Lady Ninja, who posted a pulsating nose victory over favored Selcourt in the LA Woman Stakes last Saturday, is bound for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at seven furlongs on Nov. 2, trainer Richard Baltas confirmed Saturday morning. Baltas claimed the five-year-old Kentucky-bred mare for $32,000 on Sept. 1, 2018, but […]

Longtime California owner/breeder Nick Alexander will be represented by another daughter of Grazen in addition to favored S Y Sky in Saturday’s $100,000 California Distaff Handicap at 5 ½ furlongs on Santa Anita’s turf. That would be Just Grazed Me, gray like the five-year-old S Y Sky, and like her stablemate, never out of the […]

Richard Mandella had “no decision today” in which Breeders’ Cup race Omaha Beach will run–the $2 million Sprint at six furlongs, the $1 million Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile, or the $6 million Classic at a mile and a quarter, all on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita, which hosts the championship events for a record […]

Like Bill Mazeroski’s home run that won the World Series, Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech, and Secretariat’s 31-length victory in the Belmont, the mythic return to glory by Omaha Beach in Saturday’s Santa Anita Sprint Championship will grow in lore through the ages. The pre-race favorite for the Kentucky Derby on May 4 finally returned to […]

Ohio returns to a distance that is right in his wheelhouse Saturday when he runs in the Grade II, $200,000 City of Hope Mile on grass. Half of his 30 career races have come at that distance on turf, where he has won five. The eight-year-old Brazilian-bred gelding meandered from his comfort zone last out, […]

It was business as usual for Abel Cedillo Sunday morning after winning his first Grade I stakes at Santa Anita yesterday aboard longshot Mongolian Groom for trainer Enebish Ganbat in the Awesome Again Stakes. For good measure, the 30-year-old native of Guatemala won his first graded stakes three races earlier by capturing the Grade II […]

Bob Baffert and John Sadler reported Sunday morning their charges emerged from being upset by 25-1 winner Mongolian Groom in the Grade I Awesome Again Stakes in good order and if all goes well, it’s on to the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita Nov. 2. “He came out of it all right,” […]

Bob Baffert was in a familiar place Friday, his home-away-from-home, Santa Anita Park, specifically the Winner’s Circle. The two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer sent out Bast to win the Chandelier Stakes by a neck after a captivating stretch duel with 11-1 Comical, then 90 minutes later watched Eight Rings pummel eight foes with a front-running, six-length […]

Omaha Beach, who has had more false starts in his comeback bid than an Olympic sprinter, worked four furlongs at 7:45 Friday morning for his much-anticipated return to the races in the Grade I, Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Santa Anita Sprint Championship at six furlongs next Saturday, Oct. 5. With regular rider Mike Smith […]

Victor Espinoza is back doing what comes naturally, the worst experience of his career well behind him. The 47-year-old Triple Crown winner and Hall of Fame member has recovered 100 percent from serious injuries suffered in a training mishap at Del Mar 14 months ago and is doing what he loves best–riding–and winning. “We were […]