Santa Anita Park

At the OBS March Sale, trainer Michael McCarthy confirmed that his prize pupil Journalism (Curlin) continues to work well out in California as the colt prepares for his 4-year-old debut. "He's training great," McCarthy told TDN. "I don't see a whole lot of difference in him this spring compared to last. He's holding his weight well. Obviously, he's put some on since having a little bit of a break. He's training forwardly." McCarthy said that Journalism has drilled two good half-mile works at Santa Anita Park. "We're going to work...

Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) will be scratched from Saturday's GI Santa Anita Handicap after he acted up and had to be removed from an airplane in Florida Tuesday morning as his flight to California was preparing to take off. Mike Welsch of Daily Racing Form previously reported the story, quoting trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. "We could have tranquilized him," Joseph told Welsch. "But with the medication regulations I didn't want to take that chance just four days before the race. He's never done anything like this before, so I'm not sure if...

Jockey Ramon Vazquez reached an Oaklawn Park milestone on last Friday's card when he captured the sixth race, becoming the 11th rider in the track's history to reach 500 local victories. Riding regularly at the venue since 2012, Vazquez steered Cur Non (Coal Front) in a $16,000 claiming sprint in what was his second win on the card and ninth in the last three racing days. He had first call on five winners the previous Monday to equal a local career high. "I had never been here before [having been...

Several notable sophomores were out on track Saturday morning at Santa Anita Park, including Grade I winner Intrepido (Maximus Mischief) and fellow GIII Robert B. Lewis alumnus Secured Freedom (Practical Joke)--both of whom put in their first moves since the aforementioned race. The former finished closest to GISP Plutarch (Into Mischief) in the Lewis, that one claimed top prize by three-quarters of a length, and took a spin over the main track for trainer Jeff Mullins in an easy four-panel move. Clocked in :48.80 with jockey Hector Berrios in the...

Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures's Intrepido (Maximus Mischief), a game second in the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes Saturday at Santa Anita, could make his next start in the Mar. 7 GII San Felipe Stakes or could wait for the Apr. 4 GI Santa Anita Derby if he looks to have earned enough points to make the field for the GI Kentucky Derby without the extra start. "If we could have won [the Robert Lewis], then we could have coasted and wait for the Santa Anita Derby," trainer Jeff...

Trainer James Cassidy died Wednesday at his home in Monrovia, California after suffering from heart disease. He was 80. Born Aug. 21, 1945 in New York City, Cassidy got his start working with show horses at the age of 12. He would later transition to racehorses and in 1975, Cassidy took out his trainer's license. He then spent more than a decade working as an assistant for such top Eastern-based trainers as Joe Canty, Frank Whitely and Charles Sanborne before striking out on his own. Cassidy's first starter as a...

The latest salvo in the fight over the legality of a suite of Racing On Demand slot machine-style pari-mutuel games that were removed from Santa Anita by state Department of Justice (DOJ) law enforcement officers Saturday afternoon was fired Tuesday by the track, which filed a writ of mandate against the DOJ in the Los Angeles Superior Court. There had been 26 such machines in total operating in the Santa Anita grandstand pavilion since last Thursday. They offered $1 bets and required gamblers to select the first three finishers of...

The 26 Racing on Demand slot machine-style parimutuel games—with distinct similarities to Historic Horse Racing—that were removed from Santa Anita by Department of Justice law enforcement officers Saturday afternoon will be destroyed after 30 days unless there's some intervening court action, according to a California Department of Justice "notice of intention to destroy machines and devices." The 30-day window began the day the notice was posted, which is dated January 17. The notice was provided by the CA DOJ in response to a series of questions by the TDN about...

The Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs doesn't exactly rank high up on anyone's list of races on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby. But the seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds does offer a purse of $125,000 and is a stepping stone to the $400,000 GIII Tampa Bay Derby, the track's signature race. Expectations for the Pasco are modest, but not so modest that anyone could have predicted that this year's race, scheduled to be run last Saturday, would not fill. Only two horses entered the race. If the start...

Santa Anita Park has canceled live racing on Sunday, Jan. 4 as the final round of strong storms pushes out of the Southern California area, the track said in a press release on Sunday morning. The storm has dropped more than 10 inches of rain on the Arcadia, California, track since an atmospheric river began pummeling the West Coast Dec. 23. "The weather is set to improve significantly by Monday, and we don't have any rain in sight for the next 10 days or so," said Santa Anita Park's General...

Santa Anita Park has canceled live racing for Saturday, Jan. 3 as the latest in a series of powerful storms is set to drop more rain on the Southern California area throughout the afternoon, the track said in a press release early on Saturday. A decision for Sunday's racing program will be made early in the morning to evaluate the most up-to-date forecast for the saturated Southland. A makeup live racing day will be added Thursday, Jan. 15. This is in addition to the previously announced addition of live racing...

Following the cancellation of racing on Wednesday and Thursday, Santa Anita has added a special makeup card for this upcoming Thursday, Jan. 8, according to a press release from the track on Friday. Entries will be taken on Saturday. The program will include both the GIII Robert J. Frankel Stakes for fillies & mares at 1 1/8 miles on turf and the Eddie Logan Stakes at one mile on turf for what are now newly-turned 3-year-olds. Both races had been scheduled for Wednesday. The remaining races from the canceled cards...