’

ARCADIA, Calif. (May 7, 2012)—I’ll Have Another, who parlayed victory in the Grade I Santa Anita Derby on April 7 to victory in America’s most famous race, the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, not only brought home a winning purse of $1.2 million, he made 32-year-old Pasadena resident Greg Politano $16,300 as a result of a $1,000 win wager made by Santa Anita on his behalf.

Polatano, who works in supply team management for a medical company in nearby Irwindale, entered Santa Anita’s free “Derby Owner for the Day” contest on April 7 and as a result, he participated in the “owner experience”--without the bills. Accordingly, on Santa Anita Derby Day, he went to the paddock and watched up-close as jockey Mario Gutierrez, trainer Doug O’Neill and owners Paul and Zilla Reddam discussed pre-race strategy.

Monday, April 23 2012

AFTER SIX-MINUTE PHOTO EXAM, FAVORED BOURBON BAY DECLARED NOSE WINNER

ARCADIA, Calif. (April 22, 2011) – Bourbon Bay strengthened his lucrative attachment to Santa Anita’s Camino Real turf course Sunday by winning the historic San Juan Capistrano Handicap, but it took longer for the stewards to separate the even-money favorite and Eastern invader Eagle Poise than it did to run the nation’s longest graded turf stakes at 1 ¾ miles which is traditionally contested on the winter/spring meet’s closing day.

After the pair crossed the finish line in perfect sync, another six minutes was required to determine that Bourbon Bay, a one-half length winner of the event in 2010, had indeed triumphed in the 73rd running of the Grade II, $150,000 marathon run in 2:45.70. It was that close before a rapt crowd of 16,034.

Saturday, April 21 2012

BACK ON GRASS, BLINGO GAINS HARD-FOUGHT WIN IN LA PUENTE STAKES (Friday April 20, 2012)

ARCADIA, Calif. (April 20, 2012) – After finishing sixth in Grade I and Grade II stakes races, Blingo returned to turf, the surface of his maiden debut victory, and remained unbeaten over grass footing on Friday with a hard-fought triumph in Santa Anita’s $76,500 La Puente Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles.

Under a busy ride by Mike Smith, Blingo made good on his 3-5 favoritism by rallying to defeat Vibrato Jazz by one-half length with Buffalo Billy gaining third, another length back, after veering in at the start. The final time was 1:47.58.

SANTA ANITA STABLE NOTES (Friday April 20,2012)

LEADING RIDER ROSARIO SEEKS SECOND STRAIGHT WIN ON BOURBON BAY

Bourbon Bay closed from fifth in a field of five to win the Grade II San Luis Rey Stakes by a thrust of his head on March 25 under Joel Rosario, who was riding the multiple graded stakes winner for the first time.

Even though it looked like a line drive in the box score, to use a time-worn baseball adage, Neil Drysdale’s immediate post-race wonderment centered on why Rosario had the gelding so far back in the mile and a half San Luis Rey. The Hall of Fame trainer hopes for fewer coronary palpitations from Rosario’s tactics on Sunday, when Bourbon Bay tries for his second win in Santa Anita’s traditional closing-day feature, the Grade II, $150,000 San Juan Capistrano Handicap at about 1 ¾ miles on turf.