Mark Glatt

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...

Norman Stables LLC and Saints or Sinners' So Happy (Runhappy) exited his win in the seven-furlong GII San Vicente Stakes Saturday in fine shape, according to trainer Mark Glatt, who said the colt is likely to make his next start in the 1 1/16-mile GII San Felipe Stakes Mar. 7. "I'm sure he'll run in one of these preps coming up here and we'll see if he can go two turns," Glatt said. "My first inclination would be to run in the San Felipe, but things change." So Happy, who...

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...

Imagination (Into Mischief) showed an electric turn-of-foot in the lane to overhaul the defending champion and claim his automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup by way of the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes. Back at the six furlong distance for the first time since his debut two years ago at Del Mar, the Bob Baffert trainee had predominantly been a two-turn horse in his career and had two elite-level placings last year to his credit--once in the spring in the GI Santa Anita Derby when he came a neck...

Dr. Venkman (g, 5, Ghostzapper--Theory of Change, by Archarcharch), winner of the GII San Diego Handicap at Del Mar 13 months ago, returned to the scene of his biggest career triumph to add the GII Pat O'Brien Stakes Saturday. The $250,000 Pat O'Brien, run at seven furlongs, offers a 'Win and You're In' berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, to be held over this surface Nov. 1. Despite a field of veterans, the Pat O'Brien was not without incident. Two of the six horses--Stronghold (Ghostzapper) and Spirit of...

Multiple Grade I hero Journalism (Curlin) was out over the Del Mar racetrack Saturday morning for his latest move as his connections continue talks about entering in the GI Pacific Classic. Out on an overcast day, the son of Curlin put in a five-furlong breeze in 1-minute flat, the 30th fastest of 69 that morning at the distance, with regular rider Umberto Rispoli in the irons. The pair went in company with SP Phosphorescence (Fr) (City of Light). It was the longest of his three works at the track in...

6th-Del Mar, $82,000, Msw, 7-19, 2yo, f, 5f, :58.25, ft, nose. LA WALLY (f, 2, Constitution--Moonstone, by Gemologist), off at odds of 6-1, sat the trip of the race beneath Antonio Fresu to win on debut in dramatic fashion. She chased in an outside third as the debuting, Bob Baffert-trained even-money favorite Cherry Cider (Tiz the Law) was hounded through fractions of :21.97 and :45.61. Cherry Cider began to shake free in the stretch and looked like she was on her way, but La Wally was just getting going and...

1st-Churchill Downs, $117,975, Msw, 6-29, 3yo/up, f/m, 1m, 1:34.03, ft, 1 3/4 lengths. LEMON ZEST (f, 3, Nyquist--Larkin, by Bernardini) came into this second jump out of a live maiden on debut May 17 beneath these Twin Spires. The winner of that contest, Me and Molly McGee (Vekoma), won a first-level allowance at this venue June 22 after a prolonged duel and earned an 85 Beyer for the effort. The runner-up Spun Candy (Hard Spun) broke her maiden June 28--also at Churchill--and earned an 86 for her troubles while High...

Last week, 'Five Fastest Maidens' became six because of a fifth-place tie. This week, only four maidens met our minimum threshold of an 80 Beyer Speed Figure 4) KAPOOR, CD, 5-31, Race 4, 7 furlongs Beyer Speed Figure- 80 (f, 3, Uncle Mo--Kareena, by Medaglia d'Oro) O/B-Godolphin; T-Bill Mott; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. She was Mott's second promising maiden to graduate on Saturday's strong Churchill Downs card, leading all the way after starting her career with third-place efforts at both Gulfstream and Keeneland. Godolphin bought dam Kareena for $400,000 from Jane...

5th-CD, $120k, Msw, 3yo/up, f, 1mT, 2:46p.m. ET OLYMPIC DAME (Medaglia d'Oro) will break from the rail here wearing the colors of Qatar Racing for trainer Brendan Walsh. A $385,000 FTSAUG purchase in 2023, the price looked like a steal three months later when her half-brother Honor Marie (Honor Code) brought home the trophy for the GII Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes in late November, and kept himself in the headlines from there, running through the 2024 Kentucky Derby trail by route of Louisiana and eventually finishing eighth in the big...

Edited Press Release The Santa Anita Classic Meet wrapped up Sunday, Apr. 6 with Mark Glatt as leading trainer, Juan Hernandez as the top jockey and Reddam Racing earning the title as leading owner. Live racing will resume at The Great Race Place on Friday, Apr. 18 with the start of its 29-day Hollywood Meet. For Glatt, a 52-year-old native of Auburn, WA, this was his second Santa Anita trainer's title and first at the traditional Classic Meet. He finished the stand with 31 wins from 122 starters (25%) and...

Saturday's Santa Anita Derby day showed large increases over 2024 with the all sources handle totaling $22,388,003 and wagering on just the marquee race up by nearly 24 per cent, according to a press release by the track. Bolstered by a big turnout from the Derby Day 5K, the on-track attendance came in at 34,312, a seven per cent jump from last season. It was the largest turnout since 2018. Both the all sources handle and on track attendance are expected to finish the Classic Meet Sunday up by noteworthy...