Clearly Unhinged

Boxing Day is not a holiday observed on the American calendar--thanks, Revolutionary generation. However, the day after Christmas is circled in red by the horse racing cadre because it means one thing: Opening Day at Santa Anita Park. This Tuesday, an 11-race card kicks off at 2 p.m. ET under the picturesque San Gabriel mountains in Arcadia, California--six of which are graded stakes. To entice the horseplayer, the Classic Meet sports a $1 Pick Six, a 14 percent takeout on both the .50 Early and Late Pick 5, and we...

Talk about keeping good company. Kirstenbosch (Midnight Lute), a 4-year-old making her 17th lifetime start for trainer John Sadler, has not raced out of graded-stakes company since her third-place finish in the GI La Brea S. Dec. 26. Perhaps more impressively, she's been on the board in all but three of the eight starts since that post-Christmas trifecta. And though absent of the winner's circle since victory in the GIII La Canada S. Jan. 15, Kirstenbosch has run second or third to GISW Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) and a pair...

The unbeaten New York-bred filly Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic--City Gift, by City Place), well on her way to a powerful, front-running win in Saturday's GI Test S. at Saratoga, tragically broke down in the shadow of the wire and had to be euthanized on the track. The GI Kentucky Oaks winner and 9-5 favorite 'TDN Rising Star' Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), racing one from last for most of the seven-furlong journey, crossed the wire first, a head in front of longshot Clearly Unhinged (Into Mischief). 'Rising Star' Munnys Gold...

1st-Santa Anita, $67,500, Msw, 2-5, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:15.66, ft, 3 1/4 lengths. CLEARLY UNHINGED (f, 3, Into Mischief--Smart Win, by Smart Strike), moving confidently throughout under Lasix for the first time, went to the lead Sunday afternoon on debut and never looked back. With a tote price that drifted from 5-2 on the morning-line to 4-1 at the bell, the Rock Brothers homebred exited the gate and set the tone with :21.64 for the first quarter mile. Around the far turn, spurning a challenge from heavy favorite Conquistar...