Michael McCarthy

The TDN Kentucky Oaks Top 10 For February 13

Things are starting to heat up on the trail to the GI Kentucky Oaks, and this weekend will feature the most important race run so far this year. The GII Fasig-Tipton Rachel Alexandra Stakes at the Fair Grounds drew just six horses, but the race does not lack quality. Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) was undefeated last year in four starts and will be the favorite. But Simply Joking (Practical Joke) is not a horse you can throw out. It will be a big test for Simply Joking, who has run...

[ Read More ]
Straight No Chaser Works Towards Saudi, Prominent 3YOs Also on Santa Anita Tab

Eclipse Award-winning sprinter Straight No Chaser (Speightster) and a pair of important 3-year-old colts were the star turns on the Santa Anita worktab Saturday morning. Last seen sewing up championship honors when taking out the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint over Bentornato (Valiant Minister) at Del Mar Nov. 2, Straight No Chaser turned in his second consecutive bullet work, going five furlongs in :59.20 (1/72) in advance of his expected appearance in the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint on the Saudi Cup undercard Feb. 22. There the 6-year-old is expected to face...

[ Read More ]
Newly Crowned Champion Citizen Bull Fires Bullet For Baffert

Among several notable workers for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert on Saturday morning at Santa Anita was Citizen Bull (Into Mischief), who this week was named the 2024 champion 2-year-old male. With rain expected later in the day and continuing through the weekend, it was a busy training session on both the main track and training track as 229 horses recorded timed workouts ahead of the weather. Citizen Bull worked in company with older horse Pilot Commander (Justify), who most recently was fourth in the GI Malibu Dec. 26....

[ Read More ]
Derby Hopeful Journalism Gets Back To Work At Santa Anita

On Thursday at Santa Anita, one of the leading GI Kentucky Derby prospects, Journalism (Curlin), worked for the first time since he got his picture taken in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 14. Out of graded-stakes winner Mopotism (Uncle Mo), the 3-year-old colt drilled a half mile in :49.80 seconds for trainer Michael McCarthy. In pool three of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager last weekend, Journalism closed at odds of 20-1 to win this year's 'Run for the Roses.' Journalism rolled to a 3 1/2-length victory under Umberto Rispoli...

[ Read More ]
Santa Anita Continues To Feel Impacts From Nearby Eaton Fire

The Santa Anita racing community continues to feel the impacts of the nearby Eaton fire. While the track itself and the 1,800 horses stabled on grounds have not been threatened, the fire has burned more than 13,900 acres while forcing over 100,000 people from their homes and destroying over 1,000 structures in the surrounding area. Agent Mike Ciani confirmed two-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Mario Gutierrez is among those who have lost their home from the fire. Among those forced to evacuate were trainers Michael McCarthy, Phil D'Amato, Dan Blacker and...

[ Read More ]
Los Angeles Wildfires: As Threats To Santa Anita Recede, Reality Bites

Santa Anita opened its track Thursday morning to limited training--just joggers and gallopers for most of the morning. For the Santa Anita backstretch community, it was a slice of normality as the extent of the damage caused by the wildfires that have ripped across Los Angeles this week began to set in. "I've lived there half my life, almost. My daughter was born there. It's where she grew up. All of our memories together. I was just telling her, 'all of your medals and trophies for all the years you...

[ Read More ]
Look Forward Outlasts Artisma To Earn Top Oaks Points In Santa Ynez

Look Forward (Bolt d'Oro) was a nice first-out winner for the late Ben Cecil at Del Mar when she took she took her competition gate to wire while posting an 82 Beyer Speed Figure Nov. 8. Transferred to Michael McCarthy's care, she was then tested for class in the GII Starlet Stakes, stretching out to 1 1/16 miles at Los Alamitos Dec. 7. She dueled late into the race with GISW and eventual winner Tenma (Nyquist) and just yielded close to home when second by 1 3/4 lengths. Cutting back...

[ Read More ]
Downgraded Santa Ynez Still Offers Oaks Points On Sunday

Last year, the Santa Ynez Stakes was issued a downgrade from its grade III status and tabbed as a listed race for 3-year-old fillies in 2025. However, Kentucky Oaks points remain on the table--10 will be deposited in the winner's account--when the bell rings at Santa Anita on Sunday. The Santa Ynez is now part of 1/ST Racing's 3-Year-Old Filly Series, which is sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. Made the morning-line favorite at 5-2 is Hronis Racing's A.Z. Wildcat (Munnings). The chestnut stalked the pace nicely and ended up breaking her maiden...

[ Read More ]
'Let Them Eat Stake' As New Sophomore Colts Tuck In Saturday

With plenty of tasty birthday cake in the offing, a cadre of newly-minted 3-year-old colts have blown out their candles and are ready for stakes action across four tracks on Saturday. Leading the charge at Santa Anita is the GII San Vicente Stakes, which is the annual renewal of the seven furlong dirt race. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has won 13 prior editions, including last year with Muth (Good Magic). In customary fashion, the Hall of Famer enters a pair of runners in Barnes (Into Mischief) and Romanesque...

[ Read More ]
Baffert Trainees Citizen Bull And Gaming Lead Worktab At Santa Anita

Bob Baffert trainees Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) and Gaming (Game Winner), who made up the exacta in the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar Nov. 1, were among several notables to record timed workouts Saturday morning at Santa Anita. A contender for the Eclipse Award as the top 2-year-old colt, Citizen Bull drilled alongside stablemate Richi (Chi) (Practical Joke) going five furlongs in 59.40 seconds, which was the second-fastest of 59 works at the distance. Gaming worked five furlongs in 1:02.60. For Citizen Bull, this was his third...

[ Read More ]
Accuracy to Make Stakes Debut in La Brea

Repole Stable's Accuracy (Arrogate), who romped to a 15-length maiden score at Santa Anita Oct. 19 and added a 7 1/4-length optional claimer win at Del Mar Nov. 29, will tackle stakes company for the first time in Thursday's GI La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita. The chestnut filly's back-to-back wins came at 1 1/16 miles and one mile and she cuts back to seven furlongs for the La Brea, where she is the 5-1 third choice on the morning line and will break from post two under Umberto Rispoli....

[ Read More ]
Headline Horse: Curlin's Journalism Impresses in Los Alamitos Futurity

Welcome to the Road to the Kentucky Derby, Journalism. Showcasing the same stalk-and-pounce ability that earned him a maiden win going just a 1/16 of a mile shorter last month, Journalism (Curlin) employed the same tactics Saturday night to upset a trio of Bob Baffert runners and take the GII Los Alamitos Futurity for Michael McCarthy and earn himself 10 points toward the first Saturday in May. The least experienced runner in the field by starts made (tied with 26-1 longshot Mellencamp {Constitution} who exited the same debut race), the...

[ Read More ]
X

Never miss another story from the TDN

Click Here to sign up for a free subscription.