California

Stakes-siring stallion Editorial (War Front--Playa Maya, by Arch), a half-brother to successful sire and champion Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie), will move to Rancho San Miguel in California to stand for $3,500 live foal guaranteed next year. He most recently stood at Anchor & Hope Farm in Maryland. His oldest foals are 3-year-olds. "If I were to compare the U.S. stallion market to the U.S. stock market, I would say we are acquiring an emerging stock at the optimal time for California breeders," said Rancho San Miguel owner Tom Clark. "Editorial...

Patsy Freeman "Patti" Mancini passed away peacefully Aug. 14 in Thousand Oaks, California, at the age of 86. She was the first female vice president at Rockwell International and received numerous awards from NASA. She also served on various boards unrelated to aeronautics, including the California Horse Racing Board. As a racing commissioner, she actively sought to reform medication regulations during nearly six years of service on the Board, from September 1980 to March 1986. She is survived by her son, William Mancini and his wife, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews....

Four years ago on the eve of the GI TVG Pacific Classic, the hunt for the heavy favorite amid the lettered labyrinth of Del Mar's backstretch ended at Barn J. The stall, of course, belonged to Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky), a sleek, shiny copper penny of a colt, who carried weighty expectations that this was the year his trainer, John Sadler, would finally shrug off the voodoo that had cursed his previous attempts at the coveted prize. It was also viewed as a new high altitude for a horse whose...

For over two years, the simulcasting signal from 1/ST-operated racetracks, along with several others around the country, has been missing in Arizona--the residual fall-out from a long-simmering dispute between the owners of Arizona Downs and the arm of The Stronach Group (TSG) tasked with distributing the company's signal. In both California and Arizona, stakeholders argue that this simulcasting blackout has hit both the bettors and the industry--by how much appears open to debate. A recent analysis by the Arizona Horseman's Benevolent & Protective Association (AZHBPA) of the projected lost revenue...

The CHRB rescinded its recent ruling requiring members of the media to be licensed through the and will instead allow the standard practice of allowing tracks to provide credentials. They released the following statement Wednesday: "While the California Horse Racing Board values safety and security in the stable area, it also recognizes the importance of a free and independent press. After considerable feedback, rather than requiring licenses or visitors passes for stable area media access, the CHRB will allow publicity departments to issue credentials for visitor access to the stable...

Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, will host the 2023 Breeders' Cup World Championships for a record 11th time. The 40th renewal of the Breeders' Cup will take place Friday and Saturday, Nov. 3 and 4, 2023. "Santa Anita Park is an integral part of Breeders' Cup history and is the perfect venue for our landmark 40th running," said Drew Fleming, Breeders' Cup President and CEO. "Since our founders conceived this season-ending championship four decades ago, the Breeders' Cup has consistently been one of the leading global events in Thoroughbred...

Like fast-falling dominoes, the 2018 Supreme Court decision flinging open the legal doors to sports betting has already led to 30 states allowing some form of this gambling, and now it's California's turn to potentially join the party, with two such initiatives on the state ballot this November. The first is Proposition 26, an initiative called the Tribal Sports Wagering Act spearheaded by American Tribes which, in short, would allow sports wagering at Tribal casinos and at approved racetracks in California. Most crucially, it still prohibits mobile or on-line wagering...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. This week's appear below. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. California Track: Los Alamitos Date: 07/04/2022 Licensee: Diego Herrera, jockey Penalty: One-day suspension, $250 fine Violation: Excessive use of the whip Explainer: Having violated the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority Rule #2280 (Use of Riding Crop) and pursuant to...

Just like riding a bicycle. Starting his first horses since serving a 90-day suspension issued by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, trainer Bob Baffert won the two races in which he had entered horses on the Saturday card at Los Alamitos. Baffert's victories included a win by High Connection (Connect) in the Los Alamitos Derby. It was Baffert's sixth straight win in the race that used to be known as the Swaps S. and his 12th overall in the mile-and-an-eighth contest. Baffert had last started horses on Apr. 2. Afterward,...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. California Track: Los Alamitos Date: 06/24/2022 Licensee: Peter Miller, owner Penalty: $5,000 fine Violation: Disorderly conduct Explainer: Pursuant to a Stipulated Agreement and Mutual Release with the California Horse Racing Board, Owner Peter Miller is fined $5,000.00 for violation of California Horse...

In this new TDN column, Christie DeBernardis will tell the stories of popular and/or accomplished former racehorses who are now enjoying second careers as show horses, track ponies, etc. The first two foals out of the mighty Zenyatta, Cozmic One (Bernardini) and Ziconic (Tapit), never reached the winner's circle during their brief careers on the racetrack, but they are both thriving in their second careers as jumpers and ambassadors for off-track Thoroughbreds. The elder brother, Cozmic One's second career has been well documented in these pages (Cozmic One: Shining New...

So we get another day of sun, after all, out in La La Land. It was not so long ago that a night without end appeared to have descended on Santa Anita. Like Ryan Gosling's character in the film, fighting his quixotic rearguard action on behalf of jazz, we were clinging to the wreckage of a culture renounced by 21st Century society. "I'm letting life hit me till it gets tired," he protests to his sister. "Then I'm going to hit back. It's a classic rope-a-dope." If we're honest, that's...