Tim Yakteen

Matanzas Creek, a 4-year-old son of Empire Maker, crossed the line first as the 4-5 favorite in a six-furlong allowance at Santa Anita Park Saturday afternoon, but fell about 50 yards past the wire and was later euthanized, Tom Ryan, representing part-owner SF Racing, confirmed in a tweet about an hour after the race. Initial reports indicated that the colt walked onto the horse ambulance and was taken to the barn of trainer Tim Yakteen to be evaluated further. Frankie Dettori emerged from the incident with no serious injuries, but...

With Churchill Downs having ruled that any horse that remained in the Baffert barn as of Jan. 29 would be ineligible to run in the GI Kentucky Derby, Monday was decision day for Baffert's owners. In 2022 and 2023, several moved their horses into the barn of former Baffert assistant Tim Yakteen prior to the Derby, but that may not turn out to be the case this year. At least four owners who have Derby candidates with Baffert have said their horses will remain under the care of their Hall...

Trainer Bob Baffert won seven consecutive editions of the GII Los Alamitos Futurity until that streak ended two years ago. The Hall of Famer will have half the field when Wynstock (Solomini), Coach Prime (Quality Road) and GSP Wine Me Up (Vino Rosso) line up for his barn on Saturday. Coach Prime was a $1.7 million Keeneland September yearling, and began to pay back owner Zedan last out with a 7 1/4-length win at Del Mar Nov. 10, earning him the status of 'TDN Rising Star'. As for his stablemates,...

ARCADIA, CA -- Practical Move (Practical Joke--Ack Naughty, by Afleet Alex), winner of this spring's GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby and 3-1 second choice for Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, died after suffering an apparent cardiac event following a routine gallop early Tuesday morning at Santa Anita. His rider was uninjured. Practical Move collapsed suddenly while jogging back along the outer rail in the stretch and was immediately tended to by the onsite veterinary team as well as his trainer Tim Yakteen. A statement from Breeders' Cup read, "Breeders'...

The five days between last Wednesday's pre-entries and Monday's official draw for the Breeders' Cup afford a brief window of opportunity to examine a few subtleties that emerged from the early version of the match-ups for this weekend's championships. The decision by the connections of Practical Move (Practical Joke) to aim for the GI Dirt Mile instead of the GI Classic tops the list. The Classic, which lost Mage (Good Magic) and Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) to illness and injury, respectively, over the weekend, lacks a standout favorite,...

Trainer Tim Yakteen reported GI Santa Anita Derby winner Practical Move (Practical Joke) was in good order the day after winning his return from a nearly six-month layoff on Friday. "He's in great shape," Yakteen said Saturday morning. Returning in an allowance going a mile on dirt, Practical Move stalked a lively pace and then drew off in the stretch to notch a comfortable four-length victory under Ramon Vazquez. The winning time was 1:35.14, which earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form. Yakteen and Practical Move's...

8th-Santa Anita, $63,700, Alw (C)/Opt. Clm ($80,000), 10-6, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:35.14, ft, 4 lengths. PRACTICAL MOVE (c, 3, Practical Joke--Ack Naughty {MSP, $310,450}, by Afleet Alex) has never been off the board in his career and after almost six months away since winning the GI Santa Anita Derby by the slimmest of noses over Mandarin Hero (Jpn) (Shanghai Bobby), he returned to the races here like he never left. Enthusiastically hammered down to 2-5 favoritism at the windows and on Lasix for the first time in his career, he left...

'TDN Rising Star' and $950,000 Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Sale grad, GSW Prince of Monaco (Speightstown), headlines the GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity on Sunday, as the Southern California meet closes its gates on another summer racing season. Aiming for his 17th trophy in this race is Bob Baffert and the Hall of Famer not only has the aforementioned colt, winner last out of the GIII Best Pal S. at Del Mar and who is installed as the morning-line favorite at 2-5, but he also sends Mirahmadi (Into Mischief) to the...

9th-Del Mar, $84,000, Msw, 9-3, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.82, ft, 4 3/4 lengths. TAP YOUR DREAM (f, 2, Tapwrit--Peruse, by First Samurai), let go at 10-1 for this unveiling, pressed the early pace and had more than enough late to take her career opener at Del Mar Sunday. Prompting Girl of My Dreams (Kantharos) through a half mile in :45.79, the chestnut filly strode to the front in early stretch and drew away with authority to win by an eye-catching 4 3/4-length margin. Girl of My Dreams was second. The...

6th-SAR, $136K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 4:06 p.m. CAMERA (Curlin) will make her debut on Sunday at Saratoga Race Course for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. A $1,050,000 buy last August at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling sale, the bay filly out of Cassies Dreamer (Flatter) hails from a female family which includes More Than Real (More Than Ready) and Structor (Palice Malice), winners of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and Juvenile Turf, respectively. The Todd Pletcher trainee, who gets the services of Irad Ortiz, clocked 1:00.55 in her last workout...

Reincarnate (c, 3, Good Magic--Allanah, by Scat Daddy), 13th for trainer Tim Yakteen after racing on a scorching early pace in the GI Kentucky Derby, returned to the Bob Baffert barn with a stylish 2 1/2-length win in Saturday evening's $125,000 Los Alamitos Derby. The even-money favorite showed the way through early fractions of :23.33 and :47.75. Racing under pressure heading into the far turn, he leveled off nicely into the stretch and was never seriously threatened by last out GI Santa Anita Derby third-place finisher and second-choice Skinner (Curlin)....

Fort Bragg (c, 3, Tapit--March X Press, by Shanghai Bobby), scratched from last month's GI Woody Stephens S. after spiking a fever, narrowly outslugged the previously unbeaten Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming) to gamely capture Saturday's GIII Dwyer S. at Belmont Park. Adding blinkers for this, the 3-5 favorite traveled smartly in third as Saudi Crown showed the way through an opening quarter in :22.47. Up a spot into second through an eye-opening half mile in :44.63, Fort Bragg loomed boldly on the outside as the two hit the quarter pole...