Los Alamitos

McKinzie Filly Toaster Too Tough On Los Al Debut

Toaster (McKinzie) firmed into even-money favoritism at the off, took command of what appeared to be a wide-open race in upper stretch and kept on nicely to graduate at first asking Friday at Los Alamitos. Drawn one from the outside, the $247,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling turned $525,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic breezer showed enough early toe to track the pace from well off the inside beneath Juan Hernandez. Allowed to stride into the lead approaching the long straight, Toaster was asked for her best five away from the fence leaving the quarter...

[ Read More ]
Baffert Offers Triumvirate in Los Alamitos Futurity

In recent years, trainer Bob Baffert has shown an affinity for the GII Los Alamitos Futurity, winning five of 11 editions since the race was moved to Los Alamitos. On Saturday, the Hall of Fame trainer will attempt to add another notch to his belt with a trio of entrants--Litmus Test (Nyquist), Provenance (Into Mischief) and Blacksmith (Liam's Map). Owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Diane Bashor, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan, Litmus Test will be making his first...

[ Read More ]
Into Mischief's Consequent Finds Second Wind to Run Down Cashed in Starlet

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...

[ Read More ]
Cal-Breds To Enjoy Expanded Opportunities At Santa Anita's Classic Meet

Horses that win a California-bred first-level allowance race will enjoy expanded opportunities beginning with the Dec. 26 opening of the Classic Meet at Santa Anita, the track announced Friday. The Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC), in collaboration with Santa Anita, Del Mar, Los Alamitos and the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association (CTBA), have reached an agreement to broaden the available options to include two wins over the same surface in Cal-bred first conditioned allowance races. Under the existing policy, Cal-breds are entitled to two wins in the first level allowance if...

[ Read More ]
Juvenile Stakes Highlight Los Alamitos Winter Meet

Four stakes written for juveniles--two each for males and females--will be featured during the upcoming six-day winter meeting at Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress, California. Live racing will take place Friday through Sunday on consecutive weekends between Dec. 5 and 7 and Dec. 12 and 14. The first of the added-money events is the $200,000 GII Starlet Stakes for 2-year-old fillies and a mile and a sixteenth to be run Saturday, Dec. 6. Its male counterpart, the $200,000 GII Los Alamitos Futurity will be contested on Saturday, Dec. 13...

[ Read More ]
Gun Runner Filly 'Means Business' on Debut at Los Al

1st-Los Alamitos, $46,000, Msw, 9-20, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:15.88, ft, 3 1/2 lengths. MEANING (f, 2, Gun Runner--Figure of Speech {GISP}, by Into Mischief) worked a sharp half-mile out of the gate in :47 1/5 (2/60) at Santa Anita Sept. 13 and was hammered into 1-5 favoritism for this debut run. Fourth in the very early stages, she rushed up to grab the lead following an opening quarter in :22.34. She was put to the test by GIII Sorrento S. third-place finisher Thank You India (Practical Joke) on the...

[ Read More ]
Kazushi Kimura Claims First Riding Title at Los Angeles County Fair Meet

The nine-day Los Angeles County Fair Meet concluded Sunday with increased field sizes for a second consecutive year and with Kazushi Kimura claiming his first local riding title, the track announced. Several metrics improved for the 2025 season in addition to the field size--a bump up to 7.6 starters per race from slightly less than seven over the corresponding season a year ago. The total Players' Pick 5 pool of $974,636 eclipsed the previous high of $410,783 from 2016 when two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome had been the...

[ Read More ]
Sweet Azteca wins the Great Lady M
Sweet Azteca Gets The Better Of Kopion In Great Lady Showdown

In a showdown between the top female sprinters in California, last year's GII Great Lady M Stakes winner Sweet Azteca (Sharp Azteca) returned to successfully defend her title Saturday defeating MGISW Kopion (Omaha Beach). One a four-race win streak last season for trainer Michael McCarthy which included a win in the GI Beholder Mile early in the year, the now 5-year-old mare changed barns to Richard Baltas after a poor showing as the heavy favorite in the GIII Chillingworth Stakes last October. On the sidelines for nine months, the 7-2...

[ Read More ]
Saturday Insights: Constitution Colt St Petersburg Marks First Start At Los Alamitos

1st-LRC, $45K, Msw, 2yo, 5f, 4:00 p.m. ET. Debuting for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, ST PETERSBURG (Constitution) was a $700,000 purchase during the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. Owned by SF, Starlight, Madaket, Stonestreet, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan, the colt is one of five foals out GIII Schuylerville Stakes heroine Catherinethegreat (Uncaptured), who was acquired by WinStar for $175,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale. The first-time starter hails from an extended female family which includes SW Katinka (Kantharos). TJCIS...

[ Read More ]
LA County Fair Meeting Begins Friday at Los Alamitos

The nine-day Los Angeles County Fair meeting at Los Alamitos kicks off Friday, June 20 and will run through Sunday, July 6 with three stakes worth a combined $400,000 serving as the highlights, the track announced via press release Monday afternoon. Racing is set to be conducted Friday-Sunday (June 20-22; June 27-29; and July 4-6) all three weeks with post time scheduled for 1:00 p.m. The richest of the stakes races, the $200,000 GII Great Lady M. Stakes, will run Saturday, July 5 as the last of the black-type on...

[ Read More ]
Will There Be Enough Cal-Breds to Fill Racing Cards In California?

California-breds have long been a staple of the state's racing product. Since 2014, CA-breds have represented between 45% and 50% of all starters at Thoroughbred race meets. Since the consolidation of racing in the south of the state, that trend has continued. From the start of the Santa Anita winter meeting through mid-March, Cal-breds made up about 47% of all individual starters, which includes both open races and those restricted to northern trainers. But with last year's foal crop (now yearlings) currently sitting at just below 1000 amid a breeding...

[ Read More ]
Trio of Stakes On Tap For L.A. County Fair Meeting

Three stakes races worth a combined $400,000 will be staged during the Los Angeles County Fair meeting at Los Alamitos Racecourse. Nine days of live racing are scheduled from Friday, June 20 through Sunday, July 6 on a Friday-Sunday schedule. The most valuable of the three stakes is the GII Great Lady M. Stakes, which carries purse money of $200,000. The 6 1/2-furlong test for fillies and mares is set to be run Saturday, July 5. The $100,000 Los Alamitos Derby is scheduled for Saturday, June 28. Trainer Bob Baffert...

[ Read More ]
X

Never miss another story from the TDN

Click Here to sign up for a free subscription.