Santa Anita

Bill Downes has been named track announcer for the upcoming winter/spring meet at Golden Gate Fields. Downes, who has called the races at Emerald Downs for the Washington track's last two seasons, has over two decades of experience in the announcer's booth. "We look forward to having Bill call our races," said Golden Gate Fields Vice President and General Manager David Duggan. "He has called all over the country and provides viewers and listeners with an accurate description of a race." Along with his stint at Emerald, Downes has also...

The Chosen Vron's (Vronsky) story will continue in 2024. Trainer Eric Kruljac will bring the 5-year old gelding back for another year he announced Thursday. The gelding started an eight-race win streak at Los Alamitos in September of 2022 which ended with his fifth-place finish in this year's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. "I've put the Breeders' Cup behind me," said Kruljac. "He was kind of covered up. He might have had a little trouble getting out. I think he was behind a couple of horses and when they took off...

Santa Anita's Classic Meet will get off to its traditional fast start Dec. 26 with a trio of Grade I events each worth $300,000--the GI Malibu S., GI La Brea S., and GI American Oaks--and the track will continue racing through June 16 with a total of 90 stakes scheduled for the 78 race days. Those 90 stakes races include 53 graded events, with 10 Grade I races highlighted by the 87th running of the $400,000 GI Santa Anita H. Mar. 2 and the $750,000 GI Santa Anita Derby Apr....

The Ship & Win Program designed to attract horses from outside California to compete at the track will return to Santa Anita when the track opens for racing Dec. 26. The program, will provide eligible shippers with $4,000 guaranteed for their first start (first-time starters excluded), as well additional bonus money in excess of listed purses. For those Ship & Win horses finishing first through fifth on dirt, they will receive a 50% bonus and those finishing first through fifth on turf will get a 40% bonus in addition to...

Kentucky native Sean Boarman has been offically declared the winner of the 2023 Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge following the complete audit called for in the contest's rules and regulations. The 15th annual BCBC drew a record 571 entries as top horseplayers wagered Nov. 3-4 on the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park. The tournament players generated an all-time contest-record wagering handle of $7,759,434. Over $4.6 million of that total was wagered at Santa Anita Park, representing more than 23.6% of the total on-track handle. In the 2023 BCBC,...

Irad Ortiz, Jr. has withdrawn his appeal of a three-day suspension for "for failure to maintain a straight course in the stretch and causing interference" aboard 11-10 favorite Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper), who successfully defended her title by winning the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park. There was no stewards' inquiry posted after Goodnight Olive's win. The Equibase chart noted that Goodnight Olive "drifted in, taking the path of Society [Gun Runner] near the three-sixteenths pole" before she "quickly opened clear and held safely."...

All post-race test samples taken from contenders in the 2023 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park earlier this month have been cleared by the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU). 2023 marked the first year the Breeders' Cup World Championships were run under the full jurisdiction of the Horseracing Integrity & Safety Authority (HISA), including the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program, which took effect in May of this year and is implemented and enforced by HIWU. As was the case under Breeders' Cup's anti-doping and medication control...

Jockey Abel Cedillo will pack up his tack from Del Mar and move east for the winter to Turfway Park for their meeting that starts Nov. 29. He has every intention of returning to the seaside oval next summer, but says the timing just seemed right to try something new. "I just want to go because I've never gone out of California," Cedillo says. "I'm still young so I don't want to wait until I'm too old to make the move. I'll take my chance right now." Cedillo, who has...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victories of Team Europe at the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita.   Auguste Rodin Carves BC Masterpiece Already a four-time Group 1 winner including both the Derby and the Irish version, Coolmore partners' Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) delivered another win in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf last Saturday (video) for Aidan O'Brien. The 'TDN Rising Star' had been bred by Coolmore, and...

Gainesway stallion and GI Breeders' Cup Mile hero Karakontie (Jpn) (Bernstein) will stand for $15,000 LFSN, the farm said in a release Friday morning. Bred and raced by the Niarchos Family, Karakontie campaigned in France, where he won a pair of group races at 2-year-old, including the G1 Qatar Prix Jean Luc Lagardere Grand Criterium. The future sire trained on as a 3-year-old to capture the classic G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains-French 2000 Guineas before traveling to Santa Anita for that Breeders' Cup win. Karakontie continues to serve as one...

Santa Anita concluded its 19-day Autumn Meet Sunday with Juan Hernandez on top of the jockey standings by both wins (24) and stakes victories (7). Trainer Mark Glatt edged out Phil D'Amato 12-11 to win his first Santa Anita training title, while Hall of Famer Richard Mandella led trainers by stakes wins with five. Leading owner went to Lee and Susan Searing's C R K Stable, who finished with four trips to the winner's circle. Known at The Great Race Place, Santa Anita hosted the Breeders' Cup Nov. 3-4. Racing...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. The TDN also posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from the same week. These include decisions from around the country. NEW HISA/HIWU STEWARDS RULINGS The following rulings were reported on HISA's "rulings" portal and...