Doug O'Neill

Heavily favored Queen Maxima added a third graded stakes to her resume and continued her dominance of the downhill turf course at Santa Anita with a professional victory in the GIII Las Cienegas Stakes Sunday. The chestnut mare, now a winner of eight of 13 lifetime starts--and five of six at Santa Anita--broke alertly and took up a stalking position in second behind pacesetting Princesa Moche. The duo remained one-two until turning into the stretch and passing the dirt crossing when Queen Maxima surged ahead, ultimately beating that stubborn rival...

Margarita Girl, making her first start since August, went from maiden winner to graded stakes victress when she charged home first in the GIII Las Flores Stakes at Santa Anita Sunday.    The victory capped a big weekend for her co-owners, Hans and Ana Maron's Saints or Sinners, as well as trainer Mark Glatt, who captured the GIII San Vicente Stakes Saturday with So Happy (Runhappy). Breaking well to watch the race unfold as Thermal (Nyquist) set the tempo, Margarita Girl enjoyed a rail trip through an opening quarter in :21.74...

So Happy (Runhappy) took the lead in midstretch, and refused to come back, keeping his perfect record with a strong win in the GII San Vicente Stakes. The Mark Glatt-trainee entered this contest with only one prior jump to his name. In it, he was last seen breaking his maiden at Del Mar Nov. 22 by three quarters of a length over a field which included two next out winners and GSP Blacksmith (Liam's Map) at 38-1 long odds. There was a scramble coming out of the gate as rivals...

For the sixth time since December Thoroughbred racing on the Southern California circuit has been staged at Los Alamitos Race Course in Orange County, juveniles trained by Bob Baffert swept the winter meet's featured events--the GII Starlet Stakes and GII Los Alamitos Futurity Stakes. One week after Juddmonte homebred Consequent (Into Mischief) took out the fillies' event, earning 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, favored Litmus Test (Nyquist) followed suit in the Dec. 14 Futurity and picked up 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby....

She needed a second wind to get there, but find it she did. Consequent (Into Mischief--Cognitive, by Uncle Mo) steadily closed the gap to overhaul the top pair late in the lane to win the GII Starlet Stakes. She entered this race with only one prior start to her name and it was a half-length victory at first-asking Nov. 14 at this venue. The Juddmonte-homebred put in a couple of strong works under her belt since that graduation, and the betting public liked her to the tune of 5-2 odds...

The GIII Bob Hope Stakes, which was postponed from last Sunday to Nov. 21, has now been cancelled entirely after attracting just three entrants, according to a report in Daily Racing Form. "It's disappointing, obviously, to not have a stakes race go, which is extremely rare here," Del Mar's racing secretary David Jerkens told DRF's Brad Free. "It's a dose of reality with 2-year-olds on the dirt right now. It's been a frustrating category all summer." Ten juveniles were nominated for the Bob Hope, including Bob Baffert trainees Boyd (Violence),...

Every week, the TDN posts a round-up of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. The following rulings were reported on HISA's "rulings" portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) "pending" and "resolved" cases portals. Among this week's rulings, trainer Marisa Monserrate has been banned 18 months after her trainee, Can't Beat Me, tested positive for the banned substance 2,5 Dihydroxybenzenesulfonic Acid after winning at Finger Lakes on July 14. According to Equibase, Monserrate has been training since 2023, winning...

With a rocket in his pocket and a willingness to take on all comers in stride, 'TDN Rising Star' Brant (Gun Runner--Tynan, by Liam's Map) put up his dukes in the GI Del Mar Futurity Stakes and landed Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert his record 19th score in the seaside oval's signature race on closing day. Every moment the colt has had an opportunity to hit the track he has done so with a gusto to the stop the clock as soon as possible--no sundials here. After going to...

Bob Baffert will send out a capable quartet in Sunday's closing-day GI Del Mar Futurity, a race he has won the last four years and a remarkable 18 times overall. After sending out future GI Kentucky Derby winner Silver Charm (Silver Buck) to scoop the event for the first time back in 1996, he added the next six renewals. His personal honor roll is a veritable Hall of Fame, including champions Midshipman (1998), Lookin At Lucky (1999) and American Pharoah (2014) among the champions to have succeeded at the seaside....

MGISW Raging Torrent (Maximus Mischief--Violet Wave, by Violence), whose strong resume made him the leading miler on dirt in North America, is likely to be retired from racing after being diagnosed with a suspensory injury to his left foreleg according to his co-owner Craig Dado. The news was first reported by the Daily Racing Form's Steve Andersen on Saturday evening. The 4-year-old is campaigned by Dado's Great Friends Racing and Yuesheng Zhang. According to trainer Doug O'Neill Sunday, the injury occurred after the GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Mile at...

Tuesday's immigration raid at Delta Downs--which resulted in the reported apprehension of 84 undocumented individuals--reminds industry stakeholders once again of a frustrating conundrum. On the one hand, they must navigate an environment of ramped-up immigration enforcement, and the potential that what happened at Delta Downs could happen at any other racetrack around the country. On the other, they face a long-broken system that makes sourcing legal immigrant workers a bureaucratic nightmare. "It's insanely difficult," said trainer Doug O'Neill, about a visa system that's necessary to properly staff the racetrack backstretch....

I recently read with great interest Mr. Campbell's Letter to the Editor feeling remorse as to why he did not vote Christophe Clement into the Hall of Fame before Mr. Clement's death. His sentiment reminded me of other instances where all of us in racing just scratch our heads and ask, "How is this possible." I remember when Hall of Fame voters failed to vote jockey Garrett Gomez into the Hall while he was alive, yet three months after his death he got in. Before his death, Garrett had distinguished...